Home › From Canada › Bird to the United States

Bringing a bird from Canada to the United States

Yes — Canada is the easiest origin for a pet bird entering the US, but 'easiest' is currently conditional. Because HPAI restrictions on Canada are in force (APHIS import alert of 15 September 2026, still listed on 2026-11-12), every pet bird from Canada currently needs a CFIA-endorsed health certificate; birds entering by air also need an APHIS import permit. If your bird has not been in — and will not transit — a CFIA restricted (primary control) zone, there is no quarantine and land-border entry is allowed. A bird from or transiting a restricted zone must instead fly direct to New York JFK or Miami for 30 days of federal quarantine. Separately, CITES/WBCA birds need FWS authorisation, planned 60+ days ahead.

Bird rules move fast. Avian influenza (HPAI) restriction lists change week to week, and a listing can close a route with little notice. Seven days before you travel, re-check that your origin is still clear — the checklist below includes that step.

None*

Quarantine if outside restricted zones

*30 days at JFK/Miami if from or transiting a restricted zone

All birds*

CFIA-endorsed health certificate

*Required while the current HPAI restrictions are in force

Air = permit

APHIS import permit

By air yes; by land no, if outside restricted zones

≤5 birds

Pet-bird limit (APHIS)

6 or more is commercial; FWS pet cap is 2/year

Sources disagree: Does a land-border pet bird from outside a restricted zone currently need an APHIS import permit? APHIS's import alert (15 September 2026) says no — a permit is required for air entries, and for land entries only in the Alaska cases — while CFIA's export-page banner says pet-bird exports 'will now require an import permit issued by USDA' without distinguishing land from air, and CFIA's accredited-vet manual (HA2874 note) says a permit 'may or may not be required' depending on the port of entry. This page follows APHIS, the destination authority, in its most specific and most recent statement: air yes, land (non-restricted, non-Alaska) no. If your entry is by land, confirm with the APHIS Live Animal Import Permit Team before you travel.

Sources disagree: Baseline vs current rules: CFIA's manual states that with no avian influenza or Newcastle restrictions in place, five or fewer pet birds need no health certification and HA2874 falls away once Canada returns to disease freedom. APHIS's current alert overrides that baseline today by requiring a CFIA-endorsed certificate for all pet birds from Canada. This page is written for the current (restrictions-in-force) position as of 2026-11-12.

Until officials align, follow the stricter reading and confirm with the destination authority.

Step-by-step checklist

Requirements — Bird · Canada → the United States
Step	What to do	When
Locate your bird against the CFIA control zones — first	Everything on this route forks on one fact: whether the bird originates from, or will transit, a zone restricted by the CFIA for HPAI or Newcastle disease. APHIS treats any CFIA zone with a detection date and a status of 'Active' or 'To be determined' as restricted. As checked on 2026-11-12, Canada had many active primary control zones (including in Alberta, Manitoba, Quebec and British Columbia, with further detections on 11 November 2026 still 'to be determined'). Check your exact location on the CFIA investigations-and-orders list before choosing a port or booking anything.	Before anything else, and again before travel
Health certificate (HA2874) endorsed by CFIA	While the current restrictions are in force, APHIS requires all pet birds from Canada to travel with a health certificate endorsed by the CFIA, and CFIA's export page states the same new procedure (USDA import permit plus a Canadian veterinary health certificate). The pet-bird certificate is HA2874. Its wording certifies: the birds do not originate from and have not transited a CFIA control zone for Newcastle disease or HPAI (or, if they have, US quarantine has been arranged); no exposure to Newcastle disease, HPAI, chlamydiosis or other communicable poultry diseases in the 90 days before export; an examination within the 30 days before export showing no evidence of communicable disease; no vaccination against any H5 or H7 avian influenza subtype; and for Newcastle disease, either not vaccinated or vaccinated at least 21 days before export. The certificate is valid for 30 days from the inspection. In normal times, with no avian influenza or Newcastle restrictions in place, CFIA states that shipments of five or fewer pet birds do not need health certification at all — that relief does not apply while the present restrictions stand.	Examination within 30 days before export
APHIS import permit — depends on how you enter	Entering by air: an APHIS-issued import permit is required (apply via APHIS eFile at least 7 business days before shipping, stating your route and travel date; the permit is valid 30 days and must accompany the birds). Entering by land: no import permit is required if the bird does not originate from or transit a restricted zone — except Canadian-origin pet birds entering Alaska, which do need one. US-origin pet birds transiting Canada between Alaska and the lower 48 also require a permit and may not transit a restricted zone at all.	≥7 business days before shipping (air entries)
If your bird IS in a restricted zone: the quarantine fork	A pet bird originating from or transiting a restricted zone may not enter by land. It must be flown directly to John F. Kennedy International Airport (New York) or Miami International Airport (Florida) and complete a 30-day federal quarantine with mandatory testing for avian influenza and Newcastle disease, at your expense, in a facility associated with a USDA Animal Import Center. Book the quarantine reservation in advance — do not arrive without one.	Decide before booking; reserve in advance
FWS permit for CITES/WBCA species	The APHIS/CFIA animal-health track does not replace the wildlife track. Most parrots, macaws, cockatoos and similar exotic birds are CITES/WBCA species: a one-time import uses FWS Form 3-200-46, which for an import requires documentation of at least one year of continuous residence outside the United States just before applying, is limited to two birds per person for import (and two exotic birds per person per year under the WBCA personal-pet rules), and bars selling the bird after import. Allow at least 60 days for FWS processing — there is no expedite. On arrival the bird is declared on Form 3-177 and inspected by an FWS wildlife inspector at a designated port.	≥60 days before travel
Arrival clearance	Declare the bird to US Customs and Border Protection at any air, sea or land port (outside the restricted-zone fork above) and notify the APHIS Veterinary Services office 72 hours before arrival for inspection instructions. A returning US-origin bird that lived in Canada for over 60 days can re-enter as a Canadian pet bird — no quarantine — provided it has not resided in or transited an HPAI- or Newcastle-affected zone.	Notify 72 hours before arrival

Your preparation timeline

12–3 months out — If the species is CITES/WBCA-listed, start the FWS Form 3-200-46 application (≥60 days, one-year foreign residence to document)
2Before booking — Check the CFIA control-zone list for your bird's location and your route — this decides land vs air, permit vs none, quarantine vs none
3≥7 business days out (air entries) — APHIS import permit via eFile, valid 30 days from the stated travel date
4Final 30 days — Vet examination and HA2874 health certificate, endorsed by CFIA (valid 30 days from inspection)
572 hours out — Notify the APHIS Veterinary Services office; re-check that no new restricted zone covers your origin or route
6Arrival — CBP declaration and port inspection; straight home if outside restricted zones — or fly-in to JFK/Miami and 30 days of federal quarantine if not

The mistake that causes trouble on this route: Assuming the old 'drive across with your parrot, no papers' rule still applies. It does not while the current HPAI restrictions stand: APHIS currently requires a CFIA-endorsed health certificate for every pet bird from Canada, and the zone check is not a formality — with dozens of active control zones in November 2026, a bird from the wrong county is on the fly-to-JFK/Miami-and-quarantine fork, and it cannot enter by land at all.

Costs you can plan for

On the simple fork (outside restricted zones, by air or land) there is no quarantine bill: your costs are the CFIA endorsement and vet examination, the APHIS permit charges if you enter by air, the FWS application fee if your species needs one, and transport. On the quarantine fork, APHIS's official fee schedule (9 CFR 130.3(c)) charges pet-bird quarantine per day for the whole isolate — US$22 a day for 1 bird, $24 for 2, $26 for 3, $30 for 4, $32 for 5 or more, including standard care, feed and handling — so 30 days for one bird is US$660 in daily fees alone, plus permit, inspection and testing charges. One published exception to note: the APHIS pet-bird lot fees for returning US-origin birds ($362 / $938) expressly exclude birds returning from Canada.

✈️ Government rules are only half the trip. Airlines set their own pet carriage rules (crate size, breed limits, seasonal embargoes). Re-confirm carriage with your airline after you meet the rules above.

Questions people ask about this route

Can I drive my pet bird across the land border?

Yes, if the bird does not originate from and will not transit a CFIA restricted zone: land entry is allowed, and under the current APHIS alert no import permit is required for that land entry (Alaska entries are the exception). You still currently need the CFIA-endorsed health certificate, CBP declaration, and FWS paperwork if your species is listed. A bird from a restricted zone cannot enter by land at all.

Does my Canadian pet bird need quarantine?

Only on the restricted-zone fork: origin or transit through a CFIA HPAI/Newcastle restricted zone means a direct flight to JFK or Miami and 30 days of federal quarantine with testing. Outside those zones, there is no APHIS quarantine for Canadian pet birds — Canada is the standing exception to the quarantine rule that applies to most other origins.

I am American and my US-born parrot has been living with me in Canada. Is re-entry different?

Yes. APHIS states that a US-origin pet bird returning after residing in Canada for over 60 days can return as a Canadian pet bird, with no quarantine requirement, as long as it has not resided in or transited an HPAI- or Newcastle-affected zone. Keep your original US export health certificate and the bird's identification (microchip, leg band or tattoo) consistent across documents in case home-quarantine or US-origin questions arise.

What if a new HPAI zone is declared around my home after I get my certificate?

APHIS recognises a CFIA zone as restricted from its detection date while its status is 'Active' or 'To be determined'. A new zone covering your origin or route moves you onto the quarantine fork — air entry only, to JFK or Miami — so re-check the CFIA list in the final days before travel, not just when you apply.

Related guides

✓ Last verified: 2026-11-12

Official sources for this page

We check each rule against the exporting country's official page and the destination country's official page. If the two disagree, we show the disagreement instead of guessing.

Want a professional to run this route for you?

Licensed pet relocation companies handle permits, vet paperwork and flights daily. We are adding vetted partners for this route — check back soon.