How to Tell if a Parrot Is Healthy Before You Buy
How to tell if a parrot is healthy before you buy: a head-to-tail checklist, droppings and behaviour checks, seller questions, and red flags to walk away.
Quick answer
A healthy parrot is alert and busy, and takes an interest in what's going on. Its eyes are clear and bright, its nostrils clean and its feathers smooth and well kept. Check for a clean vent, a normally shaped beak and strong feet that grip the perch. Watch it breathe, move and eat, look at the droppings, and ask the seller about age, diet and history. A bird that passes every check should still see an avian vet soon after you buy it and be kept apart from other birds for a while.
Why this matters
Parrots live a long time, often cost a lot, and are very good at hiding illness. A bird that seems a little quiet in a shop or market can be seriously ill. Some infections can spread to birds you already keep, and one of them, psittacosis, can affect people. Checking carefully before you buy and seeing a vet afterwards protects you, the bird and the birds you already have.
If you're buying online, read How to Buy a Pet Online Safely first.
Step 1: Watch from a distance
Before anyone picks the bird up, spend a few minutes just watching. Handling stresses birds, and the adrenaline can make a sick one look lively for a short while.
Good signs:
- Alert, looking around, reacting to sounds and people
- Perching upright, gripping firmly with both feet
- Moving around the cage, climbing, playing or eating
- Preening normally
- Breathing quietly with the beak closed and little tail movement
Warning signs:
- Fluffed up for long periods, especially in a warm room
- Eyes half closed, sleeping on two feet during the day
- Sitting on the cage floor, or hunched low on the perch
- Tail bobbing with each breath, open-beak breathing, clicking or wheezing sounds
- No interest in food or surroundings
Step 2: Head-to-tail checklist
| Area | Healthy | Red flags |
|---|---|---|
| Eyes | Clear, bright, round, fully open | Discharge, swelling, cloudiness, half-closed, wet feathers around the eye |
| Nostrils (nares) and cere | Clean, dry, even | Discharge, crusting, blocked nostril, staining of feathers above the beak |
| Beak | Smooth, symmetrical, closes properly | Overgrown, cracked, flaky, crossed, unusually shiny and smooth in species that normally have a powdery beak |
| Feathers | Smooth, clean, full, proper colour | Bald patches, chewed or barbered feathers, stress bars, pinched or deformed feathers, dull or greasy plumage |
| Powder down | Light dust on hands (greys, cockatoos, cockatiels) | Absence of powder in these species can be a warning sign worth asking a vet about |
| Body | Feels well-muscled either side of the keel (breastbone) | Sharp, prominent keel (thin) or very fatty |
| Vent | Clean, dry feathers | Pasted, stained or wet feathers around the vent |
| Feet and legs | Strong grip, smooth scales, all toes and nails present | Swelling, sores on the soles, missing toes, overgrown nails, limping |
| Wings | Held evenly against the body | Drooping wing, lumps, injury |
If you see a drooping wing, missing toes or a closed leg band that's too tight, get an explanation before you buy.
Step 3: Check the droppings
Look at the cage floor. A normal dropping has three parts: a formed faecal part (green to brown), white urates and a little clear urine. Be wary of:
- Very watery droppings, unless the bird has just eaten fruit or is visibly stressed
- Undigested seeds
- Blood, black faeces, or yellow or green urates
- Very few droppings in a cage that has not been cleaned
Our bird droppings colour guide explains what each change can mean.
Step 4: Check the setup
How the bird has been kept tells you a good deal. Is the cage clean, with fresh food and water? Is it overcrowded, or are sick-looking birds sharing space with healthy ones? Find out what the bird eats, whether that's seed only or pellets and fresh food as well. And look around: are other birds in the shop or home looking unwell?
Step 5: Questions to ask the seller
- How old is the bird, and how do you know? Is it hand-reared or parent-reared?
- Is it weaned and eating on its own? What exactly does it eat?
- Has it had any vet checks or tests? Can I see the paperwork?
- Is the sex known, and how was it determined (DNA test, or guessed)?
- Does it have a leg band or microchip? What do the band details mean?
- Where did it come from? Was it bred in captivity?
- Will you allow a vet check after purchase, and what happens if the vet finds a problem?
- For species covered by wildlife trade rules (such as African greys), what documents come with it? Rules vary by country, so check your local requirements.
A good seller is happy to answer all of this. Vague answers, pressure to decide fast or a refusal to allow a vet check are warning signs.
Step 6: Gentle handling (if allowed)
If the bird is tame and the seller doesn't mind, watch it on a hand or a perch. A healthy bird holds on firmly and keeps its balance. Don't insist on handling a frightened bird, and never chase one round a cage.
Red flags: walk away
- Fluffed up, sleepy, or on the floor
- Tail bobbing or noisy, laboured breathing
- Discharge from eyes or nostrils
- Dirty vent or watery droppings with no explanation
- Very thin bird with a sharp keel
- Abnormal feathers or beak, or feather loss on the head
- Unweaned baby sold to a first-time owner for hand-feeding
- Seller refuses a vet check, or will not let you see the bird before paying
- Price far below normal for the species
It's natural to feel sorry for a sick bird. Buying it, though, rewards bad practice and may bring disease into your home.
After you buy
- Book an avian vet visit within the first few days.
- Quarantine the new bird in a separate room, ideally with its own air space, for several weeks. Handle it last and wash your hands afterwards.
- Weigh it on a gram scale and keep a record.
- Keep the diet the same to begin with, then improve it gradually.
- Watch droppings and appetite every day.
In Pakistan
In Pakistan, parrots are often sold in busy bird markets, on social media and by home breeders. Market birds can be crowded, stressed and in contact with many others, which makes health checks matter even more. Locally bred ringnecks, Alexandrines, cockatiels and lovebirds are common. African greys and macaws sell for much higher prices, and that draws scammers. Ask for a DNA sexing certificate when the sex matters, and where you can, arrange a vet check in your city before paying in full.
Want sellers who expect these questions? Browse verified birds on Paalo.
Frequently asked questions
Can a parrot look healthy but still be sick?
Yes. Birds hide illness well, and some infections, such as psittacosis (chlamydiosis) or PBFD, can be carried without obvious signs. That is why a vet check soon after purchase and a quarantine period at home are important even for a bird that looks perfect.
Should I buy a parrot from a video call?
A live video call is better than photos alone, but it cannot replace seeing the bird in person or a vet check. If you cannot visit, ask for a recent video showing the bird moving, eating and its droppings, and agree terms for a vet check before paying in full.
What tests should a new parrot have?
This depends on species, age and history, so ask an avian vet. A first visit usually includes a physical exam and weight, and the vet may suggest tests such as droppings checks, blood work, or screening for specific diseases.
