Whenever we go on vacation, we board our parrot with the avian vet in whose store he was born. We've never regretted that, and always considered it a wonderful setup... ...until we walked into here. Your Basic Bird is more of a traditional (locally owned) pet store, with well cared for kittens, puppies and of course, birdos of all feathers. What struck me was the way they had their boarders (birds whose families were on vacation) in the main part of the shop, where they could socialize, be stimulated by one another and enjoy occasional skritches on the neck by bird-loving passers-by. Birds need toys and puzzles for proper stimulation - and they had plenty here. The cages were clean, the water was fresh, and the birds looked engaged. The few that were a bit more shy had a nook in the back of the store where they could just be, undisturbed. Frankly, I got my "bird fix" while we were in there, just loving on a couple of beautiful juvenile Meyer's parrots. Well done, YBB! read more

This is a great store but they fail at customer service of any kind. The owner is a quirky, peculiar old codger of a lady who is pretty grumpy towards little kids. Likewise, the overweight dude with a greasy ponytail is equally unfriendly and punitive toward little kids. But it is a unique and cool store and my daughter loves it there so... whatever. Have a nice read more

I like this bird store. They're very knowledgeable and friendly. They offer affordable cage rentals and other services.

Was lure here trying to find an African Grey Parrot Congo.. Was greeted by several employees and was helped by Claudia who is friendly and knowledgeable. I love that she took the time to explain and educate me on the different breeds out there. I was able to hold Charley perched on my fingers and even though he has a docile personality, my heart and wallet is set on an African Grey. I asked to be placed on waiting list and hopefully in the near future I can have one of my own. read more

My bird QWERTY was kidnapped while boarding here. I got a call from from Claudia, the store owner, while I was out of town, and she told me that QWERTY was taken from his cage during a 30-minute window when the back half of the store was left unattended. It was painful never to have said goodbye to him, and I don't want this to happen to anybody else who loves their bird. I learned that this wasn't the first time that a bird had been stolen from Your Basic Bird. She told me that her own bird had been stolen 8-10 years ago. And it was implied that there had been other bird thefts before that, though unfortunately I don't have the details for that. Since this was not the first time, why was nothing done to prevent it from happening again? When QWERTY was kidnapped, the video camera at Your Basic Bird was not functional, who knows for how long. So we had no footage of the kidnapper. Boarded birds aren't separated from the birds for sale, so anybody can walk up to your bird and open the cage. They don't put padlocks on the cage doors. Apparently your bird can be left unattended in a space open to the public for long stretches of time. Claudia seemed to feel remorse - she put up a missing bird flyer in her store, and asked nearby stores for video camera footage. But it's hard to know how deep that goes, because it doesn't seem like she's done much to prevent this from happening again. I talked to her after the incident about security measures she's taken since QWERTY went missing, and all she said was that the video camera worked now. If you love your bird, don't board them here. read more

Never board your parrot here. I wish I could give less Your Basic Bird less than one star. My two lovebirds Indy & Kiwi have been part of my family since I was in elementary school, they even moved here with me for college (UC Berkeley). I don't like to write negative reviews, but it has been one year since this happened & one of my birds has not recovered from his stay here. He never had any issues prior to this stay - this is not the first time I have boarded my bird somewhere or left him under the care of another person. I have boarded my parrots with Your Basic Bird twice. My birds were fine during one of the stays, I was told they were taken to someone's house, my birds were happy after the stay. I trusted Your Basic Bird after recommendations of a school friend who owns a conure & leaves him there when she goes out of the country, but also mentioned he is taken to someone's house. I was initially happy bc I had never seen a shop so focused on birds, there was nothing like this in my hometown. I also ended up trusting this place due to its 4 star rating online at the time, but mostly due to the fact that I was pretty new in town & didn't know who to leave my parrots with. Upon return, I found that both of my birds were extremely stressed & anxious. I had never seen either of them like this. I assumed that maybe they didn't like the ambience since there are so many birds all screeching at once. After unpacking, I finally played & caught them to calm them down & give them cuddles/pets the following day bc I kept noticing them both sort of pointing at a spot on their wings & making a weird screeching noise that I had never heard them scream in the 15 years that I've had them. Another reason I was curious to examine my birds was bc I noticed a bit of left over blood that seems to have not been cleaned up completely. I noticed that some of their main feathers had been PLUCKED/RIPPED OUT, not in the way parrots do when depressed/self-mutilating, I've seen parrots who pluck before since I have volunteered extensively with animals at different shelters & rescues throughout my life. This was done by a human especially bc it was the same 3 feathers on each birds wing. Indy & Kiwi never plucked before then, & even if we tried to assume that the birds might pluck themselves, it would've been in a random fashion, not on the same spot, the same three important feathers on each bird. When I noticed this, I started crying. Nowadays, thinking of someone there grabbing my birds & plucking their feathers out of frustration or anger while I was gone makes me teary eyed. As a kid, I used to read a lot about lovebirds since I wanted to learn more about my 2 new friends. I remember reading that there are certain areas that you shouldn't cut, especially not pull out bc it's the pain equivalent of pulling out a human nail from a finger. THERE WERE THREE MISSING FROM EACH OF MY BIRDS. IMAGINE THE PAIN. This is animal torture/abuse. If a parrot is misbehaving based on caretakers judgement, there are so many ways to deal with it without causing pain. Thinking about someone pulling out my parrots feathers is devastating since my bird Indy is such a darling cuddly sweetheart. His only issue is that he is quite the escape artist. Kiwi is a bit of a biter due to her continual need to be protecting a nest/food bowl. But both of these qualities were mentioned to Your Basic Bird before the stay & they said it was fine & that it was normal/expected & didn't affect their eligibility to stay there. There was no problem during the other stay & no problems for my friend, this was so unexpected. If an animal had been aggressive that caused someone to get mad, it is still no excuse to cause a pet so much pain. I have volunteered at a shelter & sometimes there are aggressive animals that might scratch or bite, doesn't mean I get to take out my frustration on them. This is one of the many things that could happen & people are told this before going into animal care. IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE PATIENCE, THEN YOU SHOULDN'T BE WORKING IN ANIMAL CARE. I was a very young unexperienced college student away from home for the first time in an apt off-campus. I didn't know who to talk to. When I called, they didn't exactly deny it, they just said they didn't know who looked after my birds.. If it were now, I would have considered legal action. Not so much bc of my parrots bc the pain cannot be undone, & there is unfortunately no way to explain to them to what happened or make up for it, but bc NO ANIMAL SHOULD GO THROUGH THIS. Indy never recovered. I have very strong feelings against Your Basic Bird bc everyday is potentially a last with my elderly birds & to think they were handled in a torturous way sickens me. Unless you are desperate & don't have any other option of where to leave your parrot - & if they say your parrot will be taken out of the store, don't leave your parrot here. Pay attention to the one star ratings. This is not okay. read more

They was very rude to me and my family and there was a little girl yelling saying read the sighs so rude

Unfortunately, I am unable to have any birdies due to the small size of my apartment and my 2 predator feline friends whom have sharp claws and teeth. The most unfortunate part of this is that I LOVE birds, if I had the space and time I would be the crazy bird lady of San Mateo County. When I'm feeling the bird blues I can jump on down to Berkeley and visit the adorable birds that hang out here at Your Basic Bird! The employees are friendly and helpful but not overbearing. I will be back here to get my bird fix any and every time I'm in Berkeley. Amongst the birdies they also have kitties(we couldn't visit them due to other folks doing so), bunnies and they had cages that said "rats" but we didn't see any cuties in them(hopefully next time!). If you like to hang out with birdies come on down! Just make sure to use the hand sanitizer as they request, it's important for the health of the birdies. read more

I was not even in the store for 5 minutes and was treated so disrespectfully I am not sure how they get costumers. So rude.

They do bird boarding and grooming (bird nail trimming/wing trimming). I like that they keep a record of your bird as well if you go and get them groomed. It's to show the progress of your bird or to see what grooming works best. Pretty affordable. Treated my cockatiel with care! I'm pretty satisfied. They have 3 store cats as well. Anyway, great shop. Will be coming back soon. read more

Your Basic Bird - Very very happy birdie - Pet Stores Near Me - Berkeley, California

This pet store leaves you feeling depressed. The birds are all packed in so tightly. They place cages upon other cages with very narrow walkways in between. The birds are all the way in the back of the store away from the windows. The staff seem ok at first, but it becomes more apparent that they don't care for the birds properly when you speak with them. I've posted a couple images so other yelpers can have a look. They attribute the Cockatiel's situation here to "being hormonal". This little guy was covered in his own vomit, eating it. I've owned Cockatiels my entire life and absolutely love the little guys. This is not from hormonal fluctuations, it is because they can't get to fresh food so they eat what they vomit. After calling the man over to see if he could move the bird seed around he told me that the bird was fine and he was being hormonal. Reluctantly he tossed the thick top layer of empty seed shells and immediately the bird went straight in for fresh seed instead of the vomit. A lot of the other birds have pulled out their feathers and it gives you the sense that this pet shop cares about cramming in a good variety/selection of bird more than providing a safe place for them before they find an owner. There's absolutely no reason the birds at Your Basic Bird should look and behave the way they do, but they do. I don't recommend supporting this shop until the birds they keep are properly cared for. read more

Your Basic Bird - Pet Stores Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Claudia is genuinely a wonderful bird lady. She has helped me rehome 6 birds after a death of their owner. She is a truly Berkeley person in the best sense of the word. The store has many options for bird food and toys and I stock up on food for my dogs when I am in Berkeley in order to support her. read more

I've been here many times because it's the only place that sells the bird food that i like (Harrison's) but I really don't like this place for numerous reasons: 1. The staff has NEVER been friendly- all of the times I've been there and every time it's someone different yet I STILL get an attitude or something I can't quiet put my finger on 2. Their birds aren't tame and don't seem handfed- the birds there seem skiddish and a little older than one would like when purchasing a bird 3. I feel like they neglect the birds- they don't seem to get any attention- i've never seen anyone paying any attention to them other than cleaning the cage/changing food- which is really sad for birds that have been there for a while and also provokes bad behavior (which is what some of them exhibit- such as constant screaming) 4. There was a bird screaming and I went over to see it (yes, i know they scream for attention and shouldn't be rewarded with it- i've been an owner for 15 years, but still I went over because people were trying to talk and it was being soo loud I felt bad, as soon as I went over the sale person yelled at me for giving it attention- so patronizing, i'm not a fucking child, i'm a customer who wants to see the bird (it'll be there forever by the way because no one who is smart would buy a bird who already has a behavioral problem, poor guy) Anyway, if you want to buy a bird, go to an aviary, or wait for a bird show in the area, don't go here- it's the same as if you were going to pet smart, you'll end up with an untame, unfriendly parrot and he'll end up being punished for it. read more

DO NOT BUY OR BOARD HERE!!! Please adopt a bird from Mickaboo Companion Bird Rescue and don't support terrible shops like these. I was so very excited to go to an all-bird supply store for the first time. My fiancé and I made a trip out if it, planning to stock up on lots of new toys, a play gym, and treats for our two adopted tiels. We were shocked and saddened at what we saw. All of the cages were way too small, and those for the smaller birds were crammed with far too many of them. Most of the cages were filthy, and had little or no enrichment/chew toys. Many of the birds were self mutilating/plucking feathers out, others were obviously visibly sick... we couldn't support it in good conscience and had to leave. Needless to say, we're sticking to Amazon here on out. read more

Popped in here yesterday on my way home from my dad's place and really enjoyed seeing all the birds. Noticed that their prices are quite reasonable and that their sun conures sell for $100 less than other stores. Just had to smile when I saw a little note below the cage that says, "Not an apartment bird." I know from experience that sun conures are loud!!! Especially in the morning. As I was walking around, I saw the coolest cherry head or red masked conure there which was "just visiting" as a boarder. Looked just like in the movie...beyond cool!!! I noticed that his eyes were really different from other types of conures that I'm familiar with. Really beautiful and brilliant, almost like human eyes. I also saw a baby cocktatoo that was just downright adorable there that I just wanted to take home, but couldn't. Was so young and cute...had the greatest personality. Speaking of personality, the staff there is so helpful and friendly! I had the greatest conversation with one of the workers (Jonathon) and as he played with the sun conure on his finger, you could tell that he, like the others in the store, had a real passion and love for birds. I was amazed at the variety of different pieces they sell so that you can custom make your very own bird toys. So many different items and they are reasonably priced. A bird lover could go wild in this store. Great store! Definitely my favorite in the east bay. read more

I never write reviews but after weeks of researching birds, I had finally narrowed down what kind I'd like to give a home too and took my boyfriend here since we had gotten our kitten from this store. We went right as it opened to avoid the crowds and was instantly harassed by the "overweight, grease ponytail man" Although I am not sure he had a pony tail anymore... regardless... RUDE. I work in customer service and even worked for petco so I can understand the irritation of random people coming, looking for a petting zoo, but that is no way to keep business or find homes for these severely stressed out birds, I hope the owner cares enough to deal with this man and remove him from his position if he can treat people so arrogantly and crude then how could he possibly be caring properly for these animals. I'm gonna set the Carole Baskins of birds on to your scent if actions are done to correct this. read more

Have been taking Kiwi (cockatiel) to Claudia for wing trims. She is much superior to places used in the past. Claudia conducts the trims akin to how a 'Vet' instructs a new class of interns by not only explaining WHAT she is doing, but WHY she does it. The price of the procedure also is very affordable_ Parking could be a problem if you don't mind parking in the back lot (metered).....and that can be full unless you plan your visit in the mornings --- read more

First time in this store. Beautiful birds. A heavy set guy with a pony tail was incredibly rude. I attempted to ask questions about a bird and engage. After giving me and my friend an angry stare and short responses he says "I need my 6ft and I was putting that box away..." I was standing more than 6 ft away, clearly. Then he walks less that 6ft right by me to his box and starts putting stuff away. That was it. I walked away embarrassed, actually ashamed. Not sure what happened. I decided to look up reviews on this store. Then I find so many other people sharing about their unpleasant experiences with this same person. So much for customer service. read more

Stopped by this store to check out some toys and was horrified to see how many parrots for sale in cramped cages with barely any toys. If you are standing in the back of the store by the birds, the screeching is so piercingly loud that I had to walk away. They are all kept in cages that sit very close together so the birds don't have any privacy or places to hide from each other and people. A lot of the cages had one or two toys and only a couple of different sized perches. My heart hurt for these poor babies. I can almost bet they have little to no playtime outside of their cages with humans. Thinking of those birds living there like that makes me feel terrible. I also feel bad for all the small animals like the rabbits that have such advanced hearing capabilities! If MY ears hurt... I can't imagine how they must feel having to listen to the screeching every single day. I would advise anyone against shopping here. Animals should not be kept like this. It's downright inhumane. read more

Despite negative reviews I saw in recent months, my kids and I went by to visit the store anyway. Very friendly and helpful staff regardless of my children running around! They have parakeets, conures, and a few larger parrot species. read more

This is a great bird store. I have kept birds my entire life (parrots), and I have shopped at Your Basic Bird throughout those many years. Claudia truly cares about birds (and other animals) and the people that own them. She keeps the birds clean and well-fed. I am very easily put off by people who sell birds and do not take care of them - Claudia is NOT one of those people who doesn't care. The birds are not crowded or stressed. When you walk into the store you hear all kinds of birds singing the song of their people. I buy my birds' toys at Your Basic Bird, and I try new types of pellets thanks to her bins of food. I will not shop at any other bird store. I love my birds more than anything or anyone else - and I would completely trust Claudia with my birds. I hope this store never goes away! read more

Misnamed, it should be called "Your Basic CAGED Bird." I'm always looking for good places for bird-watching and bird-feeding supplies, and finally stopped coming here when I found a great store (Animal Farm on San Pablo & Gilman) where I could get everything I needed without supporting the caged-bird industry. Even so, four good things about "Your Basic Bird" (and the only reasons I'm giving them more than just one star: 1) Friendly, helpful staff, often gave me free things, like buckets to store bird seed. 2) great prices 3) bulk bird seed! 4) suet blocks in less packaging than the standard overpackaged hard-plastic-wrapped-in-soft-plastic suet squares. If they stopped selling caged birds, I'd do ALL of my birding and bird-feeding shopping here. read more

Best place ever :) I sure will return back, I went to get wing and nail cut for my conure and I think her name was Claudia, was awesome, she told me my conure still had his wing short and helped me with the best treats for my pineapple conure :) thank you much love :) read more

Your basic bird was recommended as I was looking for a bird seater for a couple of weeks. Although this is not their core business, they can keep a few birds in the shop. Pressed by time, I didn't have the opportunity to look at the place before bringing my bird and was therefore slightly anxious. I shouldn't have been: upon entering, I immediately noticed the cleanliness of the place, the cages and the health of the birds. I spoke with a couple of employees and met Claudia who asked about the types of seeds, etc... After leaving my information, I took off with the knowledge that my bird was going to be absolutely fine... maybe even have fun; "bird-camp" if you will. My girlfriend even called in the middle of the trip to make sure all was well and was told that Pepita was happily chirping with her neighbors. I picked her up upon my return and noticed that she was just as active, clean and healthy looking as before. Unfortunately, my bird died in a freak accident on the same evening (absolutely nothing to do with the shop or treatment). A couple of days later, I went by the shop and told an employee what happened; i had never met this person but she offered me a chair to watch the birds for as long as i wanted, in case I wanted to pick one. Not really in the mood to get a new companion, I left without a bird and without saying goodbye. A few days later, I get a call on my cell from Claudia, the shop owner, telling me she has just heard what happened and how sorry she was. She went to tell me about her own bird loss and how difficult this had been. I felt completely touched by this phone call because, quite frankly, no one around really understood what we were going through. Claudia did and gave me quite a bit of comfort in a simple phone call. This is beyond customer service; it's a genuine love of birds and understanding for their owners. It completely blew me away. I was impressed by the shop, the knowledge and kindness of all employees there as well as the wide array of toys and goodies. I'm not sure when we'll be ready for another bird; I only know that I will get it at Your Basic Bird. read more

This place is an absolute disgrace! Birds were crammed into tiny cages, covered in droppings. Many were losing feathers, and were visibly shaking from stress. The cacophony of screeching was deafening-- I couldn't stand to stay longer than a few minutes, and yet these poor birds who cannot even cover their ears must endure it endlessly. Whoever owns this store should be ashamed... To build and profit from a shop of horrors such as this is unthinkable. read more

I love this place. I've been coming here since I was a kid in the 1980's and have gotten all my birds from YBB. They've all been healthy and hand-fed and wonderful. Claudia is odd but she's a wonderful woman, knowledgeable and LOVES birds. As for the birds that are plucking, that's what some neurotic birds do-it is not the care they are getting. Those birds have been returned for one reason or another (Usually that leads to the plucking,) and Claudia works hard to find a good match for them. There is ZERO abuse of birds going on there. They have amazing toys and great pricing on bulk food. I've also boarded my birds (and rats!) here for extended periods of time over the last 40 years and they've come home happy and healthy. A quality establishment. read more

I was meeting a friend for lunch at La Med, when I suddenly remembered I hadn't picked up any food for my toy poodle. So I came into Your Basic Bird, and asked for dog food. The staff was very friendly and very helpful. My only negative remark would be about the birds: They are LOUD! They were shrieking and hollering and I could barely hear anything said in the store. Maybe the birds just don't like poodles... read more

For a local business these people aren't as friendly as you'd expect. When I brought in my puppy to buy a leash, she was bahiving just fine. The noise from the birds scared her and she started to whine. They asked me to take her outside? But I was in there to buy a leash so that she Could be outside... Anyway, they didn't have any 1" wide leashes longer than 4 feet. The girl said she would order more and to check back next week... Week and a half later I come back and still no leash for my dog. It's too bad, I really wanted to like them. :( read more

I've recently had a bad bird grooming experience with a store in SF that made me realize how great Your Basic Bird is. The store owner is soooo much more gentle while handling my 20-year-old cockatiel. She also takes care to only cut nails that will get caught in clothing. Not all the nails need trimming at once. She's very conscientious about not cutting nails too short and always remembers to advise me on taking out any textured perches. Overall, my bird is so much happier getting groomed at Your Basic Bird. I will continue to go here as long as I can. read more

As pet stores go (and I am not a big fan in the first place), Your Basic Bird is one of the "good guys". I have seen them trying to find new homes for birds who have been given up for one reason or another and the staff is knowledgeable and friendly. I gotta say that I wish they wouldn't sell baby birds -especially parrots- when there seem to be so many losers who get one on impulse without understanding what they are doing. My bird was rescued from a total idiot who had previously decided that he also "needed" to buy monkey, a pot-bellied pig and a giant tropical fish tank. Needless to say all his pets are in other homes and the fish are all dead. At least Your Basic Bird makes an attempt to tell buyers what they are getting into. read more

I had a lovely visit today at Your Basic Bird! Several things have improved since my last visit months ago. 1. I spoke to Claudia about needing 5 pounds of canary seed. Claudia carefully explained the various seed combinations for sale, ie, just canary seed or canary seed with greens and niger. She said if I want the seed alone, I could buy 5 pounds, but if she added the greens and niger to the canary seed, she could sell that at 6 pounds. I appreciated that she gave me choices. She showed me what she called the regular canary seed, however, it was different from what I remember from a few months ago, in that there were other seeds along with the canary seed. What was great about my visit today, was that Claudia took the time to explain the seed purchasing process, and I did not feel railroaded or hoodwinked like I did last time. 2. The cages are more spaced apart and the birds have more breathing room. 3. Claudia's demeanor was friendly and patient and not harried, and I really enjoyed my visit there today. I can see myself going back again soon! read more

I've visited Your Basic Bird several times in the past few years, and I have to say that I enjoy the atmosphere greatly. Some of the other reviewers have said that it's dirty and that the birds aren't taken care of, but the birds I've seen are usually alert and happy. They've also had a variety of cats, guinea pigs, and even rabbits! I've had the same experience with the man that several people described as cold and somewhat rude. However, I've also spoken with Claudia, who is friendly and knowledgeable about her birds. They have a catalog of birds that they don't usually carry in-store, but they can be special ordered and picked up at a later date. Claudia was helpful during this process, and made sure I knew how to care for my birds without being condescending. I really enjoy my visits here. read more

What a wonderful place. I've been going there for 20 plus years. A very knowledgeable staff who really are helpful. It is very nice that they team up with pet adoption agencies to find homes for other animals too. read more

I come by to buy bird seeds for my bird feeder, which I only have so my cats have something to watch when I'm not at home. Folks here are super nice! read more

This is a great bird store. Claudia cares about her birds and always wants to hear how the Moluccan Cockatoo I purchased there is doing. If you love birds, this is the place for you. read more

I don't have a bird, nor do I ever intend to have a bird. In fact, the one reason to avoid this place is the constant screeching. However, I live and work in the neighborhood and occasionally neglect to get down to Animal Farm for my dog's favorite food and treats. The customer service at your basic bird is excellent. Claudia has followed up on everything I've ever asked her for, even just passing through looking for biodegradable dog waste bags. She's helpful and patient and just plain nice. read more

A store just for birds? That's cool! I'm surprised they manage to stay open, must be hella people with birds around here :)

Your basic bird has been an Elmwood institution for a long, ling time. They are very knowlegable about birds - and animals in general. You can get "basic" parakeets and canaries/finches here but also exotic parrots like Hyacinth Macaws. It's a great place to just walk around if you are an animal lover. read more

I've bought a number of birds from Claudia and they've all been healthy and well cared for. Going into Your Basic Bird is a real treat because there always seems to be some adorable entertaining conures and sweet kittens and cats up for adoption. The staff is very knowledgable and they really care where their birds and other small animals end up. My only issue is that I purchased a canary that I was told was a male but the cute little thing is laying eggs like crazy! I could have called Claudia and returned the bird for a male (she offers that guarantee) but by that time I was too attached to let her go... read more

I have 3 birds, every thing my buddies need I can find in this store, variety toys, food, cage. They have a good brand foods for your pet. I definitely recommend this place for your buddy. read more