Wildlife trade and conservation

Keeping exotic birds in Australia

If you keep, trade or breed exotic (non-native) birds in Australia there are some important things you need to know.

The Australian Government Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts regulates international trade in exotic birds in order to:

• help reduce illegal international trade in endangered species
• prevent the introduction of new diseases into captive and wild bird populations in Australia
• prevent exotic birds becoming established in the wild as pest species (feral animals)

Bird keepers who possess exotic birds must be able to prove the legal origin of their birds. The Australian Government has introduced a record keeping scheme to help bird keepers comply with this.