Importing Lovebirds

Hello, in October I will be flying from Athens greece to boston logan airport. I have 2 lovebirds. can I bring these with me on the plane ? i do not know yet what airlines i will be flying on . what would i need for these birds if i can bring them with me? iam worried about quarentine policies. iam affraid even with proper documents i will have trouble at the airport and have to leave them behind. also this trip is a one way trip. I will be moving to the state of massachusets and not returning to greece Dear Olga: Thank you for your email. It is against international law to fly with pets in the cabin other than service animals. They will have to be shipped in the cargo hold - which is pressurized and climatized. I've been shipping parrotlets for two decades and it is completely safe if you following the directions I have published in my books and online (they are too lengthy to put into an email). You will need export permits from Greece as well as CITES (international documents regarding rarity status), veterinary certification, import permits and licenses and other documents as required by the US. You will have to prove that you have owned this bird for more than a year and the process usually takes months. You need to check with US Fish & Wildlife on all the licensing and permits; US Dept. of Agriculture for quarantine and testing. The birds will have to be placed in quarantine and tested at your expense. The process is neither easy nor inexpensive and this is because the United States does not allow the import of birds except under extremely limited circumstances. However, since these birds are a pet and while you did not say what kind of lovebird, if they are Peach Faced, then it will be much easier to get them into the country than one of the rarer species. You are correct however, if there are any problems or discrepancies in the documentation you will not be able to bring the birds with you so you will need to make absolutely 100% sure you follow every rule and requirement to the letter. Best of luck to you. Sincerely yours, Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S. Secretary, International Parrotlet Society

Importing Chickens

Wow that is crazy to figure that all out, is the some 1 that imports for a living that you can send me there info? All i am interested in is a few rare chickens.

Dear Mike:

Thank you for your email. Chickens are not the same as parrots when it comes to importing. Chickens are domestic animals raised for the food industry. Parrots are wild animals, many of whom are rare and endangered and protected in their countries of origin.

I’m sure the poultry industry has professional importers but they don’t import a few chickens. They import by the hundreds of thousands. I’d contact USDA, they are in charge of all domestic poultry imports and exports. I can tell you because of chickens are not rare nor endangered (and no BREED of chicken is considered rare under Endangered Species Act or Convention in International Trade of Endangered Species) that they are much easier to import so long as there are no Avian Influenza or Exotic Newcastles Disease outbreaks in their countries of origin. But USDA is the governing authority.

Good luck.

Sincerely yours,

Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S., Secretary
International Parrotlet Society