Dear Parrots magazine,
No cheap birds!
I read your article about cheap birds in the October issue and understand how an owner can be drawn into an utter nightmare.
It is very true that cheap birds can end up being the most expensive and in many circumstances, heartbreakers. I have a friend who has had an Amazon for many years and decided she would like a mate for it. After searching the Internet, she found a Blue-front at a very reasonable price. I also have had an Orange-wing for over 15 years and tried to put her off buying this bird, but she said it is a bargain at £180 and went ahead.
She agreed to go to this man’s house to see the Amazon and, presumably, with the intention of buying it. This all seemed a bit odd to me and again, I tried to put her off. Needless to say, she went ahead. She told me that when she got there, the bird did not seem very bright, but the seller said it is probably just tired.
Well, this is when the nightmare started. She got the bird home, but it never really perked up. She was convinced it was just tired and persevered by feeding it and keeping it calm, but it never improved. As the days passed, she started to become concerned that something was wrong, so took it to a vet. After a string of bills, and still no improvement, the bird sadly died.
It certainly does prove the case that cheap birds can end up the most expensive, and can also break your heart. She went back to the seller to complain and ask for her money back, but you can probably guess, she didn’t get very far. Just be warned!
Marion Gilbert, by email