Importation of Live Birds

To import live birds into the U.S. for scientific research or display, you’ll need to consider:

  • Animal welfare concerns
  • Use of a broker and/or transporter
  • USFWS import permits
  • Lacey Act provisions
  • USDA import permits
  • Import declarations
  • Port of entry
  • Humane transport
  • Quarantine 

Animal Welfare

Detailed information on nutrition and husbandry is available for many species from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (click on Animal Care and Management at top). If no published information is available, you may want to arrange to have several birds brought into captivity in the country of origin, to ascertain the conditions needed to keep the birds alive and healthy. In all cases, you should condition the birds to captive conditions prior to transport. The birds must be observed in captivity for a minimum of 10 days in the country of origin. This may not be enough time to determine the best food items, feeding schedules and methods, and other aspects of captive care. It is likely not a sufficient time to condition the birds for transport. 

Guidelines to the Use of Wild Birds in Research suggests that birds be transported as soon as possible after capture, but that does not mean that birds should not be conditioned to captivity prior to transport. And, of course, in the case of international transport, it is not possible to transport the birds unless they have been held and observed for a minimum of 10 days. Therefore “as soon as possible” should be understood with these issues in mind. See the Guidelines for further recommendations. 

Commercial brokers and transporters

You might want to look into hiring someone who already knows how to do all this. It will cost money, but save considerably in stress and time. The zoos use International Animal Exchange.

USFWS Permits

The permits you need depend on the species you will be importing. You will need import permits from any species listed under:

  • Migratory Bird Treat Act (check the list of covered species here)
  • Endangered Species Act (check the list of covered species here)
  • CITES (check the list of covered species here)
  • Wild Bird Conservation Act

You’ll also need an import permit from USDA (Form VS 17-29 for most species or VS Form 17-128 for ratites or hatching eggs of ratites) (see below), as well as an export permit from the country of origin. 

Migratory Bird Treaty Act permits

If a species is protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, you will need an MBTA import permit. The list of protected species can be found here. Secure a MBTA permit through ePermits. 

Endangered Species Act permits

A permit from USFWS will be required to import listed species. Secure an ESA permit through ePermits. 

Wild Bird Conservation Act Permits

The WBCA regulates imports of exotic bird species into the U.S. A WBCA permit is not required if an exotic bird species is listed in the Approved List of Captive-bred Species in 50 CFR 15.33. Secure a WBCA permit through ePermits. 

CITES Permits

Check the CITES appendices by common name, scientific name, and country to determine if the species is listed. Also check higher taxon levels, as some species are listed by genus, family, or order and not individually (e.g., Psittaciformes, Strigiformes, Bucerotiformes)

For Appendix I species, you’ll need:

  • Import permit from USFWS
  • Export permit from the Management Authority of the country of origin

For Appendix II species, you’ll need:

  •  Export permit from the Management Authority of the country of origin. 

No USFWS import permit is needed for Appendix II species but you may need a permit under WBCA and/or ESA and MBTA. 

For Appendix III species, you’ll need:

  • In the case of trade from a State that included the species in Appendix III, an export permit issued by the Management Authority of that State is required. This may be issued only if the specimen was legally obtained and, in the case of a live animal or plant, if it will be prepared and shipped to minimize any risk of injury, damage to health or cruel treatment.
  • In the case of export from any other State, a certificate of origin issued by its Management Authority is required.

No USFWS import permit is needed for Appendix III species but you may need a permit under WBCA and/or ESA and MBTA. 

Lacey Act

Lacey Act injurious wildlife provisions

The Lacey Act regulations require permits for import of ‘injurious species’ but make an exception for birds imported for scientific research. If the birds (or eggs) are being imported, transported (across state lines), and held in captivity for scientific, medical, educational, exhibition, or propagating purposes, no Lacey Act permit is needed, but the importer must file a written declaration (Form 3-177) at the port of entry. 

Lacey Act import requirements

The Lacey Act makes it illegal for a person to import, export, transport, sell, receive, acquire or purchase in interstate or foreign commerce: fish or wildlife taken, possessed, transported or sold in violation of a state law, state regulation or foreign law; plants taken, possessed, transported or sold in violation of a state law or regulation. Even if NO import permits are required (e.g., the import does not include species protected by CITES, the Endangered Species Act, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, or the Wild Bird Conservation Act), you may be required to show proof that the material was acquired legally in the country of origin. Proof could consist of: an export permit, a collecting permit, a letter or other documentation from the institution from which the material was acquired. The USFWS will also accept a letter or other documentation from the wildlife officials in the country of origin or re-export.

USDA import permits

Generally, import of live birds is regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, though the Veterinary Service. Apply for a permit here. Note time sensitive guidance from USDA here. 

When the permit is issued, the quarantine station will send it to you.  The permit includes a Health Certificate that must be signed by a veterinarian who is employed full-time by the government of the country of origin. You will then send this blank certificate to the person who is capturing the birds and arranging to send them to you so they can have the Health Certificate signed by the proper official in the country of origin. If you are traveling to the country of origin to capture the birds yourself, you can carry this form with you and arrange to have it signed by the proper official. The permit and Health Certificate, after completed by the National Veterinarian in the country of origin, will accompany the birds when they travel to the US. The airline the birds travel on will require that the birds have proper documentation and a health certificate.

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 country of origin
  • be dated within 30 days of the date the bird is shipped to the United States 
  • state that the birds have been examined and show no evidence of communicable diseases of poultry 
  • state that the birds are being exported in accordance with the laws of that country
  • be in English; if not, a complete written English translation must be provided 

Import Declarations 

And you’ll need to file Form 3-177 with the USFWS. All wildlife imports must be reported on Form 3-177. This is not a permit, but a report form that has to be submitted at the port. Submit online through e-Decs.

Port of entry

There are many USFWS designated wildlife ports, but because live birds must go into APHIS quarantine, you can only come in through one of two ports where the USDA accepts live birds (New York or Miami).

For live animals, you MUST notify the USFWS port inspectors at least 48 hours prior to the anticipated time of arrival. It is best to do so even earlier – e.g., before the shipment even leaves the country of origin. Tell them the date and time of the arriving flight and arrange to have someone on hand at the port to claim the shipment and meet with the USFWS (and USDA afterwards). Send the port inspector a copy of the permit and the  3-177 before your shipment leaves the country of origin so they can alert you to any problems and you will have a chance to address them before the shipment arrives.

Try to come into the country (or have your shipment arrive) M-F, during regular business hours. Check with the port in advance to determine exactly when the USFWS inspectors will be present. If it is impossible to schedule the shipment to arrive during these hours, arrange in advance to have someone present when your shipment arrives. You will have to pay additional fees for off-hour service.

Choose a flight that comes directly from another country to your port of entry without stopping in another airport on U.S. soil (e.g., Puerto Rico, Guam, Hawaii, or Bangor, Maine). If the flight stops in another U.S. airport, you will also need an in-transit permit and you must notify the USDA office in the in-transit airport that you have the birds on the plane and provide them with a copy of the in-transit permit and import permit.

Most carriers will not accept birds in as accompanied baggage; they will only bring them in as cargo. To bring them in as cargo, you have to make arrangements with a custom broker at the airport. 

After the birds have cleared customs, the USFWS inspector will come to the customs area (the USDA staff will arrange for it, if they haven’t arrived already) to check the 3-177 and inspect the shipment. A USDA-qualified transporter will transport the birds to the USDA quarantine station.

Helpful hint: expect the entire process to take as long as six hours. Overtime can be expensive, so if possible, choose a  flight that arrives early in the morning, on a weekday, and not on a holiday. If you are not arriving on the same flight, try to have someone available at the airport to help resolve any last-minute problems.

Humane Transport

The internationally-accepted standards for humane transport are published by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Recognized as the international standard for transport of animals by air, the IATA Live Animals Regulations (LAR) is an essential source on how to ship animals safely, sensitively and cost-effectively. It specifies the minimum requirements for the international transport of animals and wildlife, and indicates what precautions airlines, shippers, cargo agents and animal care professionals should take on the ground and in the air.

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) has adopted these regulations as their official guidelines for animal transportation. The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) has recommended these regulations for the air transport of live animals. The USFWS regulations are also those of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) with regard to import into the United States.

Make sure to find a carrier (or set of carriers) that is a member of IATA, and to determine the weather conditions at the time of year you intend to transport the birds, along the entire route. Internationally and domestically, most carriers won’t carry live animals when the temperature is outside a certain range, even though the cargo holds are [supposed to be] heated when live animals are in the hold. The problem is the temperature on the ground, while the animals are being held in cargo areas awaiting the next flight. You will need to be sure that you arrange for the transport at a time of year when temperatures in both hemispheres are likely to fall within the acceptable range. As an alternative, depending on the number of birds you plan to transport, you may want to arrange for the birds to travel in the passenger compartment of the plane. Some airlines allow this, some do not. Even those that do have strict limits on the number of animals, and require that the animals be accompanied by a human passenger. The requirements for containers are such that it is unlikely that the containers will fit under a seat, so you would need to purchase a seat. Some countries do not allow airlines to transport live animals in the cabins

Quarantine

All non-U.S. origin 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. 

Technically, an importer of live birds for scientific research has three choices to satisfy the quarantine requirements: 

– the birds can come in to New York or Miami, and go into 30-day quarantine at a USDA facility

– the birds can come into any land-border port within 20 miles of an international airport that is serviced by U.S. Customs, and go into quarantine at a USDA quarantine facility or a privately owned facility that is licensed by the USDA

– the importer can construct and maintain its own private quarantine facility provided that it is within “the immediate metropolitan area of the port of entry” and at least one-half mile from any concentration of avian species, such as poultry farms, poultry processing plants,  other quarantine facilities

As a practical matter, however, the only real option is import through New York or Miami, followed by quarantine at a USDA quarantine station. There aren’t many privately owned commercial quarantine facilities, and they are all owned by commercial bird importers and won’t accept birds from other importers. The standards for privately owned bird quarantine facilities are elaborate and almost certainly impractical and too costly for researchers who are not planning repeated imports of wild birds.

A reservation at the facility must be made in advance by contacting the USDA port veterinarian at one of the special ports-of-entry. 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. This permit must accompany the bird while in transit. 

Helpful hints: the birds are kept in isolettes under negative pressure, so there is no danger of transmission of diseases through air exchange, and one presumes that staffers are adequately trained in hygienic procedures so as to avoid potential transmission through handling, food and water containers, etc. However, you can request a separate room (“exclusive space”) for your birds (a higher charge per day, but depending on the number of birds, it could be less than the total for individual isolettes). If the birds are social or accustomed to living in family groups, this may be advantageous.

Your birds will be released after quarantine only if NONE of the birds are diagnosed with Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (all strains) or Newcastle Disease. If any of the birds is found positive for either of these diseases, all the birds will be destroyed. This is known as the “all-in-all-out” policy.

Special situations

Special rules and procedures for ratites can be found here.

Import procedures for “poultry” – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines poultry to include chickens, doves, ducks, geese, grouse, guinea fowl, partridges, pea fowl, pheasants, pigeons, quail, swans, and turkeys. All birds of these species are subject to the import requirements for poultry, and are not considered by the USDA to be pet birds.

Other Resources

Safe Bird Travel provides a pet relocation service tailored to the unique challenges of transporting birds, offering free one-on-one consultations to help bird owners relocate. It also offers a free resource library.