The bird operation is run by a really caring and knowledgeable person named Deborah. This IS a plug, because so many of these pet superstore-type places leave so much to be desired in the bird department. The reason for this being that breeders are more likely to know the parentage of the bird in question. Since we are talking about Gouldians here it is important to know color factors in a birds ancestry. We breed for particular color combinations and normally only purchase birds which will give us a desired mutation.
Breeders are also more likely to close band their birds indicating the year of birth.
General criteria that we use to evaluate a prospective purchase are the following. You can also observe the bird on its perch to see if it is fluffed up, squatting low, and tail bobbing up and down with its breathing indicating respiratory problems. Does the bird have good muscle mass on each side of its keel bone. There should be solid tissue indicating good musculature, you should be able to feel the bone but tissue on both sides should not be concave. While the bird is in your hand notice how heavy it feels, it should feel solid.