These shops are hurting from dwindling interest in keeping birds as pets
Kimberly Spykerman & Lester Kok, Straits Times 4 Jan 10;
THE bird business is going to the dogs. From 81 shops here selling birds five years ago, there are just 53 left.
Bird shop owners have flown the coop, as interest in acquiring songbirds dwindles among the younger set, who prefer other pets such as dogs and cats.
Mr Frankie Low, 62, knows this only too well. Some of the birds in his Bedok Reservoir shop, Hao Wang Trading, have been there for more than a year.
He is lucky to sell a bird in a month these days, compared with the 10 to 20 that would fly off his shelves when he first started business in 1995.
The bird business is dominated by the elderly, some of whom have been selling these feathered pets for more than 20 years. Customers are elderly people, too, who want birds for company or to enter them in singing competitions.
The 61-year-old owner of ABC Birds Centre in Bukit Merah Lane, who gave his name only as Mr Ng, said he has to feed his 500 birds from his own pocket because business is so bad.
He declined to reveal how many birds he sells each month, but said he is 'struggling' to cope with the monthly payments.
Besides the $3,000 monthly rent, he also spends $500 on fruit and seeds for the birds. 'It's important to feed the birds well, and keep them clean so that they won't get any diseases,' Mr Ng said.
The 58-year-old owner of Clementi Bird's Centre, who wanted to be known only as Mr Koh, is going to close shop after over 30 years of operation.
'There is no point in continuing the business when it barely gives me a salary,' he said.
Even younger owners are thinking of calling it quits. Mr Tan, a 30-year-old who started his first shop eight years ago, said he used to sell 30 to 40 birds a month.
Now his two shops sell half that number. 'Business is still sustainable, but if it gets worse, I might switch trade,' he said in Mandarin.
Bird shop owners blame the younger generation's lack of interest in keeping birds as pets.
Then, there is the cost: Songbirds like the Mata Puteh and China Finch can cost as much as $300 - more if they have good singing voices. But budgies or canaries can go for as little as $30 or $40.
There is also the fear of contracting disease. After the bird flu outbreak in 2005, bird imports dropped from 190,000 to 79,000 in 2006.
Since 2006, there have also been restrictions on the import of birds from HPAI-affected (Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza) countries.
Imports from countries such as Thailand, China, Indonesia and Malaysia - where popular birds such as the Hwamei and the Oriental White-eye originate - are now restricted.
Bird lovers who hang round bird shops such as Mr Su Ah Koon, 56, said it is sad that bird stores are closing down. 'I myself have two birds, so now that I'm not working, I have a lot of time to spend with them,' the retiree said in Mandarin.
'For the younger people, they now have other interests such as computers and movies, and they don't have the interest in listening to birds singing.'
But Mr Chua Kah Soon, 46, owner of Goodwill Birds Trading, feels things are not that grim.
He said his store at Serangoon North Avenue 2 is still seeing brisk business, even after 20 years. 'Asian people like to keep songbirds because the birds can keep them company at the coffee shops,' he said.
Parrots and parakeets are growing more popular these days, he said. 'Parrots are easier to bond and communicate with as they are considered smarter birds. Our customers are also getting more educated about birds from the regular bird gatherings, so perhaps that is another reason why they are popular.'
One of the younger bird owners, civil servant Eric Neo, 33, bought a $380 baby parrot recently.
'Some people like dogs, some like cats, but for me, I just like birds,' he said. 'The parrots are very pretty and some of them can learn to talk.'
A large number of Goodwill's customers are in their mid to late 20s, unlike those at other bird shops, which are mainly patronised by senior citizens. Goodwill's youngest customer is aged 12.
Mr Chua's older brother, Mr Chua Thiam Chuan, who runs Chua's Pets Trading a block away, said he also has younger clients.
But he said the bulk of his bird shop business is the import and export of birds.
'Singapore's AVA ( Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore) is very strict in regulations, so other countries trust us to export birds to them,' said the older Mr Chua, who has been in the industry for more than 30 years.
'Those bird shops which only sell small birds locally, and don't do import and export, will find it hard to survive.'
Chua's Pets Trading, together with Goodwill, and a few other pet shops in Serangoon, are trying to revive the bird industry by hosting bird singing competitions and exhibitions.
One was held at Serangoon Community Club on Dec 20. About 1,000 people turned up.
Mr Patrick Ong, chairman of the Pets Community @ The Serangoon, said the Bird Carnival was organised to raise awareness and appreciation of birds.
'We hope to continue our mission to educate the public about keeping pets and bridging races and cultures through pets,' he said.
