Transporting parrot in winter

[Chris&Akilah]

I live in Southern Ontario, and it's WINTER bigtime...ugh. Akilah really needs her nails trimming and I'm not all that comfortable doing it myself, having never done a birds nails before and also having no helper. I have a free grooming available from the place where I got her, which is where I want to take her but it's about 30-45 minute drive away. How can I get her there without her getting too chilled?? What sort of carrier and how to protect it from the cold? Thanks! I think if I can do it safely, it will be worth the trip both for the nail trim and the socializing.

[Michael]

It shouldn't be that big of a deal but obviously you need to take some proper precautions.

First of all start your car and preheat it so that it isn't below 50F in the car by the time you get the bird in. Pull up as close as possible.

Then get the parrot in its carrier and wrap a towel around the outside of carrier. Get it in the car promptly. Make sure the air vents aren't blowing straight at the parrot. So if the carrier is on floor, disable bottom vents, if on seat, disable top vents. You don't need to cover with towel in car as long as it is comfortable for you to sit without a jacket. Once again use the towel to get to vets office.

This is what I do and not really a problem.

[zazanomore]

As long as they are protected from the wind, they should be fine. You'll only be walking them to the vehicle.

I live in Ottawa, and I've done this with my budgies.

[MandyG]

I usually do pretty much the same as Michael, and I live in Manitoba. Make sure the towel or blanket you're using is thick enough to keep the wind and chill out.

With my Amazon I sometimes put his carrier in the car as it's heating up and I'll take him in my winter coat to and from the car. Obviously there are precautions to take, such as making sure the parrot can't get out of the coat, making sure it has room and it can breathe well. I use my large skidoo jacket and have Mojo perch on my arm inside of it. That way I know he has plenty of room and he's comfortable. It's only for a few seconds while I'm going out to the car and then he's put in his carrier. This is not something I would do with a smaller bird like my conure, she is always in her carrier.

If you're travelling any distance, even just ten minutes away, make sure you have an emergency kit that has water (or veggies/fruit with high water content), treats, and an extra warm blanket that can be wrapped around the carrier. Also strap the carrier in with a seat belt. The back seat away from any air bags is best. With the weather we're having this year you never know when you'll end up in the ditch or in an accident. Yesterday I drove the 45 minutes in to work listening to a good forecast. By the end of the day they had issued snowfall warnings and the roads were treacherous within an hour. It's always good to be prepared for the worst in this country!

[Chris&Akilah]

Thanks for the tips! We're going on Friday, to get her nails done and splurge on toys with the $$$ santa brought. Can't wait .