Moving parrot from Texas to Puerto Rico

[Suetheamazon]

Hello all! I am new to parrot forums so thank you for having me!

I have a question regarding moving parrots. We are moving from Texas to Puerto Rico. We have a double yellow headed amazon, also we are trying to acquire a blue and gold macaw from a neighbor who must get rid of the parrot quickly. So we want to ensure our babies come with us. We are going to attempt to take the amazon in the cabin on the plane but unfortunately we will probably have to ship the macaw. Does anyone have any experience with moving/shipping parrots? Any tips? Any recommendations? Maybe a company you used and were pleased with? Anything at all would be helpful. I can’t find any good solid useful information. What I do find is many years old and has probably changed by now. Any help, info, and opinions appreciated! Thank you!

Ps. We have found all kinds of info on the required things we need to do before a move. Complex stuff with the USDA and the bird and game warden. I’m not sure what’s accurate and what’s not. Since Puerto Rico is essentially a state of the US I’d like to think is the same as taking it over state lines but since it’s an island I don’t know. Any thoughts on this would be appreciated as well.

 

[YSGC]

I'd focus on just the Amazon you already own and let go of acquiring that macaw at this time of great change for you.

Moving one parrot is complex enough, let alone moving to a vastly different place.
IMO adding another parrot to the equation is just too much, too risky, too complex and frankly unfair to the macaw.

... but I do wish you and your bird the best of luck.

 

[noodles123]

Certain states even require paperwork etc if you move. Gather as much documentation as you can ahead of time. If the Macaw is doing okay with your neighbors, I would say wait on adding a new bird...Moving any bird is going to be very stressful (on you and the bird) but adding a new bird to your home will also be a source of stress for your bird and the new bird.. Moving a bird right after bringing him into your home etc will likely produce significant distress (especially since the macaw won't be bonded with you yet and will likely be upset by the loss of his old flock).

 

[EllenD]

Yeah, I don't know what the stipulations of Puerto Rico are regarding bringing animals into the country; even though it is a US Territory, my guess is that they still have extremely strict regulations regarding bringing animals into the country, simply because their ecosystem is very different than the mainland US is, and they have different animal species than we do in the mainland US...So they have to protect not only the indigenous animals of Puerto Rico, but they also have to protect any animals coming into the country from any illnesses/parasites that are common there but not in the mainland US. So even though Puerto Rico is a US Territory, it's a vastly different environment and ecosystem than the US lower-48 states, and as such you have to not only worry about what their regulations are for bringing animals into their country, but also worry about the health of your Amazon...

You are probably going to need to at the very least take your Amazon to a Certified Avian Vet for a full Wellness-Examination and get them to give you a "Certificate of Health", but before you do that you need to call the Customs Department of Puerto Rico (or whatever governing-body oversees animals in Puerto Rico, Customs can tell you who you need to contact), and find out EXACTLY what documentation you are going to have to have to bring a pet parrot into the country and keep it there as a pet. Most-all countries require a "Certificate of Health" from an Avian Vet to bring a parrot into the country, but some require full Blood-Testing, Fecal-Testing, etc., and some countries actually vaccinate birds for certain things, or require them to be treated with certain parasite prevention, etc. It just depends on the Country you're going into. So you always need to contact the government of the country you're bringing the bird into LONG BEFORE YOU ARE PLANNING ON LEAVING, and ask them exactly what documentation you must have, what health testing/vaccinations/parasite prevention, etc. you will need to have the Avian Vet do along with the Certificate of Health, as also what documentation you need as far as PROOF OF OWNERSHIP OF THE BIRD! Some countries require documentation from when you bought the bird, like a Hatch-Certificate, or some other documentation from the bird's Breeder or the Pet Shop you got the bird from, along with some requiring a Leg-Band, etc. You just don't know until you CONTACT THE CORRECT AGENCY IN PUERTO RICO AND GET A COMPLETE LIST OF WHAT YOU WILL HAVE TO HAVE IN-HAND WHEN YOU REACH THE BORDER TO BRING THE BIRD INTO THE COUNTRY AND KEEP HIM THERE AS A PET...SO START MAKING PHONE CALLS ASAP!!!

As far as the Macaw goes, again, you're going to have to call Puerto Rico immediately, find out what they require as far as health and ownership documentation, and then figure out if it's possible to get that for the Macaw as well as your Amazon...That may or may not be difficult...They might also have regulations about how many parrots you can keep as pets in Puerto Rico, or what species of parrots you can keep there as pets, etc. You just don't know until you contact them and ASK ALL THE QUESTIONS YOU POSSIBLY CAN, TELL THEM EXACTLY WHAT SPECIES OF PARROTS YOU WANT TO BRING, HOW MANY TOTAL BIRDS, AND FIND OUT EXACTLY WHAT DOCUMENTATION YOU'LL NEED IN-HAND FOR BOTH BIRDS...

I would not even think about using a "shipping company" to bring a parrot into Puerto Rico, it's not going to be like moving your pet parrots from Texas to any other US lower-48 States at all, again you have to realize that Puerto Rico is a US Territory, not a State, and it's got a totally different type of government than we do, along with a totally different Ecosystem and totally different indigenous species of animals and birds.