From: ibetts@Ingres.COM (Irvin Betts)
Subject: Re: Birds and Planes
Organization: Ingres, an ASK Company, Alameda CA 94501
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL3
Date: 14 Dec 92 20:19:08 GMT

nmr1248@venus.lerc.nasa.gov (NANCY RABEL (KC4IYD)) writes:
: In article <1992Dec7.182006.23389@leland.Stanford.EDU>, tolsen@leland.Stanford.EDU (Tanya Ann Olsen) writes...
: > 
: >Recently there's been a lot of talk about taking your bird
: >with you when you travel by plane.  I've decided to do so
: >when I go home for Christmas.  But I have a couple of 
: >questions.
: > 
: >I talked to the airline and they said carrying the bird
: >in the cabin was fine (as long as I'm the first one there
: >with a pet to take into the cabin).  They gave me the 
: >dimensions of the space under the seat.  I've looked around
: >in pet shops for a dog or cat carrier.  The only thing small
: >that I could find was a plastic kennel for a small dog.  
: >But, this is actually just slightly bigger than what the
: >airline quoted me as the space under the seat available!
: >Those of you who carry your birds, what do you put them in?
: >Could you give me brands and/or specific instructions of
: >what to look for?  Also, do you modify the inside of the
: >carrier to make it more comfortable for the bird, i.e.,
: >put in a perch or some sort of metal grille for birdie feet
: >to grasp?
: > 
: >Any help will be greatly appreciated!  Please e-mail this
: >account directly.
: > 
: >Thanks,
: >Tanya
: >tolsen@leland.stanford.edu
: 
Recent changes in the laws in the US have made it more "humane" for
the birds to be shipped....this means that they must be in a cage 
where they can stretch their wings....unfortunately if the bird panics
it could kill itself, or break a wing/leg in that large a cage( large 
birds must be carried in the luggage section of the plane and you have
no control over how they are handled in that environment).
I have two large macaws, one of whom was shipped up from Los Angeles prior 
to the law - his cage was just barely large enough for his body - this 
ensured that he would not injure himself in case of panic - true he did
not like it and it *did* take about 2 hours and three walnuts at his
new home to get over it - but no damage.
I do have a large carrier for the birds which I use in the car, it has
a perch installed towards the front, leaving enough room for the body and
so the tail will not be smashed....this works well - but I will never 
again endanger my birds on an airplane with the inhumane/dangerous 
restrictions on shipping that have been imposed by "well meaning" 
activists.
For small birds - I have a small animal carrier for my cockatiel - and 
he has travelled in the passenger section quite well.  You do not 
generally need to do much for them (unless they are going on a large
trip - in which case you might want to install a small perch for them to
sit on) except make sure they have enough food - water is nice but
more often than not goes all over the place.

Good luck.


: Can anyone who reply to this please post also to this board. I
: didn't realize that you could take birds on a plane with you and I
: would be interested in finding out more about this. I will be 
: flying from OH to FL for the Christmas holidays so my boyfriend
: will be watching my cockatiel this time. However, next year I would 
: be interested in taking her with me to FL.
: 
: Nancy
: 
: P.S. Bernoulli (pearly-pied cockatiel turned 1 yr old today, Dec 10)
: 
:   Nancy Rabel				nmr1248@venus.lerc.nasa.gov 
:   Space Station Freedom                 --... ...--   -.. . KC4IYD
:   NASA - Lewis Research Center          stamp collector, SF addict
Newsgroups: rec.pets.birds