You need an animal dealer (live bird) licence, a type of biodiversity conservation licence granted under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016, to buy, sell or trade (deal in) live native birds for commercial purposes.
Under the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water policy on the commercial trade of native animals, only pet shops are eligible for an animal dealer licence. A pet shop is defined as a premises used for the retail sale of animals to the public, excluding residential premises.
Pet shops dealing in native birds must be registered with the department – when you apply for a licence you must nominate the premises you intend to use for dealing. If you are granted a licence, you will receive a registration certificate for each of the premises associated with your licence.
Under an animal dealer (live bird) licence, pet shops may only deal in particular species. View the bird species that can be traded by an animal dealer.
The dealing of native birds as part of a commercial business is not permitted under a bird keeper licence.
Apply for a licence
To apply for an animal dealer (live bird) licence to commercially trade in birds, you will need to first contact the Wildlife Team, who will send you an application form to complete. The licence term is one year and will cost $600 including a single registered premises – there is a $300 fee for each additional premises to be registered under the licence.
A pre-licence premises inspection is required to commercially trade in native birds. You and (and your employees operating under the licence) must be able to demonstrate capacity to comply with the conditions of an animal dealer (live bird) licence and the requirements of relevant statutory provisions, including but not limited to:
- the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water commercial trade of native animals policy
- the Department of Primary Industries Animal Welfare Code of Practice – Animals in Pet Shops
- the Department of Primary Industries Animal Welfare Code of Practice No 4 – Keeping and Trading of Birds
- local government planning codes.
Comply with licence conditions
When you hold a licence to deal in native animals you must comply with the conditions of an animal dealer (live bird) licence (PDF 55KB).
The licence includes the following conditions:
- Animals may only be bought from persons licensed to keep them.
- When selling species that require a keeper's licence, the customer's licence must be sighted and their details recorded.
- Records of all animals held must be maintained and submitted to the Wildlife Team on an annual basis, including records of:
- the species and number of animals acquired, disposed of or moved
- the date and method of acquisition, disposal or movement of animals
- the name and licence number of persons from whom animals are bought or sold.
- Dealers must accept returns of unwanted or unhealthy animals no longer wanted by a customer. This requirement must be displayed at each registered premises in a conspicuous location.
- Dealers must comply with the enclosure size and equipment requirements specified on their licence.
Licensed dealers must also comply with the Animal Welfare Code of Practice – Animals in Pet Shops and Animal Welfare Code of Practice No 4 – Keeping and Trading of Birds.
Renewals
On the expiration of your licence, the onus is on you to renew. While the department forwards licence renewal notices to licensees, it will not be responsible for the non-receipt of such a notice.
Renewals cost $600 (including a single registered premises) for one year, with a $300 fee for each additional premises.
Renewal of your licence is dependent upon submission of your annual records.
Native bird species that can be traded in New South Wales
The commercial trade of native animals policy allows 47 bird species to be traded by licensed animal dealers in addition to the 41 bird species that may be kept and traded without a licence.
In the species list tables, (E) = species that can be kept and traded without a licence.
Species list
| Species | Common name |
|---|---|
| Coturnix chinensis | King quail (E) |
| Coturnix pectoralis | Stubble quail (E) |
| Coturnix ypsilophora | Brown quail (E) |
| Turnix melanogaster | Black-breasted button-quail |
| Turnix varia | Painted button-quail (E) |
| Turnix velox | Little button-quail (E) |
| Turnix maculosa | Red-backed button-quail |
| Turnix pyrrhothorax | Red-chested button-quail |
| Species | Common name |
|---|---|
| Columba leucomela | White-headed pigeon |
| Chalcophaps indica | Emerald dove (E) |
| Geopelia cuneata | Diamond dove (E) |
| Geopelia humeralis | Bar-shouldered dove (E) |
| Geopelia striata | Peaceful dove (E) |
| Ptilinopus regina | Rose-crowned fruit-dove |
| Geophaps plumifera | Spinifex pigeon |
| Geophaps scripta | Squatter pigeon |
| Ocyphaps lophotes | Crested pigeon (E) |
| Phaps chalcoptera | Common bronzewing (E) |
| Phaps elegans | Brush bronzewing |
| Species | Common name |
|---|---|
| Cacatua galerita | Sulphur-crested cockatoo (E) |
| Cacatua leadbeateri | Major Mitchell’s cockatoo |
| Cacatua pastinator butleri | Western corella (E) |
| Cacatua roseicapilla | Galah (E) |
| Cacatua sanguinea | Little corella (E) |
| Cacatua tenuirostris | Long-billed corella (E) |
| Calyptorhynchus banksii | Red-tailed black-cockatoo |
| Calyptorhynchus baudinii | Long-billed black-cockatoo |
| Calyptorhynchus funereus | Yellow-tailed black-cockatoo |
| Calyptorhynchus lathami | Glossy black-cockatoo |
| Calyptorhynchus latirostris | Short-billed black-cockatoo |
| Callocephalon fimbriatum | Gang-gang cockatoo |
| Nymphicus hollandicus | Cockatiel (E) |
| Species | Common name |
|---|---|
| Glossopsitta concinna | Musk lorikeet (E) |
| Glossopsitta porphyrocephala | Purple-crowned lorikeet |
| Glossopsitta pusilla | Little lorikeet |
| Psitteuteles versicolor | Varied lorikeet |
| Trichoglossus chlorolepidotus | Scaly-breasted lorikeet (E) |
| Trichoglossus haematodus | Rainbow lorikeet (E) |
| Trichoglossus rubritorquis | Red-collared lorikeet (E) |
| Species | Common name |
|---|---|
| Alisterus scapularis | Australian king parrot |
| Aprosmictus erythropterus | Red-winged parrot |
| Barnardius zonarius barnardi | Mallee ringneck |
| Barnardius zonarius macgillivrayi | Cloncurry parrot |
| Barnardius zonarius semitorquatus | Twenty-eight parrot (E) |
| Barnardius zonarius zonarius | Port Lincoln parrot (E) |
| Eclectus roratus macgillivrayi | Eclectus parrot (Aust. ssp.) |
| Lathamus discolor | Swift parrot |
| Melopsittacus undulatus | Budgerigar (E) |
| Neopsephotus bourkii | Bourke's parrot (E) |
| Neophema chrysostoma | Blue-winged parrot |
| Neophema elegans | Elegant parrot (E) |
| Neophema petrophila | Rock parrot |
| Neophema pulchella | Turquoise parrot |
| Neophema splendida | Scarlet-chested parrot (E) |
| Northiella haematogaster | Blue bonnet |
| Platycercus adscitus | Pale-headed rosella (E) |
| Platycercus caledonicus | Green rosella |
| Platycercus elegans adelaidae | Adelaide rosella (E) |
| Platycercus elegans elegans | Crimson rosella |
| Platycercus elegans flaveolus | Yellow rosella (E) |
| Platycercus eximius | Eastern rosella (E) |
| Platycercus icterotis | Western rosella (E) |
| Platycercus venustus | Northern rosella |
| Polytelis alexandrae | Princess parrot (E) |
| Polytelis anthopeplus | Regent parrot |
| Polytelis swainsonii | Superb parrot |
| Psephotus chrysopterygius | Golden-shouldered parrot |
| Psephotus dissimilis | Hooded parrot (E) |
| Psephotus haematonotus | Red-rumped parrot (E) |
| Psephotus varius | Mulga parrot |
| Purpureicephalus spurius | Red-capped parrot (E) |
| Trichoglossus haematodus | Rainbow lorikeet (E) |
| Species | Common name |
|---|---|
| Emblema pictum | Painted finch (E) |
| Erythrura trichroa | Blue-faced parrot finch (E) |
| Erythrura gouldiae | Gouldian finch (E) |
| Heteromunia pectoralis | Pictorella mannikin |
| Lonchura castaneothorax | Chestnut-breasted mannikin |
| Lonchura flaviprymna | Yellow-rumped mannikin |
| Neochmia modesta | Plum-headed finch |
| Neochmia phaeton | Crimson finch |
| Neochmia ruficauda | Star finch (E) |
| Neochmia temporalis | Red-browed finch |
| Poephila acuticauda | Long-tailed finch |
| Poephila cincta | Black-throated finch |
| Poephila personata | Masked finch |
| Stagonopleura guttata | Diamond firetail |
| Taeniopygia bichenovii | Double-barred finch |
| Taeniopygia guttata | Zebra finch (E) |
Other licence types you may need
As a licensed animal dealer, if you intend to import native birds into New South Wales or export them out of the state as part of carrying on your business as a dealer, you will need to apply for an import/export licence each time you intend to transport a consignment interstate (unless the birds can be kept and traded without a licence).
Licensed animal dealers in New South Wales
There are currently 4 pet shops in New South Wales licensed to deal in live native birds.
More information
- Animal Welfare Code of Practice – Animals in pet shopsopens a new window
- Animal Welfare Code of Practice No 4 – Keeping and Trading of Birdsopens a new window
- Licences to commercially trade in native animals
- Animal dealer (live reptile) licence
- Native animals as pets
- Commercial trade of native animals policy