CAMARILLO : Panel Delays Review of Bird Ordinance

The Camarillo Planning Commission responded to the pleas of local bird lovers Tuesday, agreeing to postpone for 60 days their review of a proposed ordinance that would limit the number of birds residents can keep.

The commission voted unanimously to delay consideration of an ordinance proposed by the city’s planning staff that would restrict residents from keeping more than 10 small birds and four large ones.

The panel, heeding a small flock of bird lovers at Tuesday’s meeting who said the proposed ordinance was not adequately researched and would be too restrictive, agreed to allow the Ventura County Bird Club to submit an alternate proposal for review.

One of the bird keepers was Steve Miller, who works as a management consultant for the city’s Community Services Department.

Miller would not disclose the number of birds he keeps, but said it exceeds the number in the proposed law.

He complained about the proposed definition of a large bird as any bird weighing over half a pound, saying that some of the most popular types of parrots weigh about 10 ounces.

But the parrots and are not considered large birds by breeders.

Miller and other bird keepers also said the ordinance as proposed would not necessarily succeed in limiting noise or other problems for people who live next door to bird keepers.

One noisy bird can disturb a neighborhood, he said.

He said he keeps his birds in aviaries: “You would not even know I had birds if you lived next door to me.”