Travelling with Parrots

At one point or another most parrot owners will need to move their bird from one location to another.  This might be a one off trip for a veterinary consultation, or when buying or selling a bird.  It may be a more regular occurrence such as transporting a pet to another home for holiday cover, taking part in bird shows or just for recreational activity. 

The best type of bird carrier depends mainly on the type and size of parrot that is being transported, and also on the length of time in transit.  Regardless of the type of bird in question, the key considerations must always the safety and comfort of the parrot

Parrots often require more thought for transport than other smaller birds – not least because many of them are escape artists!  Added to this, their superior level of intelligence often means that they are more aware of their surroundings and if they are not used to being outside of the home can be unsettled or stressed by new environments. 

For this reason, it can often be a good idea to acclimatise a parrot with outside trips on a regular basis. This way, should a trip become necessary for veterinary care or holidays the bird is more at ease.  As parrots can escape very easily from cardboard boxes or other unsuitable carriers, parrot travel cages or backpacks are always the best option.  Young parrots can also be harness trained quite successfully – this allows the owner to travel about with their parrot and even to fly them outside if they wish.  For longer trips we would still recommend that a harnessed bird is placed inside a carrier both for comfort and additional security.  Feed and water can be easily offered in both parrot travel cages and in special parrot backpacks such as the Pak-o-Bird.