Authorities Cracking Down On Woman Breeding Hundreds Of Exotic Birds

CASTRO VALLEY (KPIX 5) –A Bay Area woman who's been breeding hundreds of exotic birds in her backyard gets an ultimatum.

Authorities from several different agencies searched the exotic bird farm at this Castro Valley home Tuesday.

They found hundreds of birds and they are warning the owner that she'll need to get rid of most of them, or face the consequences.

This was probably one of the largest bird cases in the country, with 500 exotic birds being bred and sold out of the backyard.

Neighbors are upset over the sounds, the smells and the flies.

A team of code enforcement officials and animal control officers cited Bianca Pham -- the woman who owns the home and the birds -- for code violations.

When we spoke to her at her job weeks ago, she was defiant.

Bianca Pham said, "I'll prove it to you that after next week, I'll still have birds."

But authorities say in the past few weeks she's been cooperative, reducing her flock of parrots, macaws, and other exotic birds down to 250.

Now she'll have a month to bring that number down to just 50, the maximum number of birds allowed in the rural area.

Alameda Counnty Sheriff's Department spokesman Sgt. Ray Kelly said, "Hopefully as we go forward in the next 30 days that will be down to 50. I think for the neighbors where the quality of life issues are important here, that should reduce the flies, some of the smells and the excessive noise."

It's not clear how Pham will get rid of the animals.

She can either sell them or hand them over to a rescue organization.

Animal Control did determine that the birds are properly fed and cared for.