registering my macaw

[vinnythemacaw2020]

hey Guys, i had a question that i have been searching everywhere for but cant really find an answer. My uncle's 2 macaws just had a couple chicks in which he was planning to keep. He soon realized it was maybe too much to handle and has offered me one to take off his hands. the baby is now 3 months old , my question is what are the laws on obtaining a macaw outside of a pet store? can i take him in to register and get tagged and most importantly, checked by a vet, without any penalties? Fines are the least of my worries, what im most concerned about is I was told that some vets will confiscate the bird if you do not have him tagged. As much as i would want him to get checked out, i would not want to risk confiscation of the baby. Anyone one have any info on this? thanks in advance!

 

[LaManuka]

Hello and welcome to the Forums!

I am by no means an expert on registering ownership of exotic species, but we do have a number of members who are. It would help to know which country you live in so they can hopefully give you info about local regulations.

Many people go down the road of having their bird micro-chipped by a certified avian vet in order to prove ownership too.

Most of the membership here is based in North America where it is currently midnight-3am time wise so I would expect you'll probably get the most responses in a few hours time.

Meanwhile welcome to the forum, and I hope you have all the help you need in raising this baby, the process of weaning baby birds is by no means an easy one.

 

[vinnythemacaw2020]

Thanks LaManuka for the warm welcome. I live in Los Angeles , California, USA.

Yes I considered chipping since i believe his feet might be too big to slip a ring on now.
Thank you!

 

[LaManuka]

You're most welcome! And I wish you and your new baby a long, healthy and happy life together

 

[noodles123]

I live in the USA, my bird has no tags. She has been to many vets...I think you will want to have a proof of sale or gift of something, and, if possible, proof he was hatched in the USA (just in case you need to travel etc)...
BUT, I don't think lack of banding is going to be an issue...I mean, he's a baby-- they don't come out of the egg banded...
Start your bird at an avian vet and those records can also help down the line should anyone ask for prrof of further ownership etc.

Maybe I am wrong, but not all birds have bands here and no one has ever asked me why mind doesn't...she is 13.


NOTE:
If your state requires permits to breed parrots then your uncle MAY need to provide a band number in some cases for registering a bird in that state if they require that (but I have never had an issue) and mine has flown from Chicago to KC MO without a band too....then again, maybe those 2 states just don't care...maybe iit's my species...
Call a vet in the area and ask without giving your name (just explain the situation and if they ask about your uncle just explain that you don't know what kind of proof he has--but find out if you need anything)

..I mean, if you want a band, the most trustworthy ones are the closed rings (applied when they are babies) but I am not sure who all of that works..anyone can put a slit band on a bird...

Leg bands are not even good ways to trace birds...so I have no idea why they would be required in most states..

 

[wrench13]

I think that goes state by state, with only some Fed regulations, mostly CITES. Best to get your chick in to a Certified Avian Vet, for a full exam, blood panel, feces exam etc. That does two things. It establishes your ownership at a given age ( the vet will note the apparent age of the chick in their records) and also serves as a base line should any issues arise in the future, that the vet can refer to. For WIW, we had Salty's leg band removed, because he got it stuck when he was a chick on some toy. I keep the halves in my jewelry box in a lil baggie.

Try these as a starting basis
https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/AHFSS/Animal_Health/pdfs/avian_entry_requirements.pdf

https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=28427&inline

Its going to be somewhere in the ca.gov mass of laws and regulations. Ya'll have a law and regulation for everything. "California is the most regulated state in the U.S., according to an analysis of state regulations conducted by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. "

 

[SailBoat]

IMHO, leg bands are a waste of time and money much beyond at a Breeds' facility as their use is primarily keeping track of which baby goes with which parent.

Great advice above and worth noting...

Again IMHO, Microchipping Mid-to-Large provides you a clear statement of ownership and age. The ownership part has become very important as in a Court of Law, it is the one means of Identification that is accepted in all of North America and in all Countries that follow CITES guidelines.

Regarding age, North America three and a half years ago followed CITES in the classification of all Amazons and near all Macaws designated as endangered Parrots, which require that all chicks born after the date enacted must have a Hatch Certificate. At this point, the document has not developed into a specific formal form, but there are specific things that must be included on this document: Species of each Parent, the hatch date of the chick, it's species, DNA Sex of the chick, complete contact information of the Breeder, including full name, address and phone number (and State /Federal ID Number if a business or Not for Profit ), date of ownership transfer and full name of individual /organization (see above). This document is a traveling document, which is provided at each point of transfer for the life of the Parrot. At each point of transfer the original travels with the Parrot and a copy staying with the seller.

I strongly recommend that a copy of this document be provided to your Certified Avian Vet to become a permanent part of your Parrot's medical file. FYI: Most Avian Professional Clinics are including a photo (taken onsite) of the Parrot and it appears on page one of any document specific to your Parrot when printed. With a young Parrot it is important to update the photo every couple of years as during that first five to eight years they can change coloration and clearly size.

The combination of your Parrots medical file and the Microchip becomes proof of ownership for travel documents.

NOTE: Your location is a hotbed for Black Market Parrots coming in from Mexico and although having a detailed document set is at this moment, not critical, with the passing of each year, it will become ever more important. When you are traveling near the boarder, it would be wise to have a base document set with your Parrot.

Welcome to Parrot Forums and being owned by a Macaw.

 

[vinnythemacaw2020]

Thanks guys, Alot of useful information here. i will try contacting my nearest avian vet and discreetly tell them my situation to see what i need to do to get him to a vet for a check up.

 

[vinnythemacaw2020]

Hey guys just an update, i have talked to multiple vet clinics. All have told me the same thing, that they would never take an animal from someone forcefully unless they happen to read a chip and the pet is reported stolen. Still a little paranoid about it, to be honest i keep thinking they are all told to say that so when one does bring a bird in they can take it then. But, i have made an appointment to get him in for a full check up. i will let you guys know how it goes. Thanks again to all of you!

 

[wrench13]

I think it HIGHLY unlikely a vet would confiscate a parrot unless they were reported as stolen, and even then I think they would only report it to the local LEO or other authority. Paranoia is good in moderate doses, but there is such a thing as being too paranoid! Parrot paranoia usually extends to areas of 'am I feeding him correctly', 'is he getting enough 1 on 1 time' and so forth. Follow the advice above and you will be good to go!

 

[vinnythemacaw2020]

Hey Guys, just wanted to give an update. Today was my macaws vet appointment. I am happy to say he was not confiscated!! the vet or clinic did not ask one question of where and how i got a hold of him. all they cared for was his health, which by the way he is perfectly healthy. Great weight and so forth. Once again thanks to all of you for helping me with advice and information. Hopefully this is the beginning of a great journey in raising my baby macaw.

 

[noodles123]

That's good! I would still clarify as to the rules in case you ever have to travel with him (especially by air) but VERY good to get him in right away--that is evidence in some ways that you have taken ownership, but do get as MUCH as possible from your uncle just in case---you never know.