Last Updated on by Catherine Tobsing
Hello,
I met you at your store in Chicago some years back when I had just gotten my female African Ringneck. She was at Petco for almost a year because she was so shy. I remember Catherine saying she had a male African Ringneck that she was very attached to.
My bird had a male African partner and mate, though I didn’t provide them with a nest because I didn’t want my bird to lay eggs, but he passed away last year. Ever since I’ve been letting my bird watch Youtube videos of other birds, but she’s still quite lonely, since she’s always been a little wild.
Anyway, I’m planning to move to Mexico and have to make the decision to either take my bird in cargo or find a new home for her. I was wondering if you had any advice since I know cargo for such a little bird is risky.
If not, that’s ok. I know everyone is busy. I’ve attached a few photos. She lost her leg a few years back.
Mitch here with pet bird travel advice:
Cargo holds are not presurized nor are they heated and are also very noisey so I don’t recommend flying pet birds in cargo holds.
Its best to find an airline that will allow an underseat bird carrier so you can keep an eye on your FID the entire flight.
To ship a pet bird to Mexico, you’ll need to ensure you have the necessary paperwork and follow specific regulations.
Keto shreiking because he wants to go to work ~ Video
- A USDA-accredited veterinarian must issue an international health certificate for your bird.
- This certificate needs to be endorsed by the APHIS (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service).
The certificate must be typewritten, not handwritten, and should be a single-sided printout.
- It should include the physical seal number from the bird’s container.
- Ensure your bird’s vaccination records are up to date, including rabies vaccination (if required by Mexico).
- The rabies vaccination must be more than 30 days but less than a year old.
- While not always required, it’s highly recommended that your bird be microchipped for identification.
- If microchipped, ensure the chip is readable and compatible with international standards.
- Some species of birds may require an import permit from the Mexican government.
- Contact the Mexican Consulate for specific requirements and application procedures.
- Check with the airline you plan to use to transport your bird for any specific restrictions or requirements they may have.
- Some airlines may have size or weight limitations for bird carriers.
- Mexico has restrictions on importing birds from areas with outbreaks of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI).
- Check with the Veterinary Export Trade Services (VETS) Endorsement Office to confirm the state status of HPAI in commercial poultry.
- Keep all original documents required by Mexico, including the health certificate, vaccination records, and any import permits.
- Ensure these documents are properly labeled and sealed in a waterproof container.
- Consult with a USDA-accredited veterinarian and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) for guidance on specific requirements.
- Consider using a pet relocation service or a professional animal transport company to help with the process.
- Be aware that there may be fees associated with obtaining health certificates, permits, and transport services.
Catherine Tobsing wrote:
Oh, what a sweetie. She looks very good even without a leg. Our Keto came with us with a broken/healed wing, but he can get around, just not that fast. He is at least 22 now so when he molts, he is not very strong so we carry him around on a perch more.
If you can take your bird with you, so much the better. Unless you have a friend who loves you and your bird enough to take her, she may not get the care and attention that you have given her. She would miss you and may not understand why you are no longer there. An 8 x 10 or two of you hung on the wall by her cage may help.
But a small carrier with some cut-up apples should suffice for the plane trip.
I have attached a couple of pics of Keto from this morning. I make the birdie breakfasts and Mitch takes the tray upstairs and doles out the dishes. But he is sleeping in so Keto came downstairs and stopped to dine.
Bernadette responded:
Thank you for the advice, I really appreciate it, I didn’t know what to do. It would really kill me to leave her, and don’t know anyone that would take care of her. Thank you for the pictures as well, Keto seems quite comfortable and independent.
Catherine wrote:
Ringneck parrots are my favorite. Their little baby voices just make anyone who hears them smile.
I had an Indian Ringneck first. It was early in my birdkeeping and I may not have done the best by him, but he was mine and loved me. He passed at 20.
Then I was contacted by another bird person that there was a ringneck that needed a home. But it was 400 miles away (Ohio) and it had to be picked up today.
Mitch jumped in the car and drove there. He got there about midnight, met the person who was trying to find homes for the 7 parrots left behind after a woman had passed.
If the county got the birds, they would have either been given to those who knew nothing of birds or euthanized. We knew the woman who was doing the rehoming, she took the remaining two conures with her after Mitch left.
The ringneck turned out to be an African Ringneck, not an Indian Ringneck, which was just fine. African ringnecks are a little smaller than Indian ones and they only come in their natural green color. Whereas, Indian Ringnecks are available in green and other colors like blue, white, yellow and grey.
Keto was named Babu at that point, but I could not live with Babu and renamed him Keto. (before Babu, I heard he was named Daisy as its original owner didn’t see the neck ring yet)
Keto talked the entire way home, all through the night, even in the dark. One long sentence with everything he knew. Once he came home and I met him and said hello, he relaxed.
Unfortunately, he was mishandled at some point before us turning him into a savage biter. If he can see flesh, he will bite hard and not let go. I think that was the same time his wing was injured. he probably locked onto someone and they flung him off and he hit something.
Mitch gets bit now and then as he is just not as observant when he is around Keto, but in the past 8 years I have not been bit once. I stay away from the beak. We use a perch to move him as needed.
But what has made Keto special, is his love for one toy that he came with. It is just a chain with a yellow wiffle ball and a few bells on the bottom.
He must be with the toy. So when we need him to be in another place, all we have to do is move the toy and he will fly behind us to wherever we are going. So sweet.
Asian parakeets (Indian Ringnecks, African Ringnecks, etc with long tails) look larger than they really are so they make great pets without having to have a large parrot.
Anyway. I think you are making the right choice to take her with you.
Bernadette B wrote:
Hi Catherine,
Thank you for sharing your story.
Yes, my bird, Abigail, is a biter too. I think with her it was a case of not being handled enough. I got her when she was a year old and by that time not used to human contact, so I just let her be.
I think some bird owners would try to train her, but I’m not talented in that way.
Thank you also for your advice, as it’s hard to find someone who understands, sometimes.
-Bernadette
I accepted Keto, the elderly ringneck without expecting him to be handlable. But I had seen some pictures of him prior to our getting him where he is on someone’s hand and another’s shoulder. Now, we would not choose to get that close and keep our skin intact.
Keto Windy City Parrot eating from bird dishes staged on stairs
Otherwise, he is a very sweet little guy, He wants to be with us and the other bird rescues. Well, at least in the same room. He has antisocial reactions and has not gotten along with any other birds without either being mean or just fleeing, nothing inbetween. He is messed up. But he is fine here.
Our little birds are welcome to be here without expectations. Yeah, we probably could do some training, but I have not been proactive. I just want them to be able to be picked up, either with a hand or a perch. Or be able to communicate to them that it is time to go in their cages.
We use a schedule and a bedtime treat to corral everyone when it is time. If we pass 8 pm without this, we will be reminded by someone. LOL.
“The only thing crazier than cat people are bird people”
Written by Catherine Tobsing
Approved by Mitch Rezman
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Lynne Miller
20 Apr 2025Wonderful article! I wish I had had this information some 30 years ago when I moved to Luxembourg with my African Grey and Blue Headed Pionus.
I did all my research and got all the documentation ready at the time, which took a bit of time, and resulted in me and the birds flying over later than my husband and kids. The birds did okay on the flight, but I think at that time the cargo holds were still a tad cooler than is optimal. On our return move, I had a better idea of what I was doing. We flew into San Francisco, the folks from USDA met us in customs and all was well. On the return flight my African Grey flew in business class (coat closet) with my husband and I was able to keep the Pionus in a cage under the seat in front of me. I was certainly more relaxed because of having a chance to check on the birds. It did get a tad cold in the coat closet and so they opened the doors to warm it up for my grey. Silver, my now 34 year old grey, who is sitting on my knee as I type, still puts up with my travels (only occasionally in my RV now). I don’t know that he loves the traveling, but he definitely loves meeting the different kids who come up to say ‘hello’. My earlier Pionus has passed away, but we love our little rescue Pionus and our little adventures.