Am adopting Af.Grey-travel?

Question
I am a stay-at-home mom and look forward to interacting with the bird I am adopting.  We do travel occasionally and I need information on how other owners handle this problem.  Do owners take their birds, leave them with caregivers, or not travel.  I do realize this is a committment of my time and want to make the right decisions.  Any information or references would be appreciated.  Robi

Answer
Hi, Robi.  Thanks for posting.

People who travel handle their birds in different ways.  Some have birdsitters who care for their birds while they are away, some people take their birds with them.  I think the decision on whether one takes their birds with them depends a lot on how far they are traveling, what they plan on doing while they are gone (you wouldn't want to leave your parrot in a hotel room while you enjoy vacation time), how they are traveling (by plane, car, etc.), if where they are going is someone else's home how that homeowner feels about having a parrot visitor...lots of decisions play into whether people take their birds with them when they travel.  If traveling by plane, some don't want to pay the added expense or subject their birds to illnesses, etc., that come with plane travel.

You really need to take into consideration the personality of your bird and the affects on your bird of taking it with you or leaving it home.  In other words, does the parrot do well while traveling in a car (some do, some don't), are you willing to expose your bird to the stress (stress, particularly contined stress, can result in health issues), possibility of becoming ill while traveling (picking up diseases, etc.), how would your bird do with a caregiver while you are gone, do you have a caregiver for your bird if you left s/he home, etc.  There's lots to consider when making this decision.  It really just depends on how far, mode, bird's personality, etc.  Greys are very intelligent birds and some might not do well traveling while others may love to travel.  

If you would decide to take your bird with you in a car, I would recommend preparing your bird in advance by taking trips (short, medium, then longer) prior to departing in order to acclimate your bird to this kind of travel.  Some parrots love the vibration of traveling in a car, some don't do well with this.  Some are frightened by all the sounds, visuals, etc., some do well.  In addition, you have to consider whether you can keep the bird warm enough, hydrated, etc., and whether fumes from exhaust  could affect your bird.  Then you also need to consider the possibility of whether your bird could escape during the trip and whether you have the proper cage for traveling.  You really need to get to know your bird before making a decision like this.  

Chrys