Interstate Travel with Parrots: Legal Considerations

Traveling with parrots is a fun experience however it takes planning, especially if your plans require travelling to another state.  Regulations vary from state to state but all states current health certificates. Being exotic pets, any time that you travel with parrots you must research state regulations. Any time that you travel with pet birds, you need to follow interstate travel regulations and understand individual state requirements.

• Research each states regulations for transport and temporary stay before embarking on your trip.
• If you are traveling with a Quaker Parrot, extra caution is warranted.
• Consult with your Avian Vet to obtain a current health certificate no more than 10 days before you leave your state.
• Two beneficial websites to check out before interstate travel with parrots are:

 http://www.usaha.org/Portals/6/StateAnimalHealthOfficials.pdf 

 www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/animals/animal_import/animal_imports_states.shtml

A crucial detail to consider is whether any of the states you will be traveling through has issued a bird or poultry quarantine.  Exotic New Castle Disease and Bird Flu are a few of the recent outbreaks that have affected pet birds. If you must travel within a quarantine states borders, you will want to be protected. Protect yourself and your pet bird by knowing avian entry and travel requirements well in advance to your trip. Keep in mind that quarantines involve state agricultural departments and they are often rigorously enforced.

Transporting Quaker parrots across state lines may be another well supervised affair.  Pet Quaker Parrots seem to have escaped causing havoc. Wild Quaker parrots live in colonies, building enormous nests on high, accessible trees or even electric poles.  Not only that, wild Quaker Parrots devour agricultural crops compromising the income potential of farms.  Consequently, the interstate travel of Quaker Parrots is monitored more closely than other parrots.  Quaker parrots are illegal to own or to sell in numerous states, such as California, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Hawaii, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Wyoming. Connecticut allows one to own a Quakers Parrot but not sell or breed them while New York and Virginia residents may own Quaker Parrots but they must register with the state.  It may be difficult to keep up with individual state requirements regarding importation and ownership of Quaker Parrots so be sure to consult the Quakerville.com website for current information: http://www.quakerville.com/qic/statelaw.asp

Plan your trip carefully prior embarking on interstate travel with a pet bird.  It may save yourself and your pet a lot of grief, wasted time and deter a potential pet bird confiscation. 

SIX TIPS FOR CAR TRAVEL WITH PARROTS