There are times in a bird’s life when it has to leave its cage or aviary. This may be a visit to the vet, a relocation or transport from the pet shop, breeder or shelter to their new home. It is important to keep the animal safe on this kind of journey. So you will need a transport cage or a bird transport box.

For owners of small animals it is comparatively easy: even if the animal manages to escape from the transport box on the way, there is a realistic chance of catching it again. The situation is quite different with birds: once they have escaped, they simply fly off and can no longer be caught in the air, from trees or across fields. Most exotic birds have little chance of survival in their sudden freedom. In addition, birds are extremely susceptible to stress; this is especially true of small birds like budgerigars. In their excitement, the birds flutter around wildly and can injure themselves. A suitable bird transport box or bird transport cage must therefore be provided to enable the bird to be transported in an appropriate manner.

As a bird owner, you should keep a smaller cage for quarantine and transport purposes in addition to the actual bird cage. It should always be flat and dark inside. The size depends on the bird species, of course. Parrots, for example, sit best in a cat transport box or dedicated bird and parrot transport boxes. A budgerigar transport box is only a few centimetres high.

This type of transport cage for birds is ideal if the animals have to travel a longer distance: they have little freedom of movement in it so as not to injure themselves and can be provided with food and water. A transport box for birds is particularly suitable for short-distance transportation, for example to the vet. Such a bird transport box is a very small cage that can be opened from the top and is therefore practical to transport, whereby the risk of injury to the animal is minimised due to its deliberately restricted size.

Whether you use a bird transport cage or a bird transport box: to make the situation as comfortable as possible for the animal, you should consider the following points:

• Functional equipment: apart from perches, there should be no other bird accessories in the transport cage, no toys, litter or food or water bowls. The bird must just be able to sit safely.
• Visibility: the transport basket should be darkened. The darker the cage is, the less stress the bird will experience.
• Draught: when transporting the animal outdoors, make sure that it is not exposed to draughts.
• Safety: the transport cage should have a fixed carrying handle and secure doors.