Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!intercon!ooblick
From: ooblick@intercon.com (Mikki Barry)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: INDOOR: Sun Conure
Message-ID: <2688160B.2935@intercon.com>
Date: 27 Jun 90 02:12:27 GMT
References: <1990Jun26.182925.2042@msuinfo.cl.msu.edu>
Distribution: na
Organization: InterCon Systems Corporation, Sterling, VA
Lines: 39

In article <1990Jun26.182925.2042@msuinfo.cl.msu.edu> plemmons@brain.mth.msu.edu () writes:
>health.  They want $650 for the bird.

>My questions are:

>1.  Is there any sure fire way to tell if the bird is domestic? (I don't
>    think that I noticed a band.)

No.  There is no sure fire way to tell if ANY bird is domestic save watching
it hatch.  Of course, there are some pretty good clues such as:
if its hand feeding and not from South America, chances are its a domestic.
South American birds are often brought in as chicks that are hand fed in
quarantine, so being "hand fed" may not mean domestic.

It would really be nice if one could trust bird sellers/breeders.  The rule
is to distrust everyone in this business until proven otherwise.

>2.  Is $650 a good price for this bird?

Maybe.  Do you like the bird?  Do you like the bird's personality?  Does
s/he climb onto your finger and cuddle with your.  Does s/he ask to be
scratched?  Do you even want a bird that is a cuddle-bunny?  If not, then
an import may even be a fine bird for you. (Unless, of course,
you don't believe birds should be taken from the wild, OR you
wish to promote American aviculture.  Also, there's quite a lot to price.
For example, hand feeding babies in this area go for $600.  Babies are
generally more expensive than adults (except for proven breeders and
maybe even then).  But then again, price shouldn't matter as much as how
you enjoy that particular bird.

>3.  Should I be concerned about the toe, since it is completely healed
>    or born that way?  The man helping me didn't know the history on the
>    toe.

Missing toes are often a sign that the toe was bitten off in quarantine.
Of course, this is by no means conclusive.  The bird may have had an
accident at an earlier stage.  It is not often that birds are born
this way.  It won't win any bird shows, but a missing toe really shouldn't
pose a problem for the bird.