Feathered-friend lovers gather at Heart of Illinois Bird Club Show

Bird lovers in the Peoria area flocked Sunday to the conference center of the Grand Hotel, where a rainbow of birds were on display for the Heart of Illinois Bird Club.

From canary to cockatoo, the event featured more than one would see at a typical pet store, including the exotic and rare. Breeders brought their most prized birds.

"I love to show my birds," said club member and breeder Doug Martin. "The birds like the interaction. I do it so the birds are more socialized; the more socialized the bird is, the better it's going to be."

The show also was a venue for education, offering prospective pet owners an opportunity to learn what is needed and what to expect.

"It allows people to see how many different types of birds there are and to find out what type of bird would actually fit into their house," Martin said. "There are birds that I would not recommend for anybody in an apartment to have just because of the noise level."

Club members also spoke of specific attributes of certain species.

"The (macaw) has a wonderful vocabulary and can be very personable," said Judy Lewis, the club's president. "Now, if you wanted to buy a finch, those guys are in flight. You can listen to the noises of different types of birds all at once, and you can enjoy them that way, but they aren't really the kind of bird you're going to sit and hold and rub its head."

The event also was a chance for people to get advice on raising birds.

"You can learn a lot more about birds," said Tristan Johnson, whose mom is a club member. "People can talk to a lot of the owners and figure out what kind of seed they need, how many hours of sunlight. Basically everything that they need."

And for those who already have birds, the fair offered a chance to browse and buy accessories to properly raise a bird.

"There you can find your bird feed, perches, bird toys; things that you're not always going to find at PetSmart or PetCo because these are all made by some of the vendors," said Lewis. "They have just some unique stuff."

Of course, the event brought together more than just birds and products.

"It's an awesome learning experience. You can talk bird and you can share your experience with others," said Lewis. "These people are all talking birds. You start talking about a bird and they'll all start talking back. Some of the parrots, they'll talk back, too.

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