# Pricey Parrots ..



## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

I met up with a friend at Omar's Exotic Birds today to deliver two King pigeons that she is adopting from me. Omar's is a wonderful bird store where all the birds that are for sale are basically "loose" in the main area of the store. They have a great setup where something akin to a play gym is suspended from the ceiling with perches and toys and a bottom piece that holds food and water. It makes for a wonderful way to interact with a bird you are interested in buying. No .. neither of us were there to buy a bird .. it's just a good place to meet and also to stock up on bird supplies.

Anyway, they had two Queen of Bavaria aka Golden Conures there today .. just stunning. They were still quite young as they still had quite a bit of green on their wing shields .. only $2,800.00 each. http://www.avianweb.com/goldenconure.html 

Those were certainly not the most expensive birds I have ever seen in Omar's but were the first of this species that I have ever seen anywhere. It appears that they are quite rare and on the endangered species list.

Several years ago, Omar had a pair of Toucans on display with a price tag of about $18,000.00 for the pair if I remember correctly and also a Major Mitchell's cockatoo that I would have loved to have .. alas .. the more than $6,000.00 price tag was way too much for my pocketbook!

http://www.omarsexoticbirds.com/

Terry


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

TAWhatley said:


> I met up with a friend at Omar's Exotic Birds today to deliver two King pigeons that she is adopting from me. Omar's is a wonderful bird store where all the birds that are for sale are basically "loose" in the main area of the store. They have a great setup where something akin to a play gym is suspended from the ceiling with perches and toys and a bottom piece that holds food and water. It makes for a wonderful way to interact with a bird you are interested in buying. No .. neither of us were there to buy a bird .. it's just a good place to meet and also to stock up on bird supplies.
> 
> Anyway, they had two Queen of Bavaria aka Golden Conures there today .. just stunning. They were still quite young as they still had quite a bit of green on their wing shields .. only $2,800.00 each. http://www.avianweb.com/goldenconure.html
> 
> ...



$2800? and you didn't BUY THEM????  I bet they were so cute. Sounds like a neat bird store. All we have around here is the same ole hum drum pet stores with birds in cages.........


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Lovebirds said:


> $2800? and you didn't BUY THEM????  I bet they were so cute. Sounds like a neat bird store. All we have around here is the same ole hum drum pet stores with birds in cages.........


Yeah .. maybe next time, Renee  I meant to add that this "open" approach they use at Omar's helps make their birds very, very well socialized. All their babies are hand raised and then spend time in the stores where they meet and interact with dozens of different people every day. If it were my store, I would be too paranoid and too protective of my birds to be having all kinds of people handling them, but it sure works for Omar.

Terry


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

Hi Terry, 

Omar's sounds like a very reputable and innovative pet store for sure, definitely not your typical pet store that we all know and tend to cringe at.

I really like the idea of a play gym suspended from the ceiling and how the birds are all free to move around and interact with each other and the people. All pet stores should incorporate this idea

Those are some VERY expensive parrots & toucans! The golden conures are very striking but it's a shame that they are on the endangered species list. I'm surprised that this store is able to sell them considering this or would even have access to selling them.

I remember when I was a kid, seeing a toucan at one of our pet stores and it was priced at around $5000 (I believe & at that time) for the single bird. It was beautiful and so neat! I've never seen one at a pet store since then, but I don't go to pet stores very often either anymore.


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## TerriB (Nov 16, 2003)

What a neat place!!! Their breeding facility is wonderful!


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

Even with the high price tag(s), I hope the buyers KNOW what they are getting into! Not just buying for looks or a status symbol!

There are so many sad stories....


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Pigeonpal2002 said:


> I really like the idea of a play gym suspended from the ceiling and how the birds are all free to move around and interact with each other and the people. All pet stores should incorporate this idea


If you click on this link and then scroll through the pictures, you will come to one or two of this suspended play gym thingie I mentioned: http://www.omarsexoticbirds.com/show/placentiaslideshow.html

Terry


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

mr squeaks said:


> Even with the high price tag(s), I hope the buyers KNOW what they are getting into! Not just buying for looks or a status symbol!
> 
> There are so many sad stories....


I honestly don't know how carefully Omar's "screens" their buyers .. hopefully they do a good job of it and make sure the new owner's are up to speed on everything. This particular store has been around for a long time and has several locations, so I have to ASSume that they do a good job all the way around. 

Terry


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

TerriB said:


> What a neat place!!! Their breeding facility is wonderful!


Yes, it is beautiful. For others wishing to view this, click on the Breeders Resort link on the Omar's site.

Terry


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

TerriB said:


> What a neat place!!! Their breeding facility is wonderful!


Yep, I agree, I went through the pictures at Omar's and the store itself is so open, airy and BRIGHT! This pet store looks like a place that these birds would enjoy living at! All the birds look very healthy, happy and those suspended platform gyms they've got, are just awesome


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

TAWhatley said:


> If you click on this link and then scroll through the pictures, you will come to one or two of this suspended play gym thingie I mentioned: http://www.omarsexoticbirds.com/show/placentiaslideshow.html
> 
> Terry


Now THAT'S A BIRD STORE!! Man......I could spend hours and hours in there.


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

I agree! Sure is a beautiful place!  

Too bad ALL bird stores can't be as nice!

Caring about the birds makes SUCH A TREMENDOUS DIFFERENCE!

A healthy bird is a HAPPY bird!


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Wow, what a great place. Maybe the prices are high, but that insures quality care & environment for the birds in the shop and a good home where the bird will be well cared for also. 

Looks like the HAPPY ZONE for birds.


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

Wonderful place for the birdies.
I wonder if they have a return policy. One of the breeders here has that, which I think is a good idea. Some people don't realize how high maintanance these birds are and many often want to " get rid" of them after a while, which is so sad.

Reti


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## Rooster2312 (Mar 8, 2006)

Lovebirds said:


> Now THAT'S A BIRD STORE!! Man......I could spend hours and hours in there.


My thoughts exactly!!!   

Lindi


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Omar's does have a return policy for any birds that don't work out, and yes, the higher price is because of the higher cost and greater time spent making sure their babies are healthy, happy, well socialized young birds. Truly, you would have to experience walking through this store and being totally free to stop and chat with any bird that's out, have that bird on your arm, give it scritches, walk around with it a bit .. totally amazing. The birds are incredibly well behaved and just absolute doll birdies!

Terry


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

TAWhatley said:


> Truly, you would have to experience walking through this store and being totally free to stop and chat with any bird that's out, have that bird on your arm, give it scritches, walk around with it a bit .. totally amazing. The birds are incredibly well behaved and just absolute doll birdies!
> 
> Terry


Sounds like pure heaven to me!


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Pigeonpal2002 said:


> Sounds like pure heaven to me!


It is! I took Bigbird and his wife to Omar's a couple of years ago when they were down here in my area .. also to the duck pond .. but Omar's was a big hit as they are parrot people as well as pigeon people.

Terry


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