Importing Parrot to the UK from the US

I would love to hear about anyone's experience moving their bird internationally. I've done some research online to get a feel for what I need to do, but am feeling a bit overwhelmed and sick to my stomach at the thought of the costs and all the permits and checks needed... help!

Details of my particular situation...

I moved to the UK nearly a year ago to be with my husband (a Brit). I have a red-bellied parrot (Ollie) that I love dearly, and it was heartbreaking to leave him behind in MA with my parents. I know he is happy living with them since he loves them both with no issues, and I've trained them well in the art of parrot-keeping... but I feel guilty leaving my feather baby behind. I miss him every day.

Now that hubby and I are settled here in England and know we want to stay for at least 5 more years, I thought I'd bring Ollie over to the UK. Hubby and I will be back in MA to visit for Thanksgiving, so the tentative plan is to take the fluff-ball with us on the flight back to London. I have so many questions...

Will Ollie NEED to be microchipped? Currently he has an open leg band, as his vet removed his closed band years ago after a scare of it getting caught. His avian vet says they will not microchip him as he is too small.

What kind of carrier will he need?

How do I go about getting CITES import/export permits and how long do they take to process?

What about the license to import pet birds from AHVLA?

I usually fly on British Airways... do they have a good record transporting animals?

Will they even transport pets out of Boston in the chill of early December? Are the animals held in a climate-controlled area prior to being loaded onto the plane?

What other things am I missing?

What in the world is all this going to cost me?!

I just wish there was some simple checklist somewhere for me to follow.

Thanks in advance for any and all help... and for your patience with all my questions and panic... :17:

Check for quarantines bringing him into the UK. My close friend had to leave her beloved cat behind in the states because they were going to quarantine her for a YEAR. She was heartbroken but could not imagine her furbaby being stuck in a crate in some facility for a year.

I know some one who paid a lot of money to take his sennie back to Germany from California. I think it also had to do with something about it being a Senegal. He also took his cockatiel, with no problems. But the Senegal was a different story. Quarantine can stress a bird out and red bellies are nervous birds anyway, so I don't know if it's worth the risk if he is happy now to bring him for 5 years and then have to do it all over again. Really count the cost , and I don't mean $$$ I mean at what cost to your red belly.

Talk to your vet, they might have paperwork. I seem to recall something about a checkup certificate 6 months prior to moving and one right before, but I could be wrong on that.

I don't think getting a permit to take your CITIES listed PET bird out of the US is a big issue. What the import regs for the UK are is a different story and i'm not up on that. CITIES regs usually allow transport of pet birds between most countries. The receiving country is most likely to cause the most issues and you're in the right spot to research that.

Thanks for the input, guys. I don't think there is a quarantine period once in the UK... from what I've read it seems they just want documents stating the bird was quarantined and monitored for disease before departure, and that this can be at-home "quarantine" signed off by a qualified vet. Still researching...

No one knows of anyone who has gone through this process? I was hoping for some reassurance or guidance. :\

There is a forum member who did this recently... I'm not able to do the digging right now but I know we have at least one old thread detailing her whole experience... Any moderators remember this?

I think it cost her around $3000 but I don't remember for sure, and please DO NOT microchip a bird that the vet says is too small. About two months ago I watched a vest kill a sennie before my eyes by chipping him, after swearing up and down it was safe.

SilverSage said:

I think it cost her around $3000 but I don't remember for sure, and please DO NOT microchip a bird that the vet says is too small. About two months ago I watched a vest kill a sennie before my eyes by chipping him, after swearing up and down it was safe.

Click to expand...

Exactly! I NEVER wanted to microchip him to begin with; I know how dangerous it can be for small birds! I had gotten a quote last year from a pet shipping company and they insisted on it, which is why I am attempting to organize everything myself.

You can also usually get a certificate from your vet saying he removed the band for medical reasons, if he didn't already give you one.

Start with the Airlines. BA is a Great Airline. Target a direct flight, NO ADDITIONAL stops. Look at coming into Manchester in place of London, 'smaller' international airport, if at all possible. Same on the USA side, stay clear of JFK. BA will get you to the sites and documents that will be needed. If you commonly use BA and especially if your are a BA card holder, give them that information up-front.

The airline will provide specific information regarding what type of travel cage they prefer.

Once you get all the paperwork completed, you will have a solid idea of the total costs. It changes depending on the airlines and countries that you are transporting between. Note: The departing State may also have some additional paperwork.

If you elect to go though with it, dry run the receiving part in England. Once you pay for the 'ticket' (transport cost) they will provide more information. Go to the airport and to the animal pick-up building the day before, rarely in the area as passengers depart the aircraft. They will not let you in. This is only to assure that you are clearly aware of where you need to be. Plan to stand around to a couple of hours on the day your parrot arrives.

NOTE: It is very possible that at some point in this process you may find that you (or a named adult) will need to be a ticketed passenger on the same aircraft that your parrot is on.

It will be very important to over-do the attachment of documents needed to be included with the parrot. Extra copy of full set under-bedding, on the outside top and bottom, etc...

NOTE: Assuming that a ticketed adult maybe be require. Assure that person has at least two additional sets of the parrot's documents. Also, let the flight staff know that 'you' are traveling with a pet and request that they include that information as part of the arrival information that is send ahead (about 1.5 to 2 hours prior to scheduled landing).

Keep-up with whether Avian Flu (H5N2) resumes with the Fall migration. It did not make it to the Eastern Flyway last Spring, Michigan and Ontario was as far East as it came. If is does, it could effect when you will be allowed to transport (deep into Winter).

Wow, thank you SailBoat! It's good to hear BA has a good rep. Hubby and I are members of their loyalty club, hopefully that will help along the way. We always fly direct as layovers are a hassle, so no worries there.

We will be flying out of Boston since my parents live only 45mins from Logan. Arriving in Manchester is out of the question... we live in the southeast of England and that would be a massive drive home in a country where gas is the equivalent of $6.50 a gallon. Not to mention the stress of added travel time. Our options are pretty limited... we will have to stick with London Heathrow.

One bit I already know is that yes, someone DOES have to travel on the same flight as Ollie. But I'll be that someone since I am going home to visit anyways. Maybe we could do a dry run to the Heathrow animal holding area before we leave for Thanksgiving. Excellent idea.

Thanks again for the advice. Have you flown with parrots before? (Aside from in the living room like me, ha!)

I have not, but know four couples who have and my comments are based on their experiences.

England is full of excellent parrot groups. My business life had me in and out of Europe regularly. With weekends open, I visit several free flight groups and also meet members of their Amazon Society.

Cheers!