We are a small home-based hobby breeder located in North York (Toronto)  specializing in Lineolated Parakeets (Linnies) but also breed other species from time to time including Parrotlets, Bourkes, Lovebirds, English Budgies, Cockatiels, Red Rumps & Kakarikis.

We are NOT a pet store, we breed out of our home in a non-smoking environment and all of our birds & babies are treated with the greatest of respect & gratitude. We do not mass produce our birds for profit nor do we force feed our chicks nor are we a Birdie-Walmart. Our prices pay for our hobby which includes fresh foods, pellets, egg food, seed, millet, hand feeding formula, cages, nest boxes, brooders, hemp or aspen wood shavings, paper towel & tissue, feeding utensils, vitamins & meds, vet bills, ring bands, AACC Memberships, domain name renewals & website hosting, bird related literature & magazines to keep us informed as well as bird toys & my time.

We will not under any circumstances sell an un-weaned chick so please do not ask.

To see the babies that are available please see the “available birds” section on the left.

Thanks for visiting!

Last Update: Jul 21, 2010

My babies are in Bird Talk Magazine.

Testimonials

I’d welcome your testimonial on your personal experience with Owned By Birds and my babies. Should you wish to add to my testimonial page please send it to ownedbybirds@rogers.com for consideration. Long or short, the length does not matter, I’d just like your feedback. Thanks in advance. Darlene

I was lucky to find Owned By Birds Aviary.

It's been challenging to find reputable "Linnie" breeders in Toronto . My experiences with Darlene and her flock have been nothing short of fantastic. Owned By Birds Aviary offers small parrot and parakeet breeds, but specializes in just a few - the sign of a good breeder. Darlene responds promptly to questions and is a responsible, caring breeder - which is immediately evident. My new baby turquoise Linnie "Maximus" is one of the sweetest of all the birds I've had the privilege of making part of my pet family. He joins my two other Linnie boys and my Lutino Cockatiel - for variety. He is fitting in beautifully and will be well loved.

Owned By Birds Aviary is a small, well run business where the birds are also beloved pets and are properly fed and cared for. This is not a 'birdy-mill', but a home where occasionally parent birds have a couple of little ones to offer up to caring new homes. Clearly, the welfare of her birds is Darlene's first priority. By far my best bird breeder experience in the past several years - bar none. Obviously I can highly recommend this place. Owned by Birds Aviary simply soars to the top of the heap for me!

Candace - Toronto, Ontario. Owner of “Maximus” (Turquoise Lineolated Parakeet)

I would love to add a testimonial about my experience with Owned By Birds Aviary!

I was looking for a baby Linnie and I didn’t know too much about them. Darlene contacted me and informed me that she was currently hand feeding my little “Meatball”. She was great! I had lots of questions about Linnies (I’m sure I was annoying) and she let me come see my baby before he was weaned.

Her aviary is small and very clean and her birds are well taken care of. She and her family spend lots of time with the babies and it really shows as they are very sweet, friendly and adjust very well. Darlene is really easy to talk to and she gets back to you very quickly and also sends you many pictures and updates on how your baby is doing.

I defiantly would recommend Owned By Birds Aviary if you are looking for a new little bird to join your family, you won’t be disappointed.

Danielle – Hamilton, Ontario. Owner of “Meatball” (Turquoise Lineolated Parakeet)

I'm enjoying the little Diamond Dove.

It’s totally a new experience for me to have a 'perching bird' as a hand-fed pet. I'm also an avid ‘birder' so I've watched avian behaviour and trained chickadees to eat out of my hand, had a fledgling sparrow when I was younger and a Canada Goose....but he's different. Because he's hand-fed he has more character.

It is obviously he was raised with lots of TLC.

Heather - Toronto, Ontario. Owner of “Caillou” (Brown Diamond Dove)

I cannot stress more how pleased I am with my new Linnies, or as I like to call them, my newly adopted kiddies. Your services and quality of care shine through in your birds, who are an absolute joy to interact with. I wish to address my testimonial to any prospective bird owner.

Dear Prospective Bird Owner,

I recently adopted two Linnies (Lineolated Parakeets) from Owned By Birds Aviary, who I affectionately named “Pan” and “Tink” after “Peter Pan” and “Tinkerbell.” Both birds are healthy, full of personality, and even on the first day I brought them home, they were excited to be handled, hand-fed treats, and played with.

Darlene is by far the best breeder you can ask for; she works from her home, and if she ever goes out, she takes the young birds with her. You need only watch how pleasantly the birds interact with her to see how much care she invests in them. She shares her knowledge openly with you, and if you ever have questions, her e-mail responses arrive virtually instantly. I have owned a canary in the past, but Linnies are quite a bit different with respect to their diet and overall needs; Darlene gave me the confidence to try owning a Linnie, and I felt so comfortable that I asked if I could have not one, but two! This stands as a testament to Darlene’s most endearing customer service and experience approach, as opposed to the more commercial or sales oriented norm. Furthermore, Darlene provides pictures of your new family member from the time he or she is a hatchling, up until his or her current stage of development, which become perfect additions to every family album, as do her cute little hatch certificates.

If you are seeking not just a bird, but a family member, then Darlene Homer’s Owned By Birds Aviary is the ideal place to go. Hand-raised, home-raised birds from a reliable, enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and customer service and customer experience oriented breeder are unparalleled; I have proof of this: one is giggling on my shoulder, and one is diligently preening my hair.

Thanks again Darlene for “taking me under your wing!

Vanessa - Mississauga, Ontario. Owner of “Pan” & “Tinkerbell” (Green & Lutino Lineolated Parakeets)

I am so happy with the way she is and I am so in love with her that I wanted everyone to know how lucky I was when I chose you as a breeder!

Kiku is the friendliest little bird I’ve ever had! We have such a strong bond that we are inseparable when I'm at home. In the morning when coming from my bedroom or when I come home from work I get "kisses" every time! If somehow I forget to go immediately to her cage she whistles to remind me to say hello to her and then she stretches out her neck and her beak is all over my face with gentle kisses. When I sit, she is on my lap...a foot grabbing one of my fingers and she preens herself. Then when she is taking a nap she leans on my hand (always in touch)!

I call her “my girl” and she behaves like it.

I can talk about her for hours...so many little sweet moments we have together. It’s like I had her in my life forever and I’m enjoying every minute of it!!

I can’t THANK YOU enough for the way you raised her. She was so friendly from the beginning that I didn’t have to “work” on our relationship at all!!

Georgeta – Toronto, Ontario. Owner of “Kiku” (Turquoise Lineolated Parakeet)

My Adorable Lovebird

I was so lucky when I discovered Owned by Birds Aviary.  I emailed Darlene because I was not sure what type of bird I wanted.  She immediately invited me over to “play” with her baby birds.  Darlene welcomed me, sat me down, and started handing me birds.  At one point, I was holding five baby birds.  I was in heaven!  They were all so cuddly and adorable that I had no idea which one I wanted.  In the end, I did not have to choose because one little lovebird chose me.  I took him home, and he instantly became a member of our family.  Darlene does such a wonderful job socializing her baby birds!  Our little Cinder is so friendly, vivacious and comical that he is in his cage only when no one is home.  In fact, he and our guinea pig have become inseparable. At the moment, he is snuggling against my neck as I type this note.  Cinder is a wonderful addition to our family.  Thank you Darlene.

Katy - Toronto, Ontario. Owner of “Cinder” (Whiteface Violet Lovebird)