Are hummingbirds legally sold as pets in the US?

Answer 1

My first attempt took place in 1979. According to a US Fish and Wildlife (USFWS) agent I spook to, only twenty hummingbirds were classed as migratory birds at that time and protected. Any of the remaining varieties could be legally imported. After contacting every exotic bird importer I could find, I was eventually referred to an individual who said he could obtain an unspecified number of unknowns hummingbirds in six months for $5,000... half down in advance. Although my passion for these birds was great, it was not so great as to gamble so much money on so nebulous a venture. I declined.

It would seem the Mobbs and Scheithauer had greater access to importers than we had here in the US. They regularly speak of birds coming up for sale on "lists." It sounded like they were so common, common for exotics anyway, that prospective owners had the ability to pick and chose at will.

In 1996 I decided to try again. This time I had the resource of the internet to help find an importer. What I didn't realize was that since 1979 the US had signed many international species protection agreements, like the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species, which makes importing and keeping hummingbirds illegal.

To date, my experience with captive hummingbirds has been limited to one short experiment. In 1982, I received written permission from the USFWS to capture a native Calypte Anna for a short period of time to record it's behavior as it adjusted to captivity. The capture was accomplished in a wire cage fitted with a feeder and a trap door. When the bird entered to feed, the door was released, trapping the bird without having to physically touch the bird. The bird spent much of its flying time with its head pressed against the cage's roof. Assuming this behavior is typical, anyone legally obtaining a hummingbird unfamiliar with captivity might want to consider providing it's cage, if one is used instead of the preferred aviary, with a smooth top so that the bird does not injure its head. Other than exhibiting this behavior in flight, the bird perched and fed apparently at ease. Having obtained the information I was looking for, I released the bird after less than one hour of captivity. The hummingbird was in no way harmed and continued to feed at my feeders for many more months.