Travelling out of the country to Brasil with my Macaw

[lavender]

Glad you've decided to keep him home. Might check with a vet or local pet shop as a back up for boarding. With the avian flu thing there was a point when no birds entered the US. Would hate for your baby to get stuck out of country.

[hollmer]

I live on the US/Canadian Border and my Family lives in Canada and I in the USA. I asked once what I would need to take my Macaw to my Moms while on vacation. The customs agent told me it would not be worth all the paperwork and I would be better off finding someone to watch Him in the US. There is another post, someone asking what was need to import a bird to Canada from the US. I posted several links to sites for the US and Canadian Customs. You need to have permits and Vet Checks and as others have stated they will most likely quarintine your Bird, and most of the time not at a vet or proper animal facility, they will be house at customs and very often get sick and I have even heard of birds dieing from lack of proper care. I would not advise taking your bird outside the country unless you are planning on being gone for several months.

[r2rusmc]

Originally Posted by hollmer

You need to have permits and Vet Checks and as others have stated they will most likely quarintine your Bird, and most of the time not at a vet or proper animal facility, they will be house at customs and very often get sick and I have even heard of birds dieing from lack of proper care. I would not advise taking your bird outside the country unless you are planning on being gone for several months.

You are giving out inaccurate information as it applies to birds going from the US to Canada and from Canada to the US.

To get a pet bird into Canada...

Import of Personally-Owned Pet Birds from the United States

The information on this page is current as of 2008-7- 26

For import purposes, the expression "pet bird" means a personally owned and cared for bird, and applies only to species commonly known as "caged" birds such as psittacines, love birds, song birds, toucans, canaries, finches, cardinals, etc. The expression does not apply to pigeons, doves, species of wild or domesticated fowl, or game birds.

It is possible to import personally-owned pet birds under the following conditions:
1. The birds must accompany the owner or in the possession of an immediate family member.
2. The birds must be found to be healthy when inspected at the port of entry.
3. The owner must sign a declaration stating that the birds have been in his/her possession for the (90) ninety-day period preceding the date of importation and have not been in contact with any other birds during that time.
4. The owner must sign a declaration stating that the birds are the owner’s personal pets and are not being imported for the purpose of re-sale.
5. The owner or any member of the family must not have imported birds into Canada under this pet bird provision during the preceding ninety (90) day period.

The necessary certification to clear Customs will be made by filling out the form which is available at Customs. Under the above arrangement, no import permit or quarantine period is required. If these conditions cannot be met, it will be necessary for you to obtain an import permit from the appropriate Canadian Food Inspection Agency regional office in the province into which you will be entering.

The importation of birds into Canada is also subject to the control of the Canadian Wildlife Service ( Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species - (CITES)). You may contact them by telephone at 613-997-1840, by facsimile at 613-953-6283 or by email at the following address: suzanne.vincent@ec.gc.ca.

US Origin Pet Birds returning from Canada

* The health certificate issued prior to leaving the U.S.
* Veterinary inspection at designated USDA port. Arrangements for veterinary inspection must be made 3 working days prior to arrival.
* Pet birds arriving from Canada through an air/ocean port are required to have a USDA Import Permit (apply using VS Form 17-129). Pet birds arriving from Canada through an eligible U.S.-Canadian land border port are exempt from the permit requirement.
* U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Certification (if necessary)

General requirements for non US origin pet birds...

All pet birds imported into the United States from Canada are subject to veterinary inspection upon entry only and do not have to be quarantined. Arrangements for veterinary inspection must be made 3 working days prior to arrival. Pet birds arriving from Canada through an air/ocean port are required to have a USDA Import Permit (permit application is VS Form 17-129. Pet birds arriving from Canada through an eligible U.S.-Canadian land border port are exempt from the permit requirement. Pet birds imported from Canada must be inspected by a USDA veterinarian at the land, air or ocean port of entry.

That should help you should you desire to bring your bird with you to visit your family. You can verify the above information by contacting Dr. Farooq Hashmi, USDA Port Veterinarian, 3905 Witmer Road, Niagara Falls, NY (716)297-6203. You will only be permitted to cross at the Queenston/Lewiston Bridge.

Now for pet birds returning from abroad where the country is not on the current advisory list...

General Requirements
All non-U.S. origin pet birds may be imported into the United States provided that the country of origin is not listed on the Advisory list. Except for those of Canadian origin, pet birds are required to be quarantined for 30 days in a USDA Animal Import Center at the owner’s expense. A reservation at the facility must be made in advance by contacting the USDA port veterinarian.

In order to enter the United States, provide the following:

* Current Exporting Country Veterinary Health Certification; see below.
* USDA Import Permit
* Port of Entry Arrival Directly to the Quarantine Port; that is no other stops in the U.S. permitted before the quarantine port.
* 30-day Import Quarantine in USDA Animal Import Center
* Fish and Wildlife Services Certification (if necessary)
* Payment of user fees

The current, as of the time of this post, Advisory List is as follows:

ADVISORY: Until further notice, there is a temporary ban on the importation of pet birds from Afghanistan, Albania, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Benin, Burkina Faso, Egypt, Cambodia, Cameroon, Czech Republic (regions (kraj) of Kralovehradecky and Pardubicky ONLY), Denmark (Funen County ONLY), Djibouti, France (VS defined restricted zone ONLY), Germany (the following kreis ONLY: Muldental, Torgue-Oschatz, Dobeln, Saalfeld-Rudolstadt, Schwandorf, Neustadt A.D. Aisch, Bamberg, Kitzingen, Erlangen-Hochstadt, Oberhavel, Havelland, Ostprignitz-Ruppin, Potsdam-Mittelmark, Uckermark, Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Prignitz and Jerichower Land), Ghana, Hungary (Bacs-Kiskun and Csongrad counties ONLY), India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire), Japan, Jordan, Laos, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Myanmar, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palestinian Autonomous Territories, Peoples' Republic of China, Poland (voivodships [provinces] of Warminsko-Mazurskie, Mazowiekie, and Kujawsko-Pomorskie ONLY), Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Sudan, Sweden (Kalmar county ONLY), Thailand, Togo, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom (counties of Norfolk and Suffolk, England), and Vietnam.