Hello!
I’m thinking of joining the standard plan.
Is it difficult to find experienced bird sitters?
I’m a bit concerned I won’t find anyone who would be okay with caring for 9 birds (a few different species, from pigeons down to canaries!).
Does anyone have any similar experiences?
Thank you in advance!
Carol
Wow, nine! And a mouse 
I have a small parrot (and two house-rabbits). I think there are quite a few sitters with bird experience and others who would be willing/interested in gaining that experience.
Hello and welcome @Carol - I am sure you will find there are sitters on the site with experience of bird care.
If you do decide to join THS you will be asked to complete a profile of your home and pets (including photos). Under the responsibilities section I would set out the level of care and interaction required. Are they in an outside aviary or indoors, can they be handled, do they fly freely around the home etc etc.
Hopefully you will find the perfect sitter.
@Carol - I’ve sat a few birds in my experience but none that I’ve taken out of their cages yet. Would be willing to learn more and with 9 I guess there is a fairly steep learning curve.
I would love to get some experience with a parrot!
tom
Hello, @Carol I would like to join the other members in wishing you a very warm welcome to the forum community.
once you join the website you can also post your TrustedHousesitters listing to your forum profile so other members can view it and give you feedback and tips to help you get started.
https://forum.trustedhousesitters.com/t/how-to-add-a-listing-or-profile-link-to-your-forum-profile
I grew up with my grandparents having Cockatiels, Canaries and Finches. I think there would definitely be some members with bird experience on the site, or who could spend some time with you during a handover and be keen to learn.
If you need any help joining just let me know.
Best wishes Carla
Northern Spain? Birds? Sounds right up my street! 
I think there are quite a few bird lovers among us, I’m sure you won’t have too much difficulty finding someone!
Ahem… Would a parakeet do? How do you feel about house rabbits? I’m sure we could come to some arrangement
I would definitely love to do a sit with a variety of birds 
Hello @Carol and welcome to the Community Forum 
I am sure you will not have any trouble at all in finding sitters to care for your 9 birds. Personally I have a lot of bird experience having grown up with many various birds from parakeets, love birds, pigeons and numerous others and I am sure there are many other people with similar experience and if you state what exact care will be required then sitters will know what to expect when applying.
Also as @Carla mentioned, once you join the website you can add your TrustedHousesitters profile to your Forum profile by following the attached link should you wish to.
https://forum.trustedhousesitters.com/t/how-to-add-a-listing-or-profile-link-to-your-forum-profile
If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to ask, we are more than happy to help. 
@Ketch - seems like a good mix. But I’m sitting those dates in the US already. I spent about 4 months all told in the UK in 2022 so not looking at UK sits now.
tom
I looove birds and always look out for bird sitting opportunities! They are quite rare though.
Thank you so much, everyone!
These replies have really encouraged me
It makes me feel like it won’t be as hard as I thought.
I will probably join properly and list the sitting soon…
Thank you!!!
We have birds and have cared for them for others as well.
Hi @Carol ,
I love birds. I had budgies as a child, we used to look after my friend’s African Grey, and then adopted an elderly Alexandrine Parakeet. I have yet to secure a housesit with birds though.
I have also rescued numerous wild and a few not so wild birds and taken them to a wildlife hospital or somewhere they could be helped. Perhaps the most memorable was the Stock dove we passed on the canal on a narrowboat holiday. One of my boys realised it was still alive. We had to moor up, and I ended up lying on my stomach on the plank used to access the boat if there is a gap between it and the bank, in order to lift the soggy bird out of the water. We managed to phone a wildlife rescue who identified a vet they worked with that was walkable from the canal. In the slowest rescue ever, 3 hours later, having had to pass through 2 locks on the canal, we made it the the vets with a (by then), slightly drier and perkier patient!
Only yesterday I visited an owner I will be sitting for in a couple of weeks’ time. As well as a cat and large koi fish, she has a large aviary with lots of beautiful birds, mainly different species of finch, parrots and quail. I even “met” 4 babies that were only a week old. I’m very much looking forward to this sit.
I used to keep birds myself (canneries and parakeets) and have sat for birds of friends (parrots and cockatiels).
I’m not a suitable candidate for mist bird sits as I travel with my 2 dogs, but would be happy to look after avariary birds given good information on care and problems to look out for.
I’ve recently seen an advert where the HO has free flying birds in their home. I think I might find that amusing and fun but did wonder about how much cleaning up would be required.
Some of the photos showed favourite perch areas that had bird poo on them. Do birds that are free flying like to poo anywhere or do they have favourite spots that would be easier to maintain? I didn’t want to apply just to ask questions as it wouldn’t be a good fit in general.
Oh it was a general suggestion/invitation, @toml , not specific to my listed dates. You’d be welcome any time. I love reading about the places you visit when you’re sitting.
I only have experience with my small parrot - actually a green-cheeked conure - who spends a lot of time out of her cage. She’s not very big (head to bum = about the size of my hand from fingertips to base of palm) and her poos are tiny (= less than half the size of the fingernail on my little finger).
So yes, she does poo anywhere but they are small and easy to clean up (cheap loo paper and wet wipes always available!). There are ‘more likely’ places as she likes to perch and poo but nowhere special.
For obvious reasons I dress quite casually at home (See also two house rabbits - who are currently moulting…)
Thanks again for all the advice and encouragement, everyone.
I’ve joined and put up my listing.