Many parrots and other exotic birds have life spans in excess of 50 years. This in conjunction with their engaging and unique personalities make them a cherished member of the family. We are often asked about the regulations for traveling abroad with birds.
The good news is that it is possible (to most locations). With the scare surrounding avian flu, some countries have instituted a complete ban so please check with us regarding your ultimate destination.
The bad news is, it is an expensive and involved process. The first obstacle we usually encounter is many exotic pet birds are actually endangered species. You can check if your pet is on the Endangered Species List by going here http://www.cites.org/.
If your pet is indeed on the list, then we will have to obtain special export permits as well as arrange inspections on the day of travel. We usually also must obtain similar permits for import in the destination country.
The second hurdle is that quarantine is often involved in the destination country. As many countries are still formulating their policies surrounding pet birds, reliable information can be difficult to obtain.
There is a mandatory 30 day quarantine for birds returning to the US. However, if you have the proper paperwork when you leave the States, it is sometimes possible to avoid quarantine upon re-entry.
Our best suggestions for planning to travel with your pet bird is as follows:
1) - Check with www.cites.org to see if they are an endangered species;
2) - Keep all paperwork surrounding when and where you got your bird as this will help tremendously with the paperwork;
3) - Do lots of research (we can help) on the regulations in your destination country.
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