Do I need to register my African grey or exotic bird?
Updated By PetymFacts checked against official sources on
Quick answer
Yes, if the species is listed in Schedule IV of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, which follows the CITES appendices. That covers African greys, macaws, conures, cockatoos and most exotic parrots. Under the Living Animal Species Rules, 2024 you must apply electronically within 30 days of getting the bird, with a Rs 1,000 fee and proof it was obtained legally.
Budgerigars, cockatiels and peach-faced lovebirds are named as outside the appendices, so they need no registration. Native Indian birds cannot be registered at all, because they are protected wildlife that may not be kept.
Why do exotic birds need registering at all?
Because the 2022 amendment brought CITES species into Indian law with a duty to report them.
The Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Act, 2022 added Schedule IV, which reproduces the appendices of CITES, the international convention on trade in endangered species. Its parrot entry puts every parrot species in Appendix II unless it is in Appendix I or specifically excluded. The African grey is in Appendix I.
New section 49M says every person possessing a living specimen of a species in Schedule IV shall report it to the Management Authority or an authorised officer, and that no one may possess, transfer or breed one except as the section and its rules allow. The Living Animal Species (Reporting and Registration) Rules, 2024, notified as G.S.R. 145(E) on 28 February 2024, set out how.
The Rules gave existing owners six months from 28 February 2024 to apply. A 2024 news report put the last date at 28 August 2024 and said applications go through the PARIVESH 2.0 portal to the state's Chief Wild Life Warden. After that, the clock is 30 days from the day you get the bird.
How do you register an exotic bird, step by step?
The process in rules 3 to 7 of the 2024 Rules, in order.
1. Apply in Form I within 30 days
Report the bird and apply electronically to the Management Authority or authorised officer within 30 days of getting it. Form I asks for the owner's details, the purpose (pet is one option), species, number, sex and photographs. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
2. Pay the fee
One thousand rupees (Rs 1,000) per application, as published in the Gazette on 28 February 2024. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
3. Attach proof of legal origin
For a bird acquired on or after the 2022 amendment: the import licence and CITES export permit if imported, or the seller's registration certificate. For one acquired before: a declaration and proof of the date. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
4. Forest department check
A complete application goes within 15 days to the Deputy Conservator of Forests, who inspects where the bird is kept and reports within 30 days. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
5. Certificate in Form III
The Management Authority issues the registration certificate electronically within 15 days of that report. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
Which birds need registering?
From the Psittaciformes entry and the native bird lists in the 2022 Gazette text.
| Listed in | Register? | |
|---|---|---|
| African grey parrot Gazette of India (copy hosted by PRS Legislative Research) | Schedule IV, Appendix I | Yes, and breeding needs a licence |
| Macaws, Amazons, cockatoos, conures, eclectus, most lovebirds Gazette of India (copy hosted by PRS Legislative Research) | Schedule IV, Appendix II or I | Yes |
| Budgerigar, cockatiel, peach-faced lovebird Gazette of India (copy hosted by PRS Legislative Research) | Named as not included | No |
| Owls of any kind Gazette of India (copy hosted by PRS Legislative Research) | Indian owls in Schedules I and II; all owls in Schedule IV | Native owls cannot be kept |
| Rose-ringed parakeet, mynas, munias Gazette of India (copy hosted by PRS Legislative Research) | Schedule II, Part B | Cannot be registered; may not be kept |
Section 49R says that where a species is in Schedule I or II as well as Schedule IV, the Schedule I or II rules apply and section 49M registration does not.
What must you do after the bird is registered?
Rules 4 to 7 keep the duty going for the bird's whole life.
- Report any chicks and apply to register them within 7 days of hatching, with the same fee. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
- Report any sale or gift within 15 days. The new owner registers in turn. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
- Report a death with a post mortem report from a registered veterinary practitioner. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
- Have a vet registered with the Veterinary Council of India check the bird at least once every six months, and keep the record in Form IV. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
- Show the bird and its records to the forest officer when asked. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
- Stop it escaping, and report any escape to the nearest forest office within 24 hours. You are liable for any damage it causes. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
- Breeding an Appendix I bird such as an African grey needs a breeder's licence from the Chief Wild Life Warden under section 49N. Gazette of India (copy hosted by PRS Legislative Research)
What happens if you do not register?
Rule 11 of the 2024 Rules says an animal without a registration certificate is dealt with under section 49Q of the Act. Section 49Q says a species or specimen involved in an offence under the Act becomes the property of the Central Government. The registering officer can also refuse or cancel a registration if the Act or Rules were not followed or false information was given; an appeal lies to the Central Government within 60 days.
This is not theoretical. In October 2026 Bar and Bench reported that a Bengaluru resident had moved the Karnataka High Court after the CID Forest Wing began proceedings against him for possessing an African grey parrot he said he had cared for since 2018. The court sought the State's response; the report did not say whether the bird had been registered.
Buying an exotic bird: what protects you?
Do
- Ask the seller for its own registration certificate for the bird, or the import licence and CITES export permit. You need them for your application. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
- Buy from a pet shop registered with the State Animal Welfare Board, which must satisfy itself that imported birds came through legal channels. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (Gazette copy on AWBI's site)
- Apply within 30 days, even if the seller says it is not needed. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
Don’t
- Buy a parrot whose species the seller cannot name, or one without papers. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
- Let a registered bird mix or breed with Indian species. The Rules forbid it. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
- Hand the bird on informally. A transfer must be reported within 15 days. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
Going away soon? Tell us your dates.
A checked local sitter feeds, walks and keeps your pet company at home, follows your care sheet to the letter and sends a photo every day. Petym is opening city by city: send your dates and we will tell you when a sitter can take them.
- Meet your sitter first, free
- PAN-checked, first-aid trained
- A photo every day
- Pay through Petym, never cash
Questions owners ask
Is there a fee to register an African grey in India?
- Yes. The Living Animal Species (Reporting and Registration) Rules, 2024 set a fee of one thousand rupees (Rs 1,000) with each application, as published in the Gazette on 28 February 2024. Registering chicks costs the same per application. Check the current fee on your state's application page before paying.
I missed the 2024 deadline. Can I still register my bird?
- The Rules gave existing owners six months from 28 February 2024. They do not describe a late route. Contact your state's Chief Wild Life Warden's office promptly, explain when and how you got the bird, and bring every paper you have. This is a question for the forest department or a lawyer, not a form.
Do I need to register a cockatiel or budgie?
- No. Schedule IV of the Wildlife Act names the budgerigar, the cockatiel and the peach-faced lovebird as parrots not included in the CITES appendices, so the 2024 registration Rules do not apply to them. Other lovebird species are in Appendix II and must be registered.
Where do I apply to register an exotic bird?
- The Rules say applications are made electronically to the state's Management Authority or authorised officer. A 2024 news report said this is done through the PARIVESH 2.0 portal, with the application going to the state's Chief Wild Life Warden. Your state forest department can confirm the current route.
Can a registered African grey be sold or gifted?
- Yes, but the transfer must be reported in Form I within 15 days, and the new owner must register the bird. Breeding African greys, which are in Appendix I, also needs a breeder's licence from the Chief Wild Life Warden under section 49N of the Act.
Keep reading
Sources
Each source was opened and read on the date shown. How Petym checks its sources
- Gazette of India (copy hosted by PRS Legislative Research): The Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Act, 2022 (No. 18 of 2022), published 20 December 2022 (opens in a new tab)
- Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change: Living Animal Species (Reporting and Registration) Rules, 2024: G.S.R. 145(E), 28 February 2024 (Gazette copy) (opens in a new tab)
- Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (Gazette copy on AWBI's site): Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Pet Shop) Rules, 2018: G.S.R. 844(E), 6 September 2018 (opens in a new tab)
- Greater Kashmir (21 August 2024): August 28 last date for declaring exotic animals under Schedule IV of Wild Life Protection Act (opens in a new tab)
- Bar and Bench (13 October 2026): Bengaluru man moves Karnataka High Court to challenge seizure of his African grey parrot (opens in a new tab)