Echo's Haven
Macaw Rescue
Sanctuary
The Complete
Bird Community
Our goal is to provide a free-flight home for formerly abused, unwanted or problem Macaws.
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Echo's Haven |
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Our goal is to provide a free-flight home for formerly abused, unwanted or problem Macaws. |
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by
Traveling tends to be a stressful time for most people. Then the thought of adding your avian companion to the equation increases the stress tenfold. Here are a few tips to help you along your way:
Temperature
One of the most important considerations when traveling is temperature. The departing station, en-route city, if there is one, and final destination. You can verify the temperatures at each stop by checking a weather site on the world wide web or calling the 1-800 number for the airline and requesting the airport in question. Temperature extremes should be discussed when you make your reservation but are sometimes overlooked if you don’t specifically request they check the temperature requirements on the reservation all the way through. A misconception that I have found is focused around a certain carrier that offers counter to counter service. You obviously pay more for this service but by putting your avian companion through additional handling; you incur the temperature dangers associated with movement from the plane to the counter. When I mention temperature dangers; I am also referring to wind on the tarmac as well.
The route of travel is from the plane to the tarmac; then from the tarmac to the terminal; then the terminal to the holding area; then the holding area to the counter. This would be a "standard animal cargo shipment" with counter to counter service. Some airlines may exclude the holding area and go directly to the counter based on airline policy. The total contents of the cargo hold play an important role in whether the animal shipment is placed with the cargo and then moved to the holding area or taken separately. Airline policies state that "live animals" take precedence and will be transported first. This is not always the case depending again on the total contents of the cargo hold. I recommend the "standard animal cargo shipment" without counter to counter service. Details on how too avoid some of this additional handling is mentioned under Flight Arrangements.
The time of day coincides directly with temperature extremes so traveling at night or early morning would be best. A midnight flight or redeye more commonly referred to by airline personnel will place you within acceptable temperature requirements. The darkness will also remove many of the visual fears that our avian companion may experience when peeking out of their carrier.
Flight Arrangements
The flight arrangements should be focused on a direct flight. A direct flight will eliminate any layovers. If your avian companion is scheduled for a layover; again the temperature in the connecting city should be your primary concern. After the flight arrangements have been made; reservations confirmed, it would be a good idea to have a back-up flight schedule for your avian companion in case of a cancellation.
If a direct flight is not available; then a 2 leg flight is preferred. This would be only connecting in one other city. Major hubs to avoid; if possible, would be Atlanta, GA. Boston, MA.(Logan), Chicago, IL.(O’Hare) Dallas/Fort Worth, TX New York City, NY.(LaGuardia), Los Angeles, CA. San Francisco, CA. Miami, FL. Orlando, FL. Tampa, FL. Connecting in a smaller city is preferred due to the extensive baggage claim cycling your avian companion would experience if transported through one of these 10 cities. Now if you research the flight and time it correctly; the holding area can be eliminated. There are many variables when discussing airline travel but the approximate time it takes to load and unload a plane is 40 to 55 minutes. This does not include baggage transport time around the terminal; that can add another 20 to 30 minutes depending upon the time of day and the location of the next plane. Again, I cannot stress the variables enough when traveling but if you allow for a connection time of 1 hour or 1 hour and 30 minutes depending on the city; you can conceivably remove your avian companion’s transportation to the holding area. Now your temperature dangers are only from the plane to the tarmac and vice versa when loading onto the next flight.
Airline Approved Carrier
Another great source of anxiety is deciding on which carrier to purchase for the trip. There are many appropriate carriers on the market for airline travel based on their size but your biggest concern should be safety. Some of the basic models have thin plastic walls that can easily be chewed by our devoted companions. They will be spending hours in a carrier with nothing else to do but chew so the thickness of the carrier needs to be assessed accordingly. When the carriers are being moved from the plane to the cargo hold and vice versa; it is a bumpy ride. For this reason, you need to be concerned with reinforcement connecting the top and bottom sections. There should be additional screws included with your carrier for airline travel. If your carrier does not include these screws or have the allotted slots for them; you may need to keep looking. When traveling from Hawaii to Florida with all my critters, I found the Dogloo and the Deluxe Vari-Kennel to be best suited for this purpose. Screws for airline travel are included.
The carrier must be airline approved. If in doubt when purchasing a carrier that does not specify airline recommendations, bring the carrier to any terminal and ask the ticket agent if they will allow that particular carrier.
There are now airline carriers specialized for your avian companion. Some are clear acrylic while others are metal with acrylic attachments. The metal carriers would appear to accommodate your avian companion more effectively because the dark metal would block bright lights and unfamiliar territory in addition to the obvious strength. The height difference between these specialized avian carriers and the standard airline canine/feline carriers varies greatly. Before purchasing one of these luxurious accommodations, you should verify with the airline their specific dimension requirements for a parrot traveling in an acrylic or metal carrier.
Inside the Carrier
The bowls you place inside should be a lock down type of bowl. The Pet Warehouse at 1-800-443-1160 stocks a lock down stainless steel bowl that I highly recommend for airline travel. Secure Coop Cup #480099. You should purchase this bowl for the food as well as the water due to the depth of the bowl. The depth will decrease the amount of spillage for both. Both bowls should be filled half full; then right before you turn over your avian companion to the ticket agent; you should remove as much of the water as will be allowed. Preferably, only leaving half a cup of water in the bowl; which will be just enough to satisfy airline requirements. The majority of the time; ALL of the water will be spilled by the time the carrier is loaded onto the plane. In addition to the removal of the majority of the water, you should also zip tie the front grate to the carrier. This will prevent the carrier from opening by accident if the locking mechanism is caught on a piece of baggage. Another choice of mine would be the Locking Feed System by Jungleware #515517. The same principles apply to both of the bowls mentioned. The depth of these bowls will help to provide a dry avian companion that will tolerate the winds on the tarmac with greater resistance. If fruit is allowed instead of water; then the higher water content fruits like oranges, grapes, peaches, nectarines and watermelon should be included.
Holes can be drilled in each side for placement of a cement perch or rope. The Pet Warehouse stocks a Cushy Foot Perch # 813024. The perch should be a size smaller than the standard recommendations for your parrot due to the jostling of the carrier. This will assist your avian companion to attain a more thorough grip on the surface of the perch or rope. A towel affixed to the bottom of the carrier with tape will stabilize your avian companion if knocked off the perch or rope. Otherwise, the carrier’s slippery bottom could cause harm from being thrown back and forth if unable to regain the surface of the perch or rope again. The bowls should be affixed to the front grate in case there is an unexpected layover. Then the counter agent or whoever is caring for your avian companion can access the carrier with minimal fear. Remember, not everyone loves our avian companions as we do.
Toys are something that will have to be judged very carefully before you place them inside. Anything placed inside the carrier has the potential to cause great harm if thrown against your avian companion. No wood or acrylic should be placed inside the carrier for obvious reasons. A soft non-toxic plush toy or an all cotton rope attached to the inside perimeter of the carrier will provide distraction.
Emergency Contact Information
On the outside of the carrier; you should use a permanent marker and affix an address and phone number to contact you or the person on the destination end to call in case of an emergency. This information should be placed there for a secondary reason as well. In case the airline documentation is torn or removed somehow during transport, it will assure you that your avian companion still has a contact reference if necessary. After you place this information on the carrier, take the carrier outside and spray it down with a hose. This will confirm that the information should withstand a drenching rain on the tarmac during transport.
Acclimation Time
Prior to travel, I recommend you acclimate your avian companion to the carrier. About 1 to 2 months out or whatever you feel comfortable with; place your avian companion in the carrier for 15 minute intervals every day until you feel they are comfortable with that arrangement. Then increase the carrier time to 30 minutes; then 45 minutes and so on until you reach 2 hours. After they are have been in the carrier for 2 hours; they will be as uncomfortable as you sitting in the main cabin; so I feel carrier time after this goal is a mute point. I have found that some Cockatoo’s and African Grey’s have the most difficulty with the close confinement of carriers and they might need more acclimation time. During the acclimation time, sit down beside your avian companion on the floor and tell them "you’re ok", "everything will be alright", "going on a big trip". This will help ease their anxiety. Then ask yourself this question? Are you really talking to your avian companion or yourself?
If you want to take the acclimation one step further, you can try to assist your avian companion with the sounds of the airport. After you have attained the 2 hour goal of acclimation mentioned above, bring your avian companion to the airport and sit in the parking lot. If weather permits, open your windows and let the sounds of the airport surround you. Some airports have scenic areas and this may be a good location to try to assist your avian companion. This may not be appropriate for some African Grey’s and Cockatoo’s. You will have to determine your avian companion’s acceptance of the carrier first before you pursue further acclimation in the airport setting.
Health Certificate
Health Certificate 10 days prior. Most airlines require a health certificate be issued 10 days prior to travel. This is something that cannot be avoided so make your veterinary appointment appropriately. The health certificate is a formality that must be obeyed and consists of a visual check for ectoparasites of your avian companion. I recommend a more in-depth exam be provided before airline travel. This should include a complete physical, bloodwork and gram stain. The bloodwork being within the time frame necessary to react accordingly if there is a problem. A leg band would come in handy here and so would a microchip. Both pieces of identification should be documented on the Health Certificate. If for whatever reason everything is torn from the carrier, you should have your name from a permanent marker outside the carrier and the leg band on your avian companion inside the carrier. A leg band can be accessed by anyone for an emergency and provide the adequate information to authorities if your avian companion is lost without the carrier. Another consideration would be if the carrier is accessed at a layover and your avian companion’s wings are not clipped. The front grate is opened wide and your avian companion flies into the terminal or worse yet; out the door to the airport. For this exact reason; whether it is customary for you to keep their wings clipped or not; they must be clipped for the trip.
The night or nights before travel should be focused on providing as must rest as possible. You will be putting your avian companion through a whirlwind of noises; the more rest they receive, the better they will be able to handle the move.
Travel Accessories
Included with the carrier should be in a separate bag attached to the outside of the carrier with a rope or small chain. The contents should consist of bottled water that your avian companion has been receiving from you prior to travel. This will eliminate a digestive upset from water in the airport. Explicit instructions need to be taped on top of the carrier requesting this water be used if necessary. The bag should also include a small portion of your avian companion’s pellets, seed, and treats. I mention a small portion because the stress of traveling will most likely leave your avian companion without an appetite. Also, the smaller portions will make the bag more acceptable to the airline for shipment. This bag should stay with your avian companion at all times, even if you are traveling with them in the aircraft. It will serve as their emergency pack if they have to layover an extended period of time. You can pack a more thorough supply of their dietary needs in your own luggage as the primary stock.
Now you are both ready for that "big trip".
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