HOURS (Vista Location Closed Mon & Tues)
ABOUT US
The stores pride themselves on hospital-grade cleanliness and shelves that are packed with all the best products. OMAR'S even has its own brand of products, including a gourmet seed blend developed by Omar himself. Another signature concept of OMAR'S stores is its enormous TOY WALL that displays hundreds of handmade bird toys. Services at OMAR'S include boarding and grooming
OMAR'S employs a knowledgeable, friendly staff that is well-versed in bird care. OMAR'S associates can answer most bird related questions including concerns about behavior and diet. At OMAR'S, birds are never pushed on people, instead, potential bird owners are carefully screened to ensure that the species they are interested in matches their lifestyle.
OMAR'S has sold thousands of birds over the years and has maintained its loyal customer base for nearly three decades. Omar Gonzalez has built his business on a simple philosophy—to sell healthy birds and quality products, price them competitively, and provide customers with the cleanest store and most helpful service they can find
MEET OMAR
Omar Gonzalez is a well-respected aviculturist and award-winning retailer. His love of birds began as a young boy living in Cuba where he and his father used to catch wild songbirds (known in Cuba as "mariposa") and would build cages from twigs. This experience sparked Omar's interest in birds and after coming to the United States at the age of seven, Omar's parents bought him two little canaries. Omar loved his birds and throughout his childhood studied everything he could about them. In his early 20's, Omar purchased two parrots from a local pet shop. However back in the 80's, many birds sold in pet shops were either imported or illegally smuggled into the country and many would die from various diseases. Unfortunately this was the case for both of Omar's pets. This was Omar's first real-life lesson of the importance of buying a bird from a clean and reputable store. Dissatisfied with the unsanitary conditions of most bird stores Omar visited, he began talking to people in the bird business and found out where the quarantine station was. Again since this was the 80's, the quarantine station was the place where most pet shops purchased birds from as very few birds were being bred domestically at the time.
Omar is a member of Parrots International, a conservation group that helps endangered birds in the wild. Recently he went to Brazil with the group's directors to help save the Hyacinth Macaws. Omar has two pet Hyacinths, Blue and Xena who were married on Animal Planet in 2003
That's when the vision of owning his own bird store first entered his mind. Now armed with the whereabouts of the quarantine station, Omar began buying more and more birds there. Since parrot-taming techniques were quite inhumane back then, Omar relied on his own experiences with the birds to develop his own methods of taming them.
Once the birds were able to be safely handled, Omar began reselling them, first out of his house and then at a local swap meet. Although struggling to make ends meet and attending college full-time, by 1984 Omar had saved enough money to open his first store. As Omar's passion for exotic birds grew stronger, he sought new ways to improve bird breeding techniques, find better methods of taming and even began developing products for them. He later designed perches that hung them from the ceiling of his store which would allow the birds to socialize with customers. Birds were happy, business thrived and more stores were opened. Since the beginning, locations have changed and improvements made, but Omar's dedication to continually improve the life of companion birds has remained constant.
Omar continues to take OMAR'S Exotic Birds to new levels and is committed to promoting the benefits of companion animals. He is an active member in the community and hosts bird shows in his stores and at local schools. Omar continues to study birds and lecture at trade shows, bird clubs and pet fairs. He is currently working on expanding the OMAR'S brand product line and developing educational programs that teach kids about pet birds.
