When taking your pet bird anywhere, it is important that you choose the correct carrier to make sure that your bird is as comfortable as possible. When your pet bird has to be moved anywhere that's not their normal cage, it can be very stressful for birds and can cause more harm than good. Getting the cage before having to place them in there is always a good idea to make sure that you can get your bird familiar with the cage and can have it all set up for travel.

Not all travel birdcages are the same: Depending on species of bird and what type of transport the cage is being used for, they are made and set up differently.

The size of cage really depends on what species of bird you have. If you have a larger bird, they would need enough space in their cage to be able to stand up and turn around while also having a perch and bowls for food and water.

Passerines (finches and canaries) can be safely transported in plastic carriers, where as the more hooked billed bird species will chew through most plastic and would need a metal cage (steel) to be transported in. For smaller species of birds, make sure that the cage and spaces between the bars are of appropriate size. The reason for this is that if the bar gaps are too big, the birds can squeeze through the bar and escape. Also, if the cage that you chose is too large, it can actually make them stressed while being inside.

When picking the design for your cage, it should always be manageable for you to carry and make your bird as comfortable as possible. Some things to look for when picking out a transport cage are:

- Easily opened to clean (slide out tray, less nooks and crannies, bottom grill to separate the bird from their feces)
- Able to place substrate in carrier (paper liner)
- Food/water bowls can easily attach to the carrier.
- Perches either come with the carrier or you are able to customize the inside of your carrier to allow perches
- Make sure adequate ventilation for your bird (slots, bars)
- Make sure that it fits in your car (should be buckled in)
- If you plan on taking your bird on an airplane, there are specific guidelines for what their carrier needs to be.

Once you've purchased your carrier: Make sure that your name, your bird's name, and address is on their carrier. The reason for this is that if there is ever an emergency and a family member or caretaker is needed to bring them in, the veterinary staff can easily find your bird's information.

Carrier training: Transport carriers can sometimes be quite stressful to our pet birds. They can be a lot more confining than their usual cages, so training our pet birds is the best way to make sure that they are more comfortable with their cages. Some things that you can do to make these carriers easier for birds are: 1) setting them up as foraging cages to make it a positive experience as they explore their new cages, 2) give them lots of praise to make it a positive experience and 3) use the travel case as a nighttime/ sleeping cage. One helpful thing is to initially allow your bird to enter and leave the cage as they wish. If they are forced to go in or stay in, it can become a negative experience and will lead to the cage not being able to be used in transport.

Cage storage: When you're finished with their cage, make sure that it is in an easily accessible place in your house incase of emergency. If it's placed in the attic or garage, it can take too long to get if an emergency does happen as, dust and chemicals that can be found in those places can harm your bird.

For more information:
https://hari.ca/avian-care/choosing-the-right-bird-travel-carrier/