Due to the Wild Bird Conservation Act which was passed in 1992, the United States DOES NOT IMPORT exotic or pet-type birds except under very limited conditions. ANY birds that are imported are held in USDA quarantine facilities and are tested for both Avian Influenza and Exotic Newcastle Disease prior to their release. Furthermore, there have been NO confirmed cases of any H5N1 ("bird flu") Avian Influenza in the United States. USDA has been monitoring and responding to this situation since its development in 1997. It is strongly advised that interested parties, including aviculturists, keep themselves informed by monitoring the USDA Animal & Plant Inspection Service's web-site for the most current and accurate situation:
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/lpa/issues/avian_influenza/index.htm
ADVISORY: Until further notice, there is a temporary ban on the importation of pet birds from Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Peoples' Republic of China, Romania, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey, and Vietnam.
The USDA defines pet birds as those that are imported for personal pleasure of their individual owners and are not intended for resale.
Document and Quarantine Requirements:
 | USDA import permit (VS
Form17-129) | ||||
| Current Health Certificate issued by a full-time salaried
veterinarian of the agency responsible for animal health of the
national government in the exporting country of origin| 30-day Quarantine in an USDA Animal Import Center | Fish and Wildlife Services Certification (if necessary) | |
How to Obtain an USDA Import Permit and Reserve Space at a
Quarantine Center
All non-U.S. origin pet birds imported into the United States (except from
Canada) are required to be quarantined for 30 days in a USDA animal import
quarantine facility at the owner's expense. A reservation at the facility
must be made in advance by contacting the USDA port veterinarian at one of
the special ports-of-entry listed below. A cost estimate for the
quarantine will be provided at that time. Once the reservation is made
and payment is received in full for all quarantine services, the animal
import quarantine facility will issue a USDA import permit (VS
Form17-129). This permit must accompany the bird while in transit.
USDA Quarantine Centers and Ports of Entry
All non-U.S. origin pet birds must enter the country and undergo
quarantine at one of the following import quarantine facilities. These
are the only ports of entry available for importing non-U.S. origin pet
birds.
| New York, New York 230-59 Rockaway Blvd. Suite 101 Jamaica, NY 11413 |
Telephone (718) 553-1727 | Fax (718) 553-7543 |
|
Miami Animal Import Center |
Telephone (305) 526-2926
|
Fax (305) 526-2929 |
| Los Angeles, California Los Angeles International Airport 11850 South La Cienega Blvd.. Hawthorne, CA 90250 |
Telephone (310) 725-1970 | Fax (310) 725-9119 |
Exporting Country Veterinary Health Certificate Requirements
A veterinary health certificate is required for all pet birds imported
into the United States.
The certificate must:
- be issued and signed by a full-time salaried veterinarian of the agency responsible for animal health of the national government in the exporting country of origin
- be dated within 30 days of the time the bird is shipped to the United States
- must state that the bird has been examined and show no evidence of communicable diseases of poultry
- state that the bird is being exported in accordance with the laws of that country
- be in English, if not, a complete written English translation must be provided
- accompany the bird while in transit.
Fish and Wildlife Service Permit Information
In the United States, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) regulates
the importation of birds protected by the Convention on International
trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and the Wild Bird Conservation Act of
1992 (WBCA). These regulations are part of international conservation
effort to protect exotic wild birds subject to trade. Most exotic pet
birds including parrots, parakeets, macaws, lories, and cockatoos are
affected by CITES and the WBCA. However, the budgerigar, cockatiel, and
rose-ringed parakeet are exempt.
According to the WBCA, in order to import a pet bird of non-U.S. origin into the United States, you must have continuously resided outside of the United States for at least one year. In addition, the WBCA limits the number of pet birds that can be imported to two birds per person, per year. All required WBCA and CITES permits must accompany the bird while in transit.
Please visit the FWS web site at: http://permits.fws.gov/ to obtain more information and the permit application. If you have questions you can contact the FWS at (800) 358-2104. Overseas calls should be placed to (703) 358-2104.
How to Contact Us
If you need additional information about importing pet birds into the
United States, please contact the
USDA, APHIS, Veterinary Services
National Center for Import and Export
4700 River Road, Unit 39
Riverdale, MD 20737
(301) 734-8364 telephone
(301) 734-6402 fax