Denise’s Parrot Place

We’ve been going to Denise’s for many years. One of our favorite places to browse birds and pick up supplies. Staff is very friendly and knowledgeable. We’ve purchased two birds from them so far, and both are very well taken care of, healthy, and hand-​raised trained. If you are looking to purchase a bird or need supplies, Denise’s Parrot Place should definitely be on your list of places to check out!

I’ve been to Denise’s twice. The 1^st time was a great experience. It was a woman manning the store and she was very friendly and helpful. I felt comfortable asking her a million questions and she let me just hang out with a few birds and welcomed me back as often as I would like to help make a decision about what bird I want to purchase.
Then I went back a 2^nd time and met the arrogant, opinionated, negative, angry guy. I don’t know his name. Didn’t want to stick around to find out. He just had something negative to say about everything and everyone including his coworkers. He manhandled the birds which was a huge turn off for someone seriously considering spending thousands of dollars in the near future. He was more interested in boasting about how important he is and how much more he knows about birds than any other living person on the planet. Insecure much??? It’s too bad the owner allows this man to represent an otherwise respectable boutique store. I haven’t been back since and I don’t plan to return. Instead, I’m researching other options to get the bird and all the necessary crap somewhere else. That way I don’t ever have to cross paths with the angry bird man ever again.

Best green looking parrots on Mercer Island!

I went in with my daughter to shop for a cockatiel. No one asked if I needed help. The woman I saw working just told me to watch where I stepped because there was a bird missing, then she walked away. I began to ask a question but she was already too far to hear me. The gentleman working was nice, but was chastised in front of us by the woman about feeding the birds. It was very awkward. Beautiful & unique birds though & the woman seemed stressed so I shrugged it off at first. There was one sign I saw toward the back that very bluntly stated «Don’t touch our birds without assistance!» (Not very polite and «our» birds?). The store was well organized & stocked with cool bird gear. My daughter began sorting through the baby toys repurposed as bird toys. As I was actually considering buying one of those pretty & interesting objects for my daughter, the woman came from the back and asked me to not let her touch the toys unless her hands were clean (which I thought was kind of funny because I had been keeping an eye out for hand sanitizer in case we found a bird we liked, and did not see any) & did not offer any way in the store to clean them. «The toys are meant for birds, not children.» (Pretty sure I could have bought one for whatever I wanted). Not one smile, not one introduction, not even a hello. I understand the germ concern, truly I do, but there is a professional way to go about business & I did not see that there today. I immediately left & will never go back. Maybe it was just a bad day for that person, but there are plenty of other stores to buy birds. Although if it’s that easy for them to get sick then I need to question my choice to buy a bird altogether.

I love this place! You can tell that Denise and her employees care about every bird in the store, and birds in general. They have a wide variety of food for sale, travel cages and backpacks for birds, a large selection of toys, perches, and playstands, and parts to make your own toys. The staff is knowledgeable about birds and honest about pros/​cons of the products they sell.
When I first visited the shop they were extremely busy, but still gave us individual attention, and will let you have one-​on-​one time with birds. The birds in the shop are taken care of and obviously have a good relationship with the staff. Hugh in particular has been a great source of information about bird species and training, and even went out of his way to deliver a large hanging perch I bought since I couldn’t take it on the bus. Overall a great place for pet birds and bird supplies.

This place is amazing! Denise and her cohorts are so knowledgeable and friendly. Their passion is clearly 100% birds. I was also amazed at how friendly the birds were; you can tell that they lovingly hand-​raise them because they’re not shy and terrified like at most pet stores.
This shop is a rare treat, and it was really cool to just see that gorgeous hyacinth. :)

As far as I’m concerned, this is THE place to go to if you’re a bird owner. I started coming here after my cockatiel of 20 years passed and I was ready for a new feathered companion. The staff here (especially Marina) were very helpful in answering all my questions about the varying personalities of the birds and made me feel more at ease at becoming a first time mid-​size parrot owner. I eventually brought home a beautiful Cape girl and she is a wonderful companion. I still purchase all of my food, toys, and products and highly recommend this location for boarding. I always know my parrot will be in good hands here.

Although I was looking for a hand raised parakeet (budgie) and they don’t go that small, their birds were very healthy, well socialized, friendly and alert. If I wanted a larger bird, this is THE place to go. They had a good selection of toys and foods as well. The staff was knowledgeable and the birds were all bright eyed and active. Clearly no socialization problems with the birds on the floor. I completely fell in love with the ultra friendly cockatiels, wish I could get one but my living space is not compatible to a louder bird like that. Every bird I talked to interacted with me directly by either activity or attention level. If you want a cockatiel or larger, I strongly recommend this place. I’ve heard they can be a bit of a «pet Nazi» as I call them, but the quality, health and happiness of their birds seems to be the payoff!

Fantastic shop for our feathered friends. They always have a good selection of food, toys and other supplies. The staff is very knowledgeable.

This store is clean, orderly, and odorless. The store carries a good selection of toys and bird supplies. The birds in this store appear healthy but they all live in tiny little cages stacking on top of each other. The birds’ living condition is no better than at an impersonal chain store. The birds appear curious instead of fearful when we approached their cages, so I think they are socialized. However, the employee at this store certainly was not properly socialized. She was not informative about the birds and was fearful that the birds will attack and won’t let us get too close to the bird cages let alone interact with the birds! The only thing she has to say about the store and the birds was: «I wouldn’t be surprised if it bites you, I would bite your hand too if I am the bird.» According to their webpage, they are selling their birds at hand-​raised prices, but they don’t seem to provide a hand raising socializing environment or attitude.

Occasion: Just stopping through
Very nice store! It’s very clean and the staff was very engaging when I walked in. If you have to buy anything ‘bird related’, this is probably where you want to go. It has a very robust selection of toys, food, equipment (ie. cages, etc.). Although I’m not into birds, I was very motivated to ask for Denise’s permission to start «Denise’s Dog Place».
I’m not a vet, but the birds looked extremely healthy and in tip top shape.

We came to the store in January looking for large parrot after the neighbor’s dog killed our love bird. We wanted a bigger bird that would be a bit more sturdy. They didn’t have anything in the store that was what I was looking for but I just sort of picked one despite their advice. I realized after about a month of waiting for the bird to be old enough to come home they were right and the bird wasn’t what I was looking for. They let me switch my deposit to macaw and put me at the top of the list when a Red Fronted Macaw came in from the breeder.
Knowledgeable staff and much to my surprise their prices are as good as anyone else. (I always expect independent shops to be really expensive). In addition to the standard parrot pellet and seed mixes they also blend their own cook at home bean and grain mix which makes it easy to include fresh food in the birds diet. We’ll never shop anywhere else for our parrot.

I drive across the bridge twice a month to come here. They’ve got a great assortment of toys, perches, food, cages — everything you parrot needs to stay happy and healthy. The staff is glad to help you out and is friendly. It is always fun to see the birds out of their cages.
If it’s a bird you want to put in that cage, they have a fine selection of well treated, hand raised, high quality parrots. I wouldn’t consider getting a bird anywhere else. You can meet the individual birds, talk to the knowledgeable staff, and buy a book about the breed. Most of all, take care about taking this friend home. It’s like getting married, it will change your life completely and requires great consideration.

I have never seen a bird store that is so clean and the birds are in such good condition. They have a large variety of products with a very knowledgeable staff. They keep the boarded birds away from thier birds so that they won’t catch anything.
They make sure anyone who handles thier birds washes their hands. They won’t sell any bird on impulse and won’t sell the bird unless they think it is a good match for that person and that person has adequate knowledge about parrots. They don’t just try and move merchandise, they establish a relationship.
We visited our bird three times before we bought her. She is in perfect health and color. Couldn’t be happier about her.
You may find cheaper birds but you won’t find better.

I learned about Denise’s Parrot Place when I took my Cockatiel to the Avian Vet last year.
When it was time to schedule my next business trip, I called about boarding services. I have to admit, I was worried when I saw it was on Mercer Island but was pleasantly surprised to find the daily boarding fee was very affordable.
When I arrived to drop off my bird, I was let into the boarding area. There was another couple dropping off two cockatiels as well. There were cages lining the walls occupied by larger birds and the middle of the room had stacks of small cages for the smaller birds. It was really loud from all of the birds squawking and chirping. I was totally overstimulated. I had researched The Parrot Place online and the boarding services sounded amazing! I don’t know exactly what I expected but this wasn’t it. Wasn’t it supposed to be some sort of birdie spa-​tropical paradise? I did ask for them trim his nails!
I must have looked silly with tears in my eyes as I put him in the little cage that was half the size of his normal one at home. The lady who was dropping off her two cockatiels said that she boards there all the time and her birds absolutely love it. My bird got the cage next to her OLD bird. She said her bird was 15 (I think) and maybe he could teach him a new song. Then, something happened that made me feel better. My bird scurried over to where her bird was and started singing. Actually, they were both male and so they were probably deciding who was going to be the most dominant (but I will pretend he was just singing). They were just chirping away. Wow, I felt better.
When I came and got him a week later, he was so much happier, better behaved, and did learn a new song. I have taken him back again a few times. When we open the door to the boarding room and he hears the other birds, he gets so excited because he knows where he is. He hops quickly into his little cage and starts singing away. I know he will miss me when I am gone. But I know that he is on a mini vacation and is probably having way more fun with all of the other birds. He also gets lots of exercise by the staff and much healthier food than I could ever try to feed him on a regular basis.
I would recommend this place to anyone. It was hard to leave my bird for the first time with someone I did not know. Rest assured that your bird will be well cared for and will come home happy and well adjusted.

My sister, my mother, my other sister… all dog people. I shit you not, between the three of them there are currently 9 (NINE!!!) dogs. They also have some aquarium fish, but it’s all dogs for them. No cats. No rodents. No reptiles.
Me, I like dogs. I really do. Hell, if it wasn’t for the fact that they poop and it has to be cleaned up, I’d probably want to own one.
But I’m not a dog person.
I am a bird person, through and through. I love birds. Finches are fabulous. Mynah’s are super rad. When I go to the zoo, I make sure I visit every bird there.
Most of all, though, I love parrots. And Denise’s Parrot Place is the cream of the crop if you also love parrots.
I’ll start with supplies — everything you need — pellets, cooking foods, toys, perches, bowls, treats, playstands, boingy ropes — they have it. And the prices aren’t astronomical (as any parrot owner knows they can be).
On top of that, there’s no dust or ickiness on stuff. Apollo’s in Everett is a neat store, but kind of grimey. Same thing for the exotic pet store in Spanaway (yes, I know… I visit too many pet stores). Petco and Petsmart are clean, but their food and toys are overpriced with minimal selection, and they don’t interact with their birds, which is sad.
Denise’s is spot on for all things such as these, and has knowledgeable staff for if you have questions with respect to a toy, food or treat and your specific parrot.
Then there are the parrots themselves.
I don’t pretend to be a parrot expert. I have three (a Senegal, a Green Cheek Conure, and a Goffin’s Cockatoo), but still am constantly learning. However, I can tell you this — Denise’s is the absolute best with respect to the quality of their parrots, the care of their parrots, and the selection.
This place had a goddamned Cape Parrot, for chrissakes!!! (Capes are very rare and hard to breed, but absolutely beautiful medium-​large parrots).
I only got one of my three fids here, my Senegal Parrot, and he has been absolutely wonderful in his own special way. He came home healthy, with a healthy dose of information. His temperament is pretty damned good for his species and gender (male Sennies can become quite… ornery as they age, and he has his moments). I have continued with his socialization, and he lets complete strangers hold him and tolerates changes to routine pretty damned well. Hell, he even lets my partner pet his wings (which he doesn’t let me do). He is absolutely gorgeous with his plumage, having bright green, yellow and gray feathers.
On top of that, he gets along well with my other two parrots (the GCC, 5 months old as of this review, and the Goffin, 12 years), mostly by ignoring their presence. And he doesn’t get into screaming matches with the GCC, no matter how hard she tries when I go to work in the AM!
The other parrots that I’ve seen here have been nothing short of amazing, and the quality is fantastic. These are lively, happy and playful well socialized parrots. If you are ready to adopt your very own 3 year old for life, then make sure to stop by Denise’s to find the perfect match for you!

The birds here are obviously well-​loved, well-​socialized, healthy and responsibly bred. This is something of a rarity in the companion parrot world and something that should be valued tremendously. As another reviewer pointed out, you’ll be paying a bit more for nearly everything you see in the store. *However*! it is truly one-​stop-​shopping for anything your parrot might need. The selection of toys, foods, books, treats, first aid materials, perches and other cage accessories etc… is amazing. While some of the staff can be a bit brusque, they are all very knowledgable and experienced.
The only real downside (and it wasn’t worth docking a star over) is the fact that you have to go to Mercer Island to visit their store (although they do have an online presence as well). Ick.
If you go, say hi to Zoe and Quito!

If your even thinking about buying a bird this is the place to come. They breed, train and have all the supplies you will need for your first for eight bird. She will even let you hold and pet the birds if you wash your hands in the back first.
As Julia Z. stated, Denise loves birds and that shows in how she treats the birds she sells and the costumers she sells them to. The store is the cleanest pet store I have ever been in, that’s even more amazing as its filled with huge birds of all types. And if you have ever owned a bird you know they are not the tidiest of creatures.
Prices are higher then the chain stores but your paying for the expertise of the staff and the knowledge that they are not going to sell you anything that you don’t need just to make a fast buck.
Its stuck in the corner of a little strip mall so it can be a little hard to find, but parking is easy and once you know were it is, its easy to get to.
Even if your not interested in getting a parrot its cool to see all the colorful birds especially for children. It would make for fun and cheap Saturday outing.

Denise’s Parrot Place could not be FURTHER from a conventional pet store, where they do what they have to to skate through, taking care of the animals efficiently (or sometimes, not well enough), so that they can move «the Product» through as quickly as possible. Denise’s birds are not products, they are individually hand-​raised and well loved creatures.
First of all, all of the birds Denise sells hatch in her aviary or those of her two local partners. No mass-​produced, anonymous birds here. Next, all of the babies are hand-​raised in the breeders’ home, taught basic things like being gentle, kisses, how to be carried, and the commands you’d want a bird to know. Many of them also learn to talk a little bit.
The store is fantastically clean. The birds are bright-​eyed, perfectly feathered, and happy and curious. No droopy feather-​pickers here! Denise and her staff make sure that all of the birds get plenty of physical and mental exercise every day, that they are handled every day, and that they eat species-​appropriate fresh food. All of this effort shows. I have never seen such a lively bunch of birds!
Her store is well-​stocked with a wide variety of parrots, small birds, and exotics. She will take reservations for birds that she has not yet hatched. She is very careful about matching people up with the right bird for their family and experience level, and would probably refuse to sell you a bird if she thought your home would be unsuitable or that you would not provide adequate care. Her website has a lot of great information for people considering getting their first bird, or choosing an addition to their existing pet bird family.
They also do bird boarding (with strict health requirements and a great level of veterinary care) and grooming; bird day care that can help you address behavioral issues with your bird, and 24-​hour phone support for your bird’s entire life.
The great care put into breeding and hand-​raising the birds does result in a slightly higher price than what you’ll see at Petsmart or other bird dealers, but you’ll know the entire life history of your bird, it will come to you much more trained and tame than many of those commerically-​produced unsocialized birds, and you’ll have a great ongoing source of support and information in Denise. I think the extra couple hundred dollars are worth it when you’re considering a family member who will live for 50 or more years!