Simbad’s Birds & Pets

My 18 year old daughter and I drove to the Miami area for a day from Bradenton to visit the botanical gardens and Butterfly World. We heard about Simbad’s from a big-​chain competitor and decided to go see what they had.
We were in the market for a canary and were undecided about a sun conure. When we found Simbad’s we were blown away by just how many birds they had! The entire staff was very helpful and accomodating. «Fernando» helped us out and showed us many canaries — yellow ones and his suggestion: the Spanish Timbrado canary, which he told us sings more than the yellow canaries do, and that they have a different song as well. We ended up buying a Timbrado canary as well as a yellow one that sings. (We have previously «struck out» with Pet Supermarket five times… buying canaries that are very beautiful, but do not sing at all… the most they do is chirp or peep). Fernando was very helpful as he put together a small wire cage for us to make the almost 4 hour trip from Miami to Bradenton with the canaries safe and sound. He also fixed us up with easily 5 lbs of canary food (for free), and we ended up buying a super nice cage there too that allow us to keep various species of birds separated (gouldian finches in a cage; cordon blue finches/​orange cheeks in another cage, and the 2 «singing» canaries separated in a cage (then, the other «lazy» canaries that don’t sing in a separate cage).
We arrived back to Bradenton safe and sound later that evening. Fernando had warned us the canaries may not sing immediately because they may need several days to become acclimated to their new home. It sure didn’t take long, as the next afternoon the Spanish Timbrado and the yellow canary from Simbad’s were cranking out the melodies! We’ve had them for several weeks now, and are very pleased with them. We still have ample canary bird seed that Simbad’s sent us home with too! I was so impressed with them, we decided to purchase a sun conure from them. It is just a little thing yet and will be ready to go home in a few weeks once it can eat on its own… I’m already looking forward to making the trip to Simbad’s to pick up our little conure and another cage… might even get another Timbrado canary while I’m on that side of the state! Top notch place!

Had a bad experience coming here. Well first thing, I am a college student, and I am 22 but I look very young, and as I came in I felt like the staff didn’t want to help me because I am young. The girl at the front desk caught an attitude with me and didn’t want to answer my questions.
Then I proceeded to check out the birds on my own, with little knowledge about their pricing or anything. I saw some small parrots that I liked and asked for the price and was informed they are $ 300 so I asked, what kind of bird can I get with $ 200 with a cage also, they said possibly a cockatiel but I wanted something bigger, (bigger bird)
I think after I told them I only had $ 200 cash on Me, they thought I was poor or something because they stopped helping me. I then took my business elsewhere and found a sun conure parrot, hand fed baby, on Craigslist, WITH the cage included, for $ 150 all together from a local breeder business.
The man was very kind and offered even food for the parrot. The bird could talk and was even trained to fly towards me.
So maybe if I was attended a bit nicer I would’ve spent more money at this store but because they treated me like I was worthless I had to go looking somewhere else. Kindness goes a long way in business I know this because I grew up around businesses my whole life. Funny thing is they didn’t know that I own a business at 22 in coral gables, but now they lost me as a customer.
So there is that. Be careful where u buy your bird/​pets.

I like the selection of toys yet I didn’t find anything I couldn’t make myself or that was better suited for a medium size parrot. Cages are pricy. Better deals at the farmers market in homestead. I did not like the stench of pine sol or something pine. It was too strong and it can’t be good for the parrots.
As for bird sitting, I would NOT bring my parrots here. Leaving them to drink filthy water leads to sickness. For having as many employees as they do, the water should be changed more often. Also the temperature an issue for some parrots. The way the cages are set up, I doubt they get covered at night. So I believe my parrots would lack sleep and get sick in this environment.

Helga and her staff were amazing. The store is spacious and very clean. Very knowledgeable staff. Helga helped us pick out a beautiful cage and accessories for our new Gloster Canary, Ringo. We’ll be coming back for Lady Gouldians very soon. I would definitely recommend Simbad’s for all your feathered friend’s needs!

Very friendly and professional staff, many beautiful parrots and birds for sale, lots of nice cages and toys. Loved the fact that the store is not too big, not too loud and the staff has time to talk to their customers, explain and give advice.
We were looking to buy a parrot, however the prices were too high for us :(

For many years Sinbad’s has always taken great care of Cheecho and my birds’ needs.
They always greet you with a smile and courteous service.
The epitome of «you get what you pay for»
I have nothing but nice things to say about my numerous experiences at Sinbads.

Tito always has good advice for us and the staff is always ultra friendly. Got my Camelina here and typically get all my supplies here

This place is amazing! Well, assuming you like birds. If you don’t. why even look this place up?
(Heads up, it’s also noisy in this place! Birds aren’t exactly quiet. especially when you have so many.)
When you walk in, there’s a lot of birds for sale. Birds are expensive (so are their toys. which are actually supposed to be broken– a broken toy is a happy toy), so don’t be surprised if the bird you fell in love with is up to quadruple digets. One VERY large part of the store is filled with retail (cages, toys, food, etc), while the other wing (pun intended) is the housing area. You can board your bird here– note that they HAVE to be vaccinated, that goes for boarding and to even be allowed inside. (I recommend bringing a bottle of hand sanitizer with you when you go.) They do have smaller birds, like lovebirds, in a small room opposite the doors. (Go around the cages in the middle of the store.)
Cages in the retail section range from thousand dollar aviaries to fifty dollar parakeet cages. If you want a cage, you should look for one here first. I purchased one for my bird that was half off for a few physical imperfections by the hinges that don’t hinder performance at all. Food here ranges from treats (both bad and healthy) to actual food (including seeds, depending on your bird’s diet). Toys have a good variety of materials, but less so of sizes. For toys, this store seems to cater more toward larger birds (medium large, large, and extra large, probably from the size of an African Gray to Macaw), but you can find toys for smaller parrots (Conures and Quakers, for example). I don’t think there are very many for parakeets, though.
I love looking at the birds in the boarding area. A lot of them are really friendly, though please don’t get upset if they bite you. They don’t mean to, they’re more frightened of you than you are of them. There’s this large enclosed space with large bird trees there. I don’t think I’ve ever really seen many birds in there, but it’s more geared for larger birds, judging by the diameter of the perches. There’s also a nursery for sick birds, as well as for young ones.
The staff is so friendly and you can tell they REALLY like what they do, and they know what they’re talking about. You can ask any of them basically anything about birds, and they’ll probably give you a good answer. They have a good sense of humor, too.
Frankly, this place is a little expensive, but birds are expensive. I recommend coming here with a price you’re willing to spend in mind. I’ve found amazing deals on toys and food here (if I recall correctly, I can get ¼ a pound of chili peppers for my bird for $ 2.50, and some of her favorite toys have come from here). I’ve seen some toys I know I can’t get at any chain pet store. On the other hand, I’ve seen some toys I know I can find other places (like ActiviToys, which I can find at said chain stores) priced a few dollars higher than there.
My only complaint– parking here is terrible. That’s kind of a fact. It’s a pain to back out of, but IMO it’s totally worth it. If you’re interesting in birds (or a slave to one), you really should check this place out.
They also have a cat that walks around. He doesn’t mind the birds. He’s adorable, you should pet him if you see him.

So, not many people like birds as pets… but do they really understand what a cool pet they make? Simbad’s BIrd House proved to me just how cool (and expensive) pets birds can be. They sell birds but they also breed exotic birds AND they’re a bird «kennel» for those who have bird pets and are traveling. That was my favorite part of the place; the «kennel». Initially, I thought these birds were for sale but unfortunately not. How talkative and friendly they were! I was a little hesitant to pet them through the bars of the cage fearing I may be bitten by their massive beaks but when they’re pushing the tops of their heads into the bars I couldn’t resist. They loved it! The needed it! What a treat for them and for me! So, aside from the kennel, you can see through a window, eggs and hatchlings, you can purchase all kinds of exotic (hopefully not illegal) and domestic birds for sale, of course plenty of bird necessities (cages, food, toys). Fun experience even if you’re not interested in buying.