# Traveling with a bird???



## AubieBird (Oct 5, 2008)

Any experience traveling with your bird? We will need to take our baby cockatiel (she will be almost 6 months old) with us when we go home for Christmas. Our budgies will be staying in our home with our neighbor taking care of them. She also has to take care of our 2 very elderly and sick cats and our dog....she doesn't need the burden of the baby cockatiel.

My parents live 7 1/2 hours away and my husband's parents are 3 1/2 hours beyond that. We will have to travel in the van for 7 1/2 hours one day, 3 1/2 hours 3 days later, 3 1/2 hours 3 days after that and then 7 1/2 hours home 1 day later. That is a lot of travel time in the van. Will my very sweet and bonded cockatiel be OK?

When we got her, she had to travel about 1 hour 10 minutes back to our home in her cage. She did great. She just sat on her perch and was perfectly fine when we brought her in the house for the first time. 

Also, do you think it would be OK to take her in her regular cage if we have it secured so it won't move around?

Thank you in advance for any advice you can give me on this:tiel6:


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## allen (Aug 25, 2007)

if you do take them i would cover the cage up to prevent stress upon the tiels


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## sweetrsue (Jul 8, 2008)

A smaller carrier is advisable on a long trip. I have traveled with birds but I never drove more than 5 hours in a day. I would stop and get a room and get the birds out of the carrier. There are lots of pet friendly stops these days.


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

I've made cross-country trips with birds and they do just fine. You need to secure the cage or carrier so it doesn't move; take out any swinging/dangling toys so the motion of the car doesn't make them bonk the bird in the head; make sure the bird doesn't get too hot or too cold (a large towel for covering the cage is good to block the sun out or keep warmth in, and make sure that the AC/heater doesn't blow directly on the bird). That large towel has another function - if the bird seems frightened or nervous you can cover as many sides of the cage as necessary to make the bird feel safer. You also need to provide water in a reasonably nonspillable form - a deep cup with a shallow water level works pretty well. 

You also need to plan what you're going to do during stops for meals and bathroom breaks. It is a BAD idea to leave the bird alone in a locked car, but if you have more than one person then one can guard the birds while another takes care of business. It's also a bad idea to let the bird out of the cage while you're driving - if the bird gets scared it could end up distracting the driver or even flying down into the foot well and interfering with the use of the gas/brake pedals.

They generally tolerate long distances well, although I did have a pair of budgies once that would start complaining loudly if I drove more than 500 miles in a day. I think their legs got tired! Once they'd had enough, they'd squawk continuously while the car was in motion but would fall silent when we stopped for a red light. It was funny, but as soon as they started hollering we'd stop at the first reasonable motel we came to. Don't want the birdies to be unhappy!


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## AubieBird (Oct 5, 2008)

Thanks everyone for the good advice. I appreciate the tips about what to do with Little Bit in the van while traveling. Thankfully we will have 3 people in the van on the trip so we can all take turns taking care of her when we have to stop.


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## Bea (Jul 26, 2007)

We had a 4.5hr drive home when we got my green cheeked conure. I just made sure that we stopped a few times so i could offer her water. She drank each time so it goes to show they do need drink stops. For the rest of the time she played with toys and chatted happily.


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## kimmikefids (Aug 2, 2008)

well my opinion differs slightly to others but its just what we do and admittedly it was only a half an hour trip but we had both Chico and Little Mikey out of their cage for the trip bringing them home....im sure at least one person will jump on me for it but they were both much calmer and happier sitting on my chest than they were the short time they were in the cage prior to getting them out....for that long a trip i can understand not having little bit out the whole time but short periods i dont believe would hurt...if anything would make little bit happier...but of course its up to u and if u feel unsafe then of course dont do it....just something to think of


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## allen (Aug 25, 2007)

well if i jump on your chest i will have mike after me so i won,t lol


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## mommomniagara (May 14, 2008)

I think it differs with the birds. My other Tiel (R.I.P. Daisey) would travel for hrs. in our motorhome just sitting on the perch on her play gym. That was all we took camping with us and we were quite secure with this. Now then, Happy who is just 6 months old I know could not be trusted doing this. Mabe when he gets older lol. Happy also came home with me just sitting on my chest for an hr. trip home. Try taking him on short trips, say an hr. at a time and see how he reacts. Good luck
Mommom


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## Tike2 (Jun 16, 2008)

http://www.petcarriers.net/birds/

Have you seen this carrier?? Or does anyone have one? I think they are really neat.


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## kimmikefids (Aug 2, 2008)

lmao allen yes u would!!!!


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## bigmikey36 (Aug 5, 2008)

HEY!!! i was gone for a bit but i so saw that Allen!!!! hehehehe nice to see you guys again its great to be home


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