Ask Lafeber

Owl Finches

Do you know if it is true that Owl Finches are illegal in Hawaii? I cannot find any information on this but I also cannot find owl finches locally. Thank you.

Hi Kathy,

I did some checking but can’t find any information. Some bird species do become illegal to keep in some States because they are an agricultural threat. You would need to try to check your State laws about this – possibly with your department of agriculture? Because most wild importation was banned a long time ago, and also airlines decided not to carry even the legal imports, finch species that used to be very common are rare or not even available anymore. Owl finches were never a common species although I don’t know the reason. Possibly because they are not as colorful as some species. There are breeders out there, but possibly not in Hawaii if you cannot find any.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda