BajaNomad

Travelling with a small pet parrot.

windgrrl - 3-6-2010 at 11:08 AM

We are planning to drive to East Cape area and I am wondering if I can take my love bird, Gus with us. Does anyone have any expreince with taking a bird across the border - Canada through USA, then to Mexico and back? In planning for his care I also am wondering what pet supplies are available and any other advice.

Thanks,
w

bajafam - 3-6-2010 at 11:41 AM

This link has a lot of info about traveling with birds. Hope that helps!

Traveling with Bird to Mexico

[Edited on 3-6-2010 by bajafam]

windgrrl - 3-6-2010 at 12:18 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by bajafam
This link has a lot of info about traveling with birds. Hope that helps!

Traveling with Bird to Mexico

[Edited on 3-6-2010 by bajafam]


Thank you for this excellent information. Gus is 16 this year and acts as though he has 10 good ones more in him. He could stay home with Grandma Bird (my mom)...but he definitely is my baby!

I read your blog and wish you wonderful days ahead. We are also starting on the next big step in our lifelong journey and are figuring out the Baja logistics. There is a very good map that has been noted on this forum. We bought it for ourselves and as a gift for fellow travellers. It is both a great "read" and a helpful map.

bajafam - 3-6-2010 at 12:33 PM

Thanks, windgrrl!! This is just one of many journeys to Baja for this bajafam, but it will be the first one that I am going (to try) to blog. We have contemplated bringing our bird, a 5 year old canary, on many trips, but he has a fainting condition and passes out every time we put him in the car. Besides, traveling with two small children and two giant mutts is enough for us!!! Hope you have a great trip with Gus, I think he sounds like a great travel companion :)

BTW, there are many veternaria farmacias along the way...pet birds are pretty plentiful in most towns. You may even be able to pick up a pet peac-ck...only half joking ~ I've seen them for sale in San Quintin!

[Edited on 3-6-2010 by bajafam]

arrowhead - 3-6-2010 at 01:42 PM

I'm not sure that link will help you get your bird back into the US from Mexico. Due to Newcastle Disease concerns, you will most likely have to leave your parrot in Mexico forever.

Woooosh - 3-6-2010 at 02:06 PM

yup, birds are a one way trip.

longlegsinlapaz - 3-6-2010 at 03:17 PM

windgrrl, leave Gus on whichever side of the border he's going live out the rest of his days. I brought a Sun Conure across several years ago. He had a current international health certificate....we made it as far as Gurerro Negro on the paperwork he had with no problems....GN gave me the choice of either turning around & trying to get him out of Mexico....or holding my fully loaded vehicle & passenger hostage while I took the bird, under Military escort, to the vet in GN....who merely looked at him through the bars of his cage & produced the additional paperwork the guys at Norte/Sur border demanded. I think it cost me around $200-250 pesos, but it's been about 7-8 years ago, so not willing to swear to it.

The bottom line is you're putting Gus at the whim of whoever happens to be on duty both crossing into Mexico & at GN....TWO directions. I don't know about the Canadian/USA border. It's not worth the risk for a vacation. I got the distinct impression that the USA would allow my bird re-entry:no: So if you love him, leave him with Grandma Bird!

Bajahowodd - 3-6-2010 at 05:42 PM

It would appear to me that Gus needs to stay home unless you are in a position to live permanently SOB. It seems fairly simple.

bajafam - 3-6-2010 at 06:47 PM

windgrrl, I found another site that specifies traveling to Mexico, to the US, and to Canada...It also include links to all the necessary papers, etc.... maybe this will be more helpful?

http://www.petfriendlytravel.com/?page=travel_with_birds

It sounds like a lot of paperwork and the possibility of not being able to return with your beloved Gus is enough to make me think twice, but I have been thinking on this all day, so maybe the info in the link is more detailed and informative to everyone.

[Edited on 3-7-2010 by bajafam]

makana.gabriel - 3-6-2010 at 08:53 PM

I would also add absolutely DO NOT take your bird with you on a vacation. Getting the bird into Mexico is one thing but back to the U.S. would be almost impossible. And the fine if you are caught trying to smuggle him across is about $10,000.000 and worse, the loss of your bird.

greybaby - 3-6-2010 at 10:14 PM

Have an African Grey and can tell you from my own experience, don't take your parrot across the border. It's not worth the hassle of getting the paperwork from the US Fish & Game & USDA and you will never get the proper signatures in Mexico. We tried for two years and were told when we brought our bird back across that they had never seen anyone get their papers stamped by the Mexican government. I would never risk taking my bird across again - even though she has a pet passport and would be legal. As I see from other posts, I'm not alone in my advice. I almost lost my bird at the border because I didn't ask ahead of time. You are the smart one!!

rhintransit - 3-7-2010 at 07:40 AM

do not do not do not take your bird into Mexico if only for a vacation. for a permanent move, maybe.
a friend here has several birds, including one African Grey. after months and months of effort/paperwok (I believe 6 but would have to ask her to be sure) she brought it down, thinking she had the papers to get it back out to the USA when she returned. she lives here most of the year but travels north in the summer. the bird was almost confiscated when she tried to leave Mexico last year, despite having each and every paper signed, triple signed, etc. only her hysterics at losing her 'child' and several higher level pleas got them reunited. she says she'll never risk that again.

windgrrl - 3-7-2010 at 08:43 AM

Good morning;

Thank you all for your advice, which helped greatly with my hardest decision. Living in Mexico permanently is certainly an option we are exploring, but not just yet, so the G-Bird will stay put in Canada while we beat winter!

BTW, I can’t recall a time when Nomads had fell so hard on the same side on their opinions on a matter!
;D

greybaby - 3-7-2010 at 09:06 AM

I must say it is unusual for so many of us to agree on anything! That must mean we're all right. :bounce: Seriously, I am impressed that you asked about this before taking your bird across the border. Wish I had been as smart the first time. It's possible you won't have as much trouble with a love bird as other kinds of parrots. All depends on how they're listed on CITES. I learned real fast that my African Grey is an endangered species - even though she was hatched in an aviary and there seems to be no shortage of them. But, again, she will never leave the US. Have a good trip!

805gregg - 3-8-2010 at 09:13 PM

Why would you want to travel with a bird? I remember when my neighbor in OB bought a parrot, he said it's not like he has a parrot, it's more like living in a bird cage. Yuk.