FISH & WILDLIFE Facts: Traveling Abroad With Your Pet Bird

Abstract

The Wild Bird Conservation Act of
1992, which became effective on
October 23, 1992, is a significant new
step in international conservation
efforts to protect exotic wild birds subject
to trade. The Act focuses on bird
species listed in the Appendices to the
Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species (CITES). Since
most exotic pet birds, including all
parrots, cockatoos, and macaws, are
species listed under CITES, most are
affected by the Act.
The Service recently issued regulations
implementing the Act that provide
for permits to allow foreign travel
with your pet bird (domestic travel
and sales are not affected). If you plan
to take your pet bird with you on foreign
travel, or your residence has
been outside the United States for a
year and you plan to travel to the
United States with a pet bird, you will
need to have a permit before you
travel.
These new regulations are in addition
to any other existing requirements
of CITES, the Endangered
Species Act, and other applicable statutes.
If you are unsure whether these
regulations apply to you, contact the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office
of Management Authority, at the
address provided.
Leaving the United States
With Your Pet Bird
To ensure that you will be allowed
to bring your pet bird back into the
United States from travel abroad, you
will need to take the following steps
before you leave:
1. Obtain a valid permit from the
Office of Management Authority.
Applications for permits must be
received in that office at least 60 days
in advance of anticipated travel.
2. Have your permit validated by a
Fish and Wildlife Service inspector
before you leave the United States.
(Instructions will be provided on the
permit.) 

3. Take a copy of your validated permit
with you. This copy must be presented
when you re-enter the United
States with your pet.
4. Find out whether the country(ies)
you plan to visit have additional
import and export requirements and
restrictions. At a minimum, for CITES
listed birds, a re-export certificate
from the country(ies) visited will be
required. The address of the CITES
permit issuing authority in the country(
ies) you will be visiting is available
from the Office of Management
Authority.
There are no restrictions on the
length of time you may travel abroad
or on the number of birds you may
take with you.
Traveling to the United States
With Your Pet Bird
Individuals who have resided out- 

side the United States continuously for
at least one year may import a maximum
of two pet birds per person, per
year, if all applicable requirements
have been met prior to their arrival in
the United States. Following are the
steps you need to take before you
leave for the United States: 

1. Obtain a valid permit from the
Office of Management Authority.
Applications for permits must be
received in that office at least 60 days
in advance of anticipated travel.
2. Obtain documented evidence that
you have resided outside the United
States continuously for a minimum of
one year.
3. Obtain documented evidence that
each bird was acquired legally.
4. Obtain all necessary permits from
the country(ies) of expott.
Note: The Act restricts the number
of pet birds individuals may import
into the United States annually to
fewer than are otherwise allowable
under CITES. However, under certain
conditions, this restriction does not
apply to certain captive-bred birds.
For information on whether the
restriction applies to your pet bird(s),

contact the Office of Management
Authority.
Applications and
Additional Information
Permit applications (Form 3-200)
and any other information you may
need are available from the Office of
Management Authority, 4401 N. Fairfax
Drive, Room 420, Arlington, VA
22203, phone 1-800-358-2104 or (703)
358-2093, and Fax (703) 358-2281.

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