Is It Legal to Own a Parrot in India? Here's What the Law Says

HYDERABAD, India - June 8, 2026 - PRLog -- You spot a bright green parrot at your local bird market. The seller is friendly and tells you everything is perfectly fine. You pay up, take it home, and your kids cannot stop smiling.

Three months later, there's a knock at your door. I'm a forest officer.

This is not some made-up scare story. This actually happens to real families across India, every single year. So before you buy that bird, please read this first.

There's a Law That Nobody Bothers to Tell You About

Way back in 1972, India passed something called the Wildlife Protection Act. Under this law, most parrots that are native to India are fully protected. Nobody is allowed to catch them from forests, and you cannot keep one at home without government permission.

The law splits birds into two main categories:

Schedule IV — These birds are protected, but you can keep them at home if you have the right permission and documents in place.

Schedule I — These get the strongest protection. Keeping them without approval can land you in serious legal trouble.

https://zaanvar.com/bird/the-shocking-truth-about-buying-...