Where to purchase a parrot in Chicago

Alison Benson is the owner of a home-based business called Alison’s Parrot Place, raising parrots in her home for a home. I recently interviewed Alison in regards to the operation of her home-based business and learned more about her and what inspired her to start doing what she could to help raise the standards for which parrotsare raised and sold in this country.

Alison is a licensed U.S. Customs Broker. That license entailed her importing freight, calculating the duties for major companies like Martha Stewart, Caterpillar Tractor and many others. Alison worked with other government agencies like Fish & Wildlife, Food & Drug. Alison’s hard work paid off as she worked her way up the ladder from being a clerk typist to a branch manager. After roughly 30 years in the freight forward business, she was laid off and left to trying to figure out what she could do from home, make an income and enjoy the company of her birds. That is when she decided to open up Alison’s Parrot Place.

Alison’s interest in birds is credited to her son, Ian. Her son had wanted a green cheek conure for his 8^th grade graduation gift. Being as she was so proud of his accomplishments, she purchased him a very cute 6 month old bird for him despite that she herself was not interested in birds at that time. Ian named his bird Chopper and Chopper staying in Ian’s room. Ian had the responsibility of feeding, playing and caring for him. But most of us moms have learned how that typically goes with a 13 year old child.

Sadly enough it became apparent that Ian was leaving Chopper alone and Alison felt that Chopper was being ignored. That is when Alison decided to do her homework and start to educate herself on how to properly care for this bird. She started reading everything she could find about conures, and learned an important fact – “companion birds need human interaction”. Ian was also failing Chopper in meeting other needs such as a varied diet and as would happen with most teenagers, the cleanliness of the cage was not up to Alison’s standards. Chopper was immediately transferred from Ian’s room upstairs, to the main living area downstairs.

Alison is proud to say that Chopper is her #1 bird and the inspiration for starting her own business that educates potential bird owners of the requirements of caring for a bird, so they do not find themselves in the same situation as Alison and her son Ian found put in. Alison currently has 6 parrots in her personal flock which consists of green cheek conure, black capped conure, a parrotlet, a congo african grey, a yellow naped amazon and a greenwing macaw.

Alison’s drive to do “the right thing” and prevent others bird owners and birds to experience what she and her son experienced has helped many bird and bird owners to experience the joy of the human and bird relationship.  Alison has met many great “like-minded” people through this process and finds great enjoyment in building relationships with all people that have walked into her home to visit “Alison’s Parrot Place”.

Alison does not keep birds “in stock” as she wants to ensure that her customers are making an educated decision and not a decision based on emotion alone.  This also helps Alison to realize that these adorable babies she is raising, already have a forever home and she is knows she cannot keep them in her own personal flock.  Alison stands firm on her policy that no baby will leave her home until it is completely weaned and encourages her customers to visit their baby during that process.

Alison continues to add to her knowledge by staying connected with the most up to date information offered through the Parrot Place Affiliate membership. She attends most of the educational chats offered and stays connected with all of the most current information and advice of raising well adjusted and socialized companion parrots.

There is much continued support to the families that have brought one of Alison’s babies into their lives. It is important to Alison that each of these babies keep their forever home and she provides her customers with the tools to do so.