Birds you don't need a licence to keep

There are 41 native bird species you can keep without a licence. You also don’t need a licence to keep exotic (non-native) bird species.

You can keep some native birds without a biodiversity conservation licence under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016.

It is illegal to trap and take native birds from the wild. You can be fined up to $220,000 and/or receive a 2-year prison sentence.

Slideshow

Platycercus elegans adelaidae)" />

Native birds you can keep without a licence

• Adelaide rosella
• bar-shouldered dove
• blue-faced parrot finch
• Bourke’s parrot
• brown quail
• budgerigar
• cockatiel
• common bronzewing
• crested pigeon
• diamond dove
• eastern rosella
• elegant parrot
• emerald dove
• galah

• Gouldian finch
• hooded parrot
• king quail
• little button-quail
• little corella
• long-billed corella
• musk lorikeet
• painted button-quail
• painted finch
• pale-headed rosella
• peaceful dove
• Port Lincoln parrot
• princess parrot
• rainbow lorikeet

• red-capped parrot
• red-collared lorikeet
• red-rumped parrot
• scaly-breasted lorikeet
• scarlet-chested parrot
• star finch
• stubble quail
• sulphur-crested cockatoo
• twenty-eight parrot
• western corella
• western rosella
• yellow rosella
• zebra finch

Choose your bird

• research different birds
• talk to bird experts
• contact bird groups (called avicultural societies). See list of groups you can join.

Buy your bird

• go to a licensed pet shop.

The following buttons will open a feedback form below