We imported 7 parrots to Hawaii and have gone through the process! A comprehensive guide through the process
does not exist, so we created this blog to save people the frustration and
apprehension that we experienced when importing birds into Hawaii.
With its tropical climate and readily available fruits and nuts, Hawaii seems like an ideal place to have pet parrots or other birds. Indeed, the climate in much of Hawaii is nearly identical to the natural climate of many South American avian species. But importing your birds into Hawaii is not as easy as just putting them into an airline kennel and boarding a plane. Hawaii has import restrictions on birds to prevent the introduction of invasive species including the birds and mosquitoes that carry West Nile.
We started planning our import nearly a year in advance. Even with the most planning we could think of, the whole process nearly fell apart in the days immediately prior to our move. We would hope to spare you the anxiety we experienced.
Looking for a real estate professional who can help you navigate importing animals into Hawaii or finding your forever home? Please contact the author of this article to find out!
This is the Hawaii web page regarding importing birds into Hawaii: http://hdoa.hawaii.gov/ai/ldc/importing-livestock/birds-and-poultry/ Read the first part very carefully. Even though your bird is not a plant, it will require a plant import permit! It will also require a poultry and bird import permit. I do not link the forms needed for the process on the blog because I can't be responsible for keeping the links up to date but you can get them all from following the above link. Your bird will also need a health certificate from a licensed vet that very clearly states the birds are "free of external parasites". This is not "standard" language on a health certificate so your vet will have to write that IN BLUE INK. Hawaii does not accept faxes, photocopies, etc of ANY document and the only way to prove it's not a copy is for the vet to use BLUE INK. This is very important. NEVER USE BLACK INK.
Have your vet issue at least TWO ORIGINAL health certificates per animal signed in BLUE INK. Some airlines will require (and keep) an original health certificate. Don't give them your only copy or your birds will not be allowed into Hawaii. They WILL send them back. Even if the airline tells you that they don't require an original copy for themselves, do NOT trust that the person working the counter knows what they are doing when the price of failure is you coming to Hawaii and being told that your birds cannot come with you. Hand carry your documents. Do not put them into a checked bag for any reason.
All birds except canaries, finches, budgerigars, lovebirds, cockatiels and doves MUST HAVE A LEG BAND or MICROCHIP (microchip must be 'scannable' with an AVID brand microchip scanner) with a unique identifying number. NO EXCEPTIONS. If your bird does not have a leg band or microchip, you or a veterinarian can apply an open leg band. After the import process you can remove the leg band if you prefer. The leg band must be legible. If you have a very old parrot with an old leg band the numbers may have been rubbed off over the years. This type of leg band WILL NOT SUFFICE.
Not all bird species are allowed in Hawaii! Your bird will either be on the prohibited species list, or the conditionally allowed list. This list can change, so I am not going to post it but you can access it here: http://hdoa.hawaii.gov/pi/files/2012/12/AR-71C1.pdf If your bird is on the prohibited species list, you will have to find it a new home, or not come to Hawaii.
Honolulu is the only city/airport you can bring birds to. If you are taking your birds to an island other than Oahu, you will need to get the birds cleared through the AG station at the Honolulu airport first, and then fly to your island. There are no exceptions to this process.
Your bird must be quarantined at your veterinarian's office under mosquito netting or other mosquito-proof environment for 168 hours (7 days) prior to leaving for Hawaii, and the bird must arrive to Hawaii within 36 hours of leaving quarantine. The bird MUST leave quarantine and arrive in Hawaii in a mosquito-proof container or the bird WILL NOT BE ALLOWED in. Hawaii officials believe that Hawaii is free from West Nile and the quarantine and mosquito proof containers are an effort to keep it that way. There is no "standardization" for the mosquito-proof container and we spoke to many different people at the AG station in Honolulu and never got a straight answer from them. The only way we got information was by talking to people who have been through the process. The problem is that the airlines require specific kennels be used for transport, and nobody makes one that is "mosquito proof" so you will have to make an airline kennel mosquito proof by using mosquito netting.
There are essentially two ways to accomplish this. One is to cover all the vents and the door with mosquito netting using duct tape to make it stick. The other way is to buy a big mosquito net, spread it out on the floor, put the kennel in the middle of it, and then pull the netting up around the kennel and seal it with a cable tie. With either technique you are gambling that 1) an airline worker doesn't accidentally rip the netting and 2) a naughty parrot doesn't use its beak or toe nails to damage the netting. IF THERE IS ANY DAMAGE, THE BIRD WILL BE SENT BACK AND YOU HAVE TO START THE WHOLE PROCESS OVER AGAIN. NO EXCEPTIONS.
What we did was fasten hardware cloth to the inside of the kennels so the bird wouldn't be able to access the netting on the outside of the kennel. Hardware cloth is essentially just steel screening. You can find it at places like Home Depot next to the chicken wire and fencing products. Then we did BOTH cover the vents and doors with netting AND a second netting over the entire kennel. The reasoning was that if one net got ripped, the second one would probably not. Fortunately all 7 kennels arrived with the exterior netting intact so the secondary netting wasn't necessary but it was cheap insurance against a careless airline worker. Here are some pics of what our kennels looked like. Click on the images to make them larger:
When any animal arrives into Hawaii the airline is required to transport them directly to the AG station located at the airport. There they will be processed and hopefully released to you.
Most airlines will not transport an animal to Hawaii if the weather is forecasted to be over 85 degrees, so you may want to book an evening flight. The AG office closes at 4:30pm, plus it takes up to an hour for them to receive the animal from the airline, so if the flight lands after 3:30pm your bird will have to spend the night at the AG station and you will get it in the morning. Bring food in your carry-on. Even though the facility is closed a caretaker will let you in to feed and water your birds and visit briefly. Pick your birds up before 10:00 am the next day or they will charge you a fee.
If your destination is another island, you may have to transport them on Aloha Air Cargo. They charge BY THE PIECE. If you have multiple kennels, you can duct tape them together (if it is practical) and save hundreds of dollars. I saw three kennels duct taped together when I was there, with the largest on the bottom and the smaller ones on top of that. They must be taped together before you get to their counter. When being transported to a neighboring island a small sticker is needed from the AG department authorizing the transportation. I had no idea this was required but fortunately the folks at the AG dept knew I was proceeding on to the Big Island and gave me the sticker. Make sure you get one. It's one sticker per shipment, so you only need one regardless of how many birds or kennels you are transporting.
Many parrots can quickly chew out of their airline kennels. One of our macaws can chew his way out in less than 5 minutes, and hardware cloth will not slow him down. If your bird can chew it's way out of a kennel, you will have to come up with a solution. What we did was put each macaw into a steel wire dog crate which is unfortunately not approved for airline use. Then we put the wire crate into a plastic airline kennel. Because our macaws like to grab things (like mosquito netting) outside their cages with their feet and pull them in and chew on them, we had hardware cloth on the inside of the plastic kennel. So: bird in steel crate, placed inside of plastic airline kennel with the vents and doors reinforced with hardware cloth on the inside, mosquito netting taped to the outside of the vents and doors, and another layer of mosquito netting for the entire kennel. It took roughly an hour each to prepare the kennels and we had 7 of them. So, about 7 hours worth of work. You will want to get them ready several days before you leave so you aren't scrambling to get them together at the last minute.
All major airlines will transport parrots. I don't think it has to be said that you need to book your pet travel arrangements well ahead of time. All airlines limit how many animals they are allowed to put on each plane. MOST AIRLINES ONLY TRANSPORT DOGS AND CATS AS CHECKED BAGGAGE however they will still transport your parrots. The airline's "normal" customer service number will be staffed by a person who doesn't handle air cargo or know their own air cargo rules. If you are told that your airline of choice does not transport parrots, thank them for their time and look up their AIR CARGO number and talk to somebody there. Make sure you specify that you need to transport a PARROT and not a BIRD. Some airlines do not transport poultry but they will transport parrots (sometimes they refer to them as a "house bird"). Also be aware that the air cargo office of each airline is usually miles away from the ticket and checked baggage counters. Sometimes they aren't even at the airport, and sometimes their offices aren't well marked. Make sure you know exactly where the air cargo office is before your travel date. Go there in person and verify their hours and know exactly what the check-in time is for your parrot... BEFORE your travel date. Lastly, most airlines have "pet travel embargo dates". These are dates that they do not transport animals by air cargo at all- usually during the Christmas and other seasons where they have more air cargo to transport than they have room for. There ARE ways around the embargo however they are complicated, and this blog is not the place for it. If you are stuck in such a situation of trying to ship during a transport embargo and another airline can't help you, I recommend using a pet transport service to assist you. If you need to transport poultry, your best bet might be through the postal service. Yes, its legal to mail poultry and its a heck of a lot cheaper- however I have not been through the process and I do not know the regulations. NEVER try to mail a parrot. A parrot's biology is completely different and its unlikely to survive. It's not only unethical, it's also illegal.
Importing birds into Hawaii is expensive, time consuming, and complicated. But with proper planning and preparation it is definitely possible so long as your bird isn't one of the few prohibited species. Whatever you do, don't try to skip a step or not follow the rules exactly. The Hawaii AG department does not allow for any deviations. If you have any questions that weren't covered in this blog, let us know and we will try to answer them.
After buying a home on the Big Island of Hawaii we built large parrot aviaries so our birds can live outside in enclosures large enough to fly around in. All of our birds are in better health now than when they were living inside.
It is important to note that Alaska Airlines (and possibly others) do NOT allow pet kennels that use a hinged clasp to secure the two sides togther. Here is an example of a kennel that uses bolts to attach the two halves together that IS allowed:
Petmate 'allowed' style of kennel (amazon.com)
Not all mosquito netting is made equal. We had a tough time locating netting that was big enough to go all the way around the kennel but wasn't cheap flimsy material that could potentially rip easily on one of the conveyor systems they use to get the cargo on and off the airplane. Avoid buying material that is intended to be used inside (like around a bed) because it's not sturdy. Look for a material that is made to be used outside and can also be used to repair window screens. Here's an example:
Mosquito netting (amazon.com)
IATA regulations require that all parrots transported by air MUST have a perch affixed to the inside of the kennel, even though in our experience it is highly unlikely they will ever use it. The easiest method is to drill a hole in the side of kennel and install a perch similar to this. Don't get a "one-time use" perch, get one that can be removed from the kennel and then repurposed into the permanent bird habitat:
Pedi-Perch (amazon.com)
You'll want to install the perch at a height where the bird can use it while standing up or the airline may reject it, however you need to pay attention to the space between the perch and the bottom to make sure there is no chance that a foot, wing, leg, or head could get stuck in that space. If the kennel is getting tossed around by turbulence or a careless airline worker or the bird panics anything is possible. Remember there is probably no light in the cargo hold so the bird will be in complete darkness.
And don't forget, it is also required that your bird have access to water so you need something like this on the inside of the kennel:
Plastic water dish (amazon.com)
Metal water dish (amazon.com)
Good luck!
With its tropical climate and readily available fruits and nuts, Hawaii seems like an ideal place to have pet parrots or other birds. Indeed, the climate in much of Hawaii is nearly identical to the natural climate of many South American avian species. But importing your birds into Hawaii is not as easy as just putting them into an airline kennel and boarding a plane. Hawaii has import restrictions on birds to prevent the introduction of invasive species including the birds and mosquitoes that carry West Nile.
We started planning our import nearly a year in advance. Even with the most planning we could think of, the whole process nearly fell apart in the days immediately prior to our move. We would hope to spare you the anxiety we experienced.
Looking for a real estate professional who can help you navigate importing animals into Hawaii or finding your forever home? Please contact the author of this article to find out!
This is the Hawaii web page regarding importing birds into Hawaii: http://hdoa.hawaii.gov/ai/ldc/importing-livestock/birds-and-poultry/ Read the first part very carefully. Even though your bird is not a plant, it will require a plant import permit! It will also require a poultry and bird import permit. I do not link the forms needed for the process on the blog because I can't be responsible for keeping the links up to date but you can get them all from following the above link. Your bird will also need a health certificate from a licensed vet that very clearly states the birds are "free of external parasites". This is not "standard" language on a health certificate so your vet will have to write that IN BLUE INK. Hawaii does not accept faxes, photocopies, etc of ANY document and the only way to prove it's not a copy is for the vet to use BLUE INK. This is very important. NEVER USE BLACK INK.
Have your vet issue at least TWO ORIGINAL health certificates per animal signed in BLUE INK. Some airlines will require (and keep) an original health certificate. Don't give them your only copy or your birds will not be allowed into Hawaii. They WILL send them back. Even if the airline tells you that they don't require an original copy for themselves, do NOT trust that the person working the counter knows what they are doing when the price of failure is you coming to Hawaii and being told that your birds cannot come with you. Hand carry your documents. Do not put them into a checked bag for any reason.
All birds except canaries, finches, budgerigars, lovebirds, cockatiels and doves MUST HAVE A LEG BAND or MICROCHIP (microchip must be 'scannable' with an AVID brand microchip scanner) with a unique identifying number. NO EXCEPTIONS. If your bird does not have a leg band or microchip, you or a veterinarian can apply an open leg band. After the import process you can remove the leg band if you prefer. The leg band must be legible. If you have a very old parrot with an old leg band the numbers may have been rubbed off over the years. This type of leg band WILL NOT SUFFICE.
Not all bird species are allowed in Hawaii! Your bird will either be on the prohibited species list, or the conditionally allowed list. This list can change, so I am not going to post it but you can access it here: http://hdoa.hawaii.gov/pi/files/2012/12/AR-71C1.pdf If your bird is on the prohibited species list, you will have to find it a new home, or not come to Hawaii.
Honolulu is the only city/airport you can bring birds to. If you are taking your birds to an island other than Oahu, you will need to get the birds cleared through the AG station at the Honolulu airport first, and then fly to your island. There are no exceptions to this process.
Your bird must be quarantined at your veterinarian's office under mosquito netting or other mosquito-proof environment for 168 hours (7 days) prior to leaving for Hawaii, and the bird must arrive to Hawaii within 36 hours of leaving quarantine. The bird MUST leave quarantine and arrive in Hawaii in a mosquito-proof container or the bird WILL NOT BE ALLOWED in. Hawaii officials believe that Hawaii is free from West Nile and the quarantine and mosquito proof containers are an effort to keep it that way. There is no "standardization" for the mosquito-proof container and we spoke to many different people at the AG station in Honolulu and never got a straight answer from them. The only way we got information was by talking to people who have been through the process. The problem is that the airlines require specific kennels be used for transport, and nobody makes one that is "mosquito proof" so you will have to make an airline kennel mosquito proof by using mosquito netting.
There are essentially two ways to accomplish this. One is to cover all the vents and the door with mosquito netting using duct tape to make it stick. The other way is to buy a big mosquito net, spread it out on the floor, put the kennel in the middle of it, and then pull the netting up around the kennel and seal it with a cable tie. With either technique you are gambling that 1) an airline worker doesn't accidentally rip the netting and 2) a naughty parrot doesn't use its beak or toe nails to damage the netting. IF THERE IS ANY DAMAGE, THE BIRD WILL BE SENT BACK AND YOU HAVE TO START THE WHOLE PROCESS OVER AGAIN. NO EXCEPTIONS.
What we did was fasten hardware cloth to the inside of the kennels so the bird wouldn't be able to access the netting on the outside of the kennel. Hardware cloth is essentially just steel screening. You can find it at places like Home Depot next to the chicken wire and fencing products. Then we did BOTH cover the vents and doors with netting AND a second netting over the entire kennel. The reasoning was that if one net got ripped, the second one would probably not. Fortunately all 7 kennels arrived with the exterior netting intact so the secondary netting wasn't necessary but it was cheap insurance against a careless airline worker. Here are some pics of what our kennels looked like. Click on the images to make them larger:
First layer of netting
Second layer of netting with our "homemade" (not required) sign warning the airline workers not to open the netting. You can see the red poulty import permit on the kennel under the netting. It is required to be on the kennel in this fashion.
When any animal arrives into Hawaii the airline is required to transport them directly to the AG station located at the airport. There they will be processed and hopefully released to you.
Most airlines will not transport an animal to Hawaii if the weather is forecasted to be over 85 degrees, so you may want to book an evening flight. The AG office closes at 4:30pm, plus it takes up to an hour for them to receive the animal from the airline, so if the flight lands after 3:30pm your bird will have to spend the night at the AG station and you will get it in the morning. Bring food in your carry-on. Even though the facility is closed a caretaker will let you in to feed and water your birds and visit briefly. Pick your birds up before 10:00 am the next day or they will charge you a fee.
If your destination is another island, you may have to transport them on Aloha Air Cargo. They charge BY THE PIECE. If you have multiple kennels, you can duct tape them together (if it is practical) and save hundreds of dollars. I saw three kennels duct taped together when I was there, with the largest on the bottom and the smaller ones on top of that. They must be taped together before you get to their counter. When being transported to a neighboring island a small sticker is needed from the AG department authorizing the transportation. I had no idea this was required but fortunately the folks at the AG dept knew I was proceeding on to the Big Island and gave me the sticker. Make sure you get one. It's one sticker per shipment, so you only need one regardless of how many birds or kennels you are transporting.
Many parrots can quickly chew out of their airline kennels. One of our macaws can chew his way out in less than 5 minutes, and hardware cloth will not slow him down. If your bird can chew it's way out of a kennel, you will have to come up with a solution. What we did was put each macaw into a steel wire dog crate which is unfortunately not approved for airline use. Then we put the wire crate into a plastic airline kennel. Because our macaws like to grab things (like mosquito netting) outside their cages with their feet and pull them in and chew on them, we had hardware cloth on the inside of the plastic kennel. So: bird in steel crate, placed inside of plastic airline kennel with the vents and doors reinforced with hardware cloth on the inside, mosquito netting taped to the outside of the vents and doors, and another layer of mosquito netting for the entire kennel. It took roughly an hour each to prepare the kennels and we had 7 of them. So, about 7 hours worth of work. You will want to get them ready several days before you leave so you aren't scrambling to get them together at the last minute.
All major airlines will transport parrots. I don't think it has to be said that you need to book your pet travel arrangements well ahead of time. All airlines limit how many animals they are allowed to put on each plane. MOST AIRLINES ONLY TRANSPORT DOGS AND CATS AS CHECKED BAGGAGE however they will still transport your parrots. The airline's "normal" customer service number will be staffed by a person who doesn't handle air cargo or know their own air cargo rules. If you are told that your airline of choice does not transport parrots, thank them for their time and look up their AIR CARGO number and talk to somebody there. Make sure you specify that you need to transport a PARROT and not a BIRD. Some airlines do not transport poultry but they will transport parrots (sometimes they refer to them as a "house bird"). Also be aware that the air cargo office of each airline is usually miles away from the ticket and checked baggage counters. Sometimes they aren't even at the airport, and sometimes their offices aren't well marked. Make sure you know exactly where the air cargo office is before your travel date. Go there in person and verify their hours and know exactly what the check-in time is for your parrot... BEFORE your travel date. Lastly, most airlines have "pet travel embargo dates". These are dates that they do not transport animals by air cargo at all- usually during the Christmas and other seasons where they have more air cargo to transport than they have room for. There ARE ways around the embargo however they are complicated, and this blog is not the place for it. If you are stuck in such a situation of trying to ship during a transport embargo and another airline can't help you, I recommend using a pet transport service to assist you. If you need to transport poultry, your best bet might be through the postal service. Yes, its legal to mail poultry and its a heck of a lot cheaper- however I have not been through the process and I do not know the regulations. NEVER try to mail a parrot. A parrot's biology is completely different and its unlikely to survive. It's not only unethical, it's also illegal.
Importing birds into Hawaii is expensive, time consuming, and complicated. But with proper planning and preparation it is definitely possible so long as your bird isn't one of the few prohibited species. Whatever you do, don't try to skip a step or not follow the rules exactly. The Hawaii AG department does not allow for any deviations. If you have any questions that weren't covered in this blog, let us know and we will try to answer them.
After buying a home on the Big Island of Hawaii we built large parrot aviaries so our birds can live outside in enclosures large enough to fly around in. All of our birds are in better health now than when they were living inside.
UPDATE
It is important to note that Alaska Airlines (and possibly others) do NOT allow pet kennels that use a hinged clasp to secure the two sides togther. Here is an example of a kennel that uses bolts to attach the two halves together that IS allowed:
Petmate 'allowed' style of kennel (amazon.com)
Not all mosquito netting is made equal. We had a tough time locating netting that was big enough to go all the way around the kennel but wasn't cheap flimsy material that could potentially rip easily on one of the conveyor systems they use to get the cargo on and off the airplane. Avoid buying material that is intended to be used inside (like around a bed) because it's not sturdy. Look for a material that is made to be used outside and can also be used to repair window screens. Here's an example:
Mosquito netting (amazon.com)
IATA regulations require that all parrots transported by air MUST have a perch affixed to the inside of the kennel, even though in our experience it is highly unlikely they will ever use it. The easiest method is to drill a hole in the side of kennel and install a perch similar to this. Don't get a "one-time use" perch, get one that can be removed from the kennel and then repurposed into the permanent bird habitat:
Pedi-Perch (amazon.com)
You'll want to install the perch at a height where the bird can use it while standing up or the airline may reject it, however you need to pay attention to the space between the perch and the bottom to make sure there is no chance that a foot, wing, leg, or head could get stuck in that space. If the kennel is getting tossed around by turbulence or a careless airline worker or the bird panics anything is possible. Remember there is probably no light in the cargo hold so the bird will be in complete darkness.
And don't forget, it is also required that your bird have access to water so you need something like this on the inside of the kennel:
Plastic water dish (amazon.com)
Metal water dish (amazon.com)
Good luck!
Looking for a real estate professional who can help you navigate importing animals into Hawaii or finding your forever home? Please contact the author of this article to find out!
This blog is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com
This blog is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com
This has been very helpful. I'm trying to get my green cheek over and having everything laid out is wonderful. 2 questions for you:
ReplyDelete-how did yo manage water during transport? my vet says to bol bowls in, but I see her getting more wet than hydrated.
-Since my bird is so small (58 grams) I'm hesitant to microchip her. however, I've been told I can't band her since they have to.be banded.at birth. yet you mention an open leg band - how did you go about this?thanks do much for your reply! -Kelly
We did have bowls attached to the inside of the doors as the airline required it but for hydration we put fresh orange wedges inside the kennel. Some of the birds ate them, some did not. I couldn't tell if the birds drank any of the water. My guess is that they were too stressed out to drink.
ReplyDeleteOne of our birds is a red rump parakeet and we didn't want to chip him because he is so small. We bought an open leg band with the banding tool on the internet. A closed leg band is not required for importing birds into Hawaii. Any leg band will do.
That's a great idea! Oranges and grapes she loves. I will look into open banding her. That's kind of a miracle since my vet says she can't be banded and must be microchipped. Time for a 2nd opinion....
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your response; you may be hearing more from me!
By chance, do you know if they will allow more than one bird in the carrier? I have two Sun Conures and a Green Cheek Conure and they usually cohabit together. I would like to keep them all in one travel carrier if possible.
ReplyDeleteI don't think the Hawaii AG dept cares, but most airlines don't allow it.
DeleteGreat info! Just in time for me and my parrot. I read that Alaska Airlines allows "Household birds" in cabin under seat. I am hoping my Blue Front Amazon is considered that!
ReplyDeleteMay I ask what the charge is for the permits?
I think Alaska is the only carrier that allows you to have an animal in the cabin going to Hawaii. Be aware though that when you land in Hawaii they will take the bird from you and transport it directly to the AG office. Also be aware of Alaska's pet embargo dates: http://www.alaskaair.com/content/travel-info/policies/pets-traveling-hawaii.aspx
ReplyDeleteI don't remember how much the permits were, but the price was nominal.
Steve & Dayna, Can you shoot me an email??? We are having trouble finding an airline that accepts parrots for travel into Hawaii. Alaska Airlines says cats and dogs only... Any help would be great! kevinmatthews80449@hotmail.com
ReplyDeleteWe heard the same thing from Alaska but did eventually ship our parrots on that airline. You can't ship them like checked baggage that their ticketing system associates with a passenger airline ticket, but you can book them as a cargo shipment on the same flights you are taking. They get the exact same treatment but you won't get any checked baggage discounts. You need to call their cargo office. 1-800-225-2752.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for posting this. We are looking forward to moving HOME to Kauai with our two parrots that came to the mainland with us only last year. Sure was easy leaving Kauai, but not going back....I am very thankful for your comprehensive outline. Mahalo!
ReplyDeleteSo since they have to be kept in the netting until after quarantine how do they change food and water at the vet for the 7 days they are there? My avian vet has never dealt with shipping biRd to Hawaii so she is confused too and I'm so stressed! I have 6 months to have everything together though! Thank you so much for this blog!!!
ReplyDeleteIt's up to the vet to determine how the birds are kept in a mosquito free environment, but one method is to put up a temporary mosquito netting "curtain" in the doorway in whatever room the birds are kept in. Cheaper than a screen door and easier to install/remove.
DeleteWe are getting ready to (hopefully) take our Amazon parrot to the Big Island of Hawaii. I greatly appreciate this blog and all of the detailed information here. We have followed all rules to the letter and now with the date approaching (December 2nd) we don't know if the temperatures in Portland, OR will be warm enough on the day of our flight. Do you know what temperature a parrot can safely tolerate and if the baggage compartment where he is to travel (on Hawaiian Airlines - the only airline we found that will take "household birds") is climate controlled? Both Alaska and United said they will not transport household birds, period. Do you know why the airlines won't let us take household birds on board the plane?
ReplyDeleteYes, they are climate controlled. I know that Alaska and United transports parrots. If they are telling you no, you need to call their air cargo phone numbers. Most airlines only accept dogs and cats as checked baggage. I know it sounds crazy because baggage and cargo animals go into the exact same compartment, however the regulations for air cargo and checked baggage are substantially different. For some reason not all customer service representatives know their own airline well enough to tell you to call their air cargo departments.
DeleteO.K I will call the cargo department from here on out. United actually told me you had to hire a registered shipper to fly birds on their airline. We would be more likely to fly on Alaska but right now we are booked onto Hawaiian Airlines. Are you living on the Big Island?
DeleteI wanted to give you an update on our import process. We were able to get our parrot, Niko, into Hawaii, but not until we had a very stressful couple of days. One thing I'd like to note is that the top, white copy of the health certificate that is written in blue ink needed to be sent to the Oregon Dept. of Agriculture and not brought with us to Hawaii. The quarantine dept in Honolulu does and did accept the yellow copy of the health certificate. On the day we were to travel the temperatures in Portland Oregon were well below our vet's recommended safe temperature for Niko of 45 degrees. The vet had written an acclimation letter stating Niko could tolerate 40 degrees. Since we could not travel on the date we intended, I called the Hawaii Quarantine dept to ask if we could put Niko back into quarantine at the vet's office and wait a couple of days to try again. They said yes as long as we had not opened the mosquito netting, we could return to the vet's office and check him back in. We did this and waited two days as the weather was supposed to improve. Then on the day we were to travel for round 2, the temps were not as high as expected and were holding at 37 degrees. The staff at Hawaiian airlines told me at the last minute (they were boarding the plane) that if we could get our vet's office to fax them a new acclimation letter stating that Niko could tolerate 37 degrees (basically to walk from the building to the plane as they had already loaded all of the other baggage on board) that we could take him. It goes without saying that all of this was extremely stressful, however the outcome was good. We all arrived into Honolulu safe and sound. After waiting 45 painful minutes the staff at the quarantine station brought Niko out to us and when he saw us he immediately said "hello - how are you?". He wasn't nearly as stressed by the trip as I was!
DeleteWhat a great story... and outcome. thanks for sharing.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI live on Oahu and my 2 Sun Conures are from here. I have to move to Oregon and I'm worried about there flight and the weather in Oregon!on there respiratory system. Do parrots thrive there I know it does not compare to Hawaii? Does Oregon require quarantine or can I just walk off with my parrots. Also which airline allows you to bring them with you on the plane? Is it just Alaska? I'm so sad I have to leave Hawaii and take my parrots away from there home. I'm very worried.
ReplyDeleteYou will have to contact the airlines directly to find out what their policies are about taking birds in the cabin with you from Hawaii to Oregon. As far as I know there are no prohibitions against taking sun conures to Oregon from Hawaii. Good luck and please let us know how everything worked out for you.
ReplyDeleteThanks very much for sharing. We have several parrots and are possibly being transferred to Hawaii.
ReplyDeleteWe are getting transferred to main island of Hawaii soon.we have two birds, a green cheek conure and a black masked love bird. We are stressed. Is there a way we could talk on phone? Thanks, God bless.
ReplyDeleteWe are getting transferred to main island of Hawaii soon.we have two birds, a green cheek conure and a black masked love bird. We are stressed. Is there a way we could talk on phone? Thanks, God bless.
ReplyDeleteHi. I have two budgies and plan on getting a grern cheek conure. I live in Hawaii but chance to move to mainland is possible. Is it less daunting to bring birds to the mainland than it is to have them come here?
ReplyDeleteI'm not aware of any states that have import restrictions against budgies, but some might have restrictions against certain conures. You would have to check with the state you are moving to. If there are any restrictions it would be from the receiving state, not leaving Hawaii.
DeleteHi Steve and Dayna! I cannot describe how grateful I am for this blog entry! Did you ever consider hiring pet relocation for parrots? I'm coming in from Singapore to Hawaii and have a 5 year old love bird and 7 year old Hahn's Macaw. Strangely, i can't find my Hahns macaw under the list =( I've been searching high and low for a pet relocation company from Singapore to Hawaii but unsuccessful. Your blog make it seems possible to do it!
ReplyDelete