“Certified Avian Veterinarians” are veterinarians certified as Avian Specialist by the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners. Certified veterinarians have a specialty certification similar to a surgeon or cardiologist. This certification requires five years of specialty practice and achieving specific levels of competence in avian medicine, and successful completion of the avian board exam.

Many avian veterinarians are not board certified by the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners. This certification only recently became available and in 2003 and there are still only a little more than 100 worldwide. At the time certification became available there were many highly qualified avian veterinarians already established. Those individuals, whose practices were already established, did not need to become board certified to attract clients. In many cases, these older, established veterinarians can be significantly more qualified than the newer graduates.

FIND A CERTIFIED AVIAN VETERIANARIAN

On this web page there are two ways to find a Certified Vet. In the search area choose “Avian” under “Practice Category” and in the “State” you can choose your state. You may also choose “ANY” at the top of the list and this will give you the entire world. You can then look through the list to see if there is one in your country.

Dr. Oglesbee
(Certified Avian Veterinarian – Central Ohio)

5230 Renner Road
Columbus, Ohio 43228
Phone: (614) 870-0480

Dr. Oglesbee's PRIVATE PRACTICE is an exclusive avian and exotic pet practice providing state of the art medical and surgical care for pet birds of all sizes.

Dr. Mohan
(Central Ohio)

7152 E. Main Street, Suite B,
Reynoldsburg, OH 43068
Ram Mohan, D.V.M., M.S., Ph.D.
Phone: 614-755-2273
Emergency: 614-499-2473
Fax: 614-755-2112
E-mail: avnvet@insight.rr.com

Avian Health Clinic focuses on preventive health management, which includes regular checkups, proper health nutrition, and the use of our state-of-the-art laboratory services.

National Bird Club Locator @Parrot Chronicals

Mid-American Exotic Bird Society Columbus, Ohio

Central Ohio Friends of a Feather Columbus, Ohio

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Amazona Society UK
The Amazona Society UK was formed in the early 1990s to provide a pool of knowledge about Amazon Parrots. This information has enabled many owners to produce healthy generations of Amazon parrots in captivity, unsurpassed in the history of bird keeping.

American Federation of Aviculture
The AFA is the largest organization in the US and probably the world. They are attentive to all aspect of aviculture including but not limited to: Conservation, breeding, legislation, and education.

Avicultural Society of America
The objects of the Society are the study of foreign and native birds; the dissemination among the members and public of information for the care, breeding and feeding of birds in captivity; the perpetuation of species that are threatened with extinction; and the publication of matters pertaining to aviculture.

Bird Clubs of Virginia
BCA is a non-profit federation of Virginia bird clubs.

Canadian Parrot Symposium--Toronto
The Canadian Parrot Symposium (CPS) is an international convention for those interested in keeping or breeding parrots. Experienced or novice, pet owner, breeder, or just fascinated by parrots, there is something for you. Held in Toronto, Canada, in November each year.

Canadian Parrot Symposium - West
CPS has a mission to increase knowledge of and interest in all aspects of the breeding, rearing, behavior, nutrition, intelligence, health and conservation of companion and wild parrots.

The Gabriel Foundation
A Colorado non-profit organization promoting education, rescue, rehabilitation, adoption and sanctuary for companion parrots.

International Aviculturist Society
IAS is a Group of Aviculturists from around the world striving to Protect, Preserve,& Enhance the keeping & breeding of all Exotic birds through Educational Programs, Cooperative Breeding Programs, and the Funding of Avian Research and Avian conservation programs.

International Parrotlet Society
Their purpose is to promote interest in parrotlets and to present to its members information to increase the understanding of the various genera, species and subspecies of parrotlets.

Montana's Parrot & Exotic Bird Sanctuary Non-Profit
We strive to create a safe haven for parrots and exotic birds that come from unwanted, abused, neglected, and abandoned situations nationally. We secure quality homes by promoting responsible pet ownership through education and home monitoring.

Parrot Preservation Society
Information network.

World Parrot Trust
WPT is an International program to raise awareness of parrots in the wild and captivity. WPT supports many conservation projects around the world.

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Amazona Quarterly		Bird Talk
Bird Times		Companion Parrot Quarterly
Good Bird Magazine		Parrot Chronicles
Parrot Life		Parrots Magazine
Watchbird		Winged Wisdom

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These professional Parrot Behavior Consultants can answer your behavior questions. Most of their sites include a list of their upcoming speaking engagements.

Barbara Heidenrich Video Click To Play

After receiving her degree in zoology and trying many different types of animal-related jobs, she discovered the world of animal training… and what a wonderful discovery it was! Finally, a career where she could get paid to play with animals! In 1990 Barbara began training birds and staff in zoos around the country for free flight educational programs. This eventually evolved into consulting on animal training around the world.She served on the board of directors for the International Association of Avian Trainers and Educators for 12 years and was honored to be the first female president of the organization. Click here to read more.....

Sam Foster has been actively working with Cockatoos for over 13 years, and is dedicated to helping others understand the behavior and complexities of the birds she loves best. She and her husband lived in northern Australia where they had the opportunity to witness and study the natural behavior of cockatoos and parrots in the wild. Along with enjoying a flock of seven companion cockatoos, they established a breeding program for several species of native parrots, primarily cockatoos. During that time they also cared for non-releasable cockatoos who had been injured in the wild, and willingly adopted those who were unwanted or "unmanageable" pets. Click here to read more....

As a professional animal trainer, O'Connor has worked with a variety of exotic animals in zoos and private facilities around the United States and abroad. She has been a falconer for more than a decade and is a nationally known parrot behaviorist. Her book A Parrot for Life: Raising and Training the Perfect Parrot Companion was published in 2007 by TFH and went into a second printing in the first six months. She is also a nationally sought after lecturer at parrot clubs and parrot festivals. Click here to read more....

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To learn about moving parrots into and out of the United States, and to learn about obtaining CITIES permits, visit the Fish and Wildlife Service site.Each country has different rules and regulations, most of which comply with the international anization Council On International Trade In Endangered Species (CITIES). In many cases you will need to obtain permission from the country you are visiting before the US will issue an export permit. From this site you can link to CITIES directory of management authorities for contacts in other countries.

Almost all of the species of parrots have been placed on the CITIES "protected species" list, also known as "appendix two". Instead of keeping track of all 360 plus species separately they categorized all of them as needing protection. In fact, most do not need protection at this time, and many are considered pest species in the home range. Any animal listed on appendix two needs a CITIES permit to cross country lines. As apposed to a dog which can cross country borders without CITIES permission.

In addition to CITIES there is the US Endangered Species List. There are a few parrots on this list that will require permits to move across state lines. The golden conure is an example. In captivity this species is prolific but due to the permit process most of them reside in just a few states.

The Dept. of Fish & Wildlife does the processing on CITES permits. There is a $95 fee each time you enter the country with a CITES permit animal. Both Canada and US issue one-time or multiple use permits, multiple use are good for about three years.

Each time you enter the US you must clear the Dept of Fish & Wildlife with a CITES permit and you must clear the USDA with a visit to the port veterinarian. Visits to the port vet must be arranged in advance. USDA veterinarians do not work weekends or holidays.

Canada Customs 888-226-7277
Canada Customs & Revenue Agency
Canadian Food Inspection Agency

The Basic Import / Export Process for Parrots

When you are ready to ship and standing at the USDA airport inspection station, you will need:

• An appointment
• A parrot
• A pet carrier
• USDA health certificate
• CITIES certification for each parrot
• Airline reservation

All parrots except cockatiels and parakeets are listed on the CITIES appendix two list as threatened species. Because of this status parrots need a CITIES certification to be moved from one country to another. Once a parrot has CITIES certification, the paperwork should be valid in all countries.

CITIES is a world wide organization and not directly associated with the USDA. Each country has their own office to process CITIES certifications. The CITIES certification is processed through the Division of Management Authority in the Fish and Wildlife Department in the US. They can be reached at 800-358-2104. This is the most difficult and time-consuming part of the process and should be started first.

As a shipper you must become registered with the US government by obtaining a "license to do business" importing and exporting wildlife. This is not difficult. It is also possible to hire a professional shipper, with a license, to ship the parrot.

Most veterinarians can supply a USDA health certificate. Some veterinarians have the USDA health certificates on hand and know what to supply to fulfill the requirements. If your vet does not, the information can be obtained by calling the USDA.

Flights need to be scheduled through one of the airports that has a USDA inspection station. Notify the inspection station of flights so the inspector can schedule to be available to inspect animals before they go on the plane. Some airports have an inspection facility on premises. Others are located away from the airport and will need a longer period to inspect the animals.

Standards exist for carriers used to transport parrots internationally. Your airline will be able to give you the requirements.

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