Pros and cons of Craigslist rehome

[LakeDesire]

Sounds like you got lucky with Sunny! I have noticed some CL birds with the ads that come down in half a day. (The best ad I've seen was for a macaw whose owner asked for a $400 donation to a bird rescue instead of a rehome fee.) Guess the price was right for some birds--I hope they didn't go to flippers.

Good tip regarding borrowed pictures from the internet. There have been some birds I've seen with one picture that looks like a stock photo (perfect home, perfect cage) and I am pretty sure it is not the actual bird (one didn't look like our region through the window in the background!)--but I think ads are legit that have more than one picture of the same bird and the bird with the family members.

 

[LakeDesire]

Just an update for those interested: I am still considering visiting the Craigslist yellow crowned amazon that I linked, but I have been putting it off because I know if I meet her I'll want to take her home! I've been working on training my nanday Jade and helping her get over her fears and anxieties, and think maybe I should just focus on Jade until I get her happy and healthy. If I can help her overcome the behavior problems she developed during the 10 years she lived with my parents, I think I can handle any bird and its challenges!

I also am in graduate school and have a year or a year-and-a-half left, and I might adopt a parrot from a rescue as my "reward" for graduating on time. I need to limit my distractions because I am in a program where many students take a lot longer than we're supposed to to finish up.

 

[wenz2712]

You are being very sensible in the way you are thinking

I agree with you.. concentrate on Jade for now, and maybe once you have finished your studies, then you can think on the lines of an Amazon

Amazons can be quite challenging and quite hard work!

 

[LakeDesire]

Hi all! I thought I would bump this thread with an update in case anyone else is thinking about getting a bird from Craigslist. As I've posted in other threads, I got in touch with a local rescue and have adopted two birds from them. The whole experience was really positive because I got to meet and spend time with many birds. The birds got to choose who they went home with.

Craigslist was too stressful because I felt like I had to save/ransom all of the birds in tiny cages on sunflower seed diets, and I was worried I would have been enabling bird flippers who were mistreating birds just to get a sale from me, a person with a big heart! My local rescue works with people on Craigslist who are genuinely trying to find a good home for their bird, not trying to make money, and works on correcting behavior problems before birds are adopted.

Overall, it was a great experience, and I met two awesome birds without putting money in the pockets of bird flippers. I actually feel like I joined a new family by getting involved with the parrot rescue community!

 

[Chesphoto]

I would also recommend volunteering at a shelter as a great alternative to Craigslist.

Some of the advantages are:

Great way to gain experience with parrots.

You get to spend time with the birds, get to know their personalities, and get weeks or even months to build a relationship.

You get an instant support group if you need help down the road. My shelter offers free clippings and trimmings. They also offered to babysit if the need arises.

Low cost. In fact, at fallenfeathers.org , the parrots are free for the volunteers and they come with a cage.

Try to find all this on Craigslist.

 

[Karigan]

Also beware of scams! Never send money before you see the bird.

 

[Zazoothehahns]

I have not read all of the comments, if someone else has stated a similar observant, I am sorry to restate it.
A few things to keep in mind......craigslist is the new "ad" section of the news paper if you will. People don't post ads in the local papers or paper shops ( a book of published weekly ads in our area ) like they once did. Techknowledgy has taken over when it comes to the old days of black and white news print. With that said, there are decent sellers and there are loons, you must weed them out, go in with a decent head on your shoulders and try not to be gullible. If something rubs you the wrong way, leave. This does not mean they are all wackos.
Second, I personally do not see an issue with someone asking a few hundred dollars for a bird that typically costs $1000, especially if it is in good health comes with a nice cage and all of its toys.
Third, which I know has been said, do not assume it needs to be rescued. There are responsible owners out there that may know that they must be relocated, or a loved one will need to go to a nursing home in the coming year, and are taking there time finding the right home. Just because an ad may be out there for 2 months doesn't mean it is a craphole situation, it may be that they are being choosy about who gets the bird.
Just as one must trust their gut instinct when buying from a breeder, one must do the same when buying from CL. Proceed with caution, proceed with an open mind, don't assume everything is a lie, but at the same time do not be naive.
I have had horses for a long time, I have bought and sold some, bred and raised some foals, then placed them, don't think I ever made a profit, it takes a lot of money to care for them correctly. There were decent people I have met over the years, ones I knew to stay away from, ones I would gladly refer others to, private sales that turned out to be excellent homes and horses, and those places that screamed "don't walk away from here, run away, this person is a quack". Do your homework and proceed with caution, you may end up being pleasantly surprised.