Bird boarding in Sydney has never been easier than at Birdsville. Our modern premises at 684 Botany Road, Alexandria, have custom-made habitats in a range of sizes, ready for your pet bird to enjoy while you’re away.
On This Page
How Does Bird Boarding Work?
What’s Included in Bird Boarding?
How Much Does Bird Boarding Cost?
What Do I Need to Bring for Bird Boarding?
Boarding Policies and Risks
Can I Drop Off or Pick Up My Bird on a Public Holiday?
Frequently Asked Questions
H2: How Does Bird Boarding Work?
Whether you’re heading off on holidays, away for business, or just need a temporary home for your feathered friend, our bird boarding facility is the answer. Our caring team will make sure your bird is well fed, stimulated and happy, looked after by animal carers who do this because they genuinely love working with animals.
Once you have your dates, book online and our team will coordinate, arrange and care for your bird while you’re away. There’s no need to bring a cage, food or treats, since we provide all of that. The one thing you do need to bring is a few of your bird’s favorite toys, or you can buy some at Birdsville.
All boarding fees are paid upfront and in full on the first day, covering the whole stay. Bookings need to go through our online booking system rather than over the phone, since you’ll need to agree to our terms and conditions as part of booking, but our team is always happy to answer questions over the phone first.
Click here to book your bird’s stay
Advance bookings are recommended, especially during school holidays and over the Christmas and New Year period.
H2: What’s Included in Bird Boarding?
Morning: daily cage cleaning (paper or shell grit changed, and the cage disinfected with vet-recommended F10 solution), fresh seed and water daily (dry and/or wet Lori mix for lorikeets), plus a visual health check and time with our nurturing team.
Afternoon: freshly chopped fruit and vegetables, plus another visual health check and team interaction.
Our birds can see and hear other birds in the room, even if they’re not sharing a cage, so there’s always company. Cages are modern, clean and secure, and the room is climate controlled. Tame birds with clipped wings will be petted and handled, with the owner’s permission, usually during cage cleaning.
Your bird will be in an active room with our team frequently around, plus other birds nearby, so they’ll never be truly alone during their stay.
H2: How Much Does Bird Boarding Cost?
Boarding fees vary depending on the bird and the level of care required, so for exact nightly rates, head to our Petsville Hotel booking site.
Small birds (budgies, finches, lovebirds): in-house cage size 450mm high x 400mm wide x 460mm deep.
Medium birds (cockatiels, green cheek conures, quakers, ring necks, sun conures): in-house cage size 450mm high x 400mm wide x 460mm deep.
Nectar feeders (lorikeets): in-house cage size 450mm high x 400mm wide x 460mm deep.
Large birds (Alexandrines, galahs, Major Mitchell’s cockatoos, corellas, Amazons, large lories, Eclectus): in-house cage size 1040mm high x 950mm wide x 580mm deep.
Extra-large birds (macaws, sulphur-crested cockatoos, chickens): in-house cage size 1040mm high x 950mm wide x 580mm deep.
Even though large and extra-large birds use the same size cage, extra-large birds are charged at a higher rate on Petsville Hotel, reflecting the extra feeding, cleaning and handling time they need.
Extra care, such as added supplements or medication, may incur an extra daily fee.
We don’t offer hand rearing. If a bird is dropped in to us that has recently been weaned but has reverted and needs hand feeding again, this will incur additional fees, varying by species, with larger parrots costing more.
H2: What Do I Need to Bring for Bird Boarding?
The only real requirement is your bird’s favorite enrichment toys. It’s a condition of boarding with us, since separation anxiety is a real thing for birds, and a bored, anxious bird is far more likely to start plucking during their stay. You’re welcome to bring your own toys or buy some at Birdsville, but we won’t board a bird without any. Between the toys and our facility’s open, active environment, most birds settle in and end up enjoying their stay.
H2: Boarding Policies and Risks
We can’t board animals with a disease or illness, due to the infection risk to other animals in our care.
Being in a new environment always carries some risk of stress or plucking, which is exactly why we require enrichment toys for every boarder. On the positive side, we’ve actually seen improvement in a number of birds who came to us already dealing with plucking issues.
Animals boarded together, even ones that already share a cage at home, can occasionally become territorial in an unfamiliar environment. Hormonal changes can also happen in a new environment, sometimes causing females to become clucky or broody, and both male and female birds’ personalities can shift temporarily toward their owners or their enclosure mate. These situations are rare, but a cage mate can occasionally be targeted by the other. If our team notices bullying between cage mates, we’ll separate them and let you know, and an additional charge applies for the extra space. Our senior staff bring experience from backgrounds including the RSPCA, zoos, veterinary nursing and other animal welfare work, and do everything they can to prevent this.
The full period you book is charged from the day your pet arrives, even if you collect them earlier, since that space is reserved for the whole booking. If pickup is late, an overstay fee of half the nightly rate applies on top of the regular boarding fee for each extra night, a policy we introduced after people used our boarding service to abandon pets.
Our full terms and conditions also apply to boarding, and you can find them on our Terms and Conditions page.
H2: Can I Drop Off or Pick Up My Bird on a Public Holiday?
No, we don’t accept boarding drop-offs or pick-ups on public holidays, you’ll need to bring your bird in or collect them a day earlier or later instead. We’ll still have a team member in-store caring for boarded animals on these dates, but we just can’t take new drop-offs or pick-ups, due to reduced staffing or higher customer volume around these times. If your bird is already boarding with us over one of these dates, the usual daily fee still applies.
As a general rule, we don’t do boarding pick-ups or drop-offs on any public holiday. The list below is this year’s reference, but the underlying rule holds even if an exact date shifts slightly year to year, so it’s worth double-checking the current list on the Petsville Hotel site when you book.
New Year’s Day
Australia Day
Good Friday
Easter Saturday
Easter Sunday
Easter Monday (6 April in 2026)
Anzac Day
King’s Birthday (8 June in 2026)
Labour Day
Christmas Eve (24 December)
Christmas Day (25 December)
Boxing Day (26 December)
New Year’s Eve (31 December)
H2: Bird Boarding: Frequently Asked Questions
H3: How do I book bird boarding at Birdsville?
All bookings go through our Petsville Hotel booking site, where you’ll agree to our terms and conditions before confirming a spot. Our team can’t take boarding bookings over the phone, but they’re always happy to answer any questions you have before you book.
H3: How much does bird boarding cost?
Pricing depends on your bird’s size and how much care it needs, with small and medium birds priced lower than large and extra-large birds. You’ll find exact nightly rates on our Petsville Hotel booking site, since fees can vary by season and individual care requirements.
H3: Do I need to bring a cage or food?
No, we provide the cage, seed, water and fresh fruit and veg for their entire stay. The one thing you do need to bring is your bird’s favorite toys, since enrichment toys are a requirement for every bird boarding with us. You can also buy some in-store if you don’t have any.
H3: What happens if I pick my bird up early?
You’re still charged for the full period you booked, since that space is held for your bird the entire time, whether they’re collected early or not. If your plans change, it’s worth adjusting your booking dates in advance, rather than assuming an early pickup will reduce the cost.
H3: What if my pick-up date falls on a public holiday?
You’ll need to collect your bird the day before or after instead, since we don’t accept drop-offs or pick-ups on public holidays and the days immediately around them, when our team is stretched thinner than usual. Your bird will still be fed and cared for as normal on these days, and the usual daily fee still applies.
H3: Will my bird be lonely during boarding?
It’s unlikely. Your bird stays in an active room with our team in and out throughout the day, plus other boarding birds nearby to see and hear. Most birds settle in well once they realise they’re not alone, even if they can’t share a cage with the other birds in the room.
H3: Can two birds share a cage while boarding?
Birds that already live together at home can usually board in the same cage, though a new environment can occasionally make even familiar cage mates territorial. Our team keeps an eye out for this and will move a bird to its own space if needed, which does add a small extra charge for the additional room used.
