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Tip 2: a go bag for birds

Tip 2: what a bird needs in a disaster go bag, from paper records to food, towels and a carrier. Checked against ASPCA and Ready.gov guidance.

A grey parrot in a travel carrier beside bird food, water and a folded towel.
A bird carrier and supplies ready for an emergency.

Posted on the former site on 13 May 2013.

The former site passed on advice from the Long Island Parrot Society for bird owners. A bird needs its own go bag.

What the old tip listed

  • Paper copies of the bird's name, photo, personality, feeding and medical details, and several vet phone numbers.
  • Food, water and medicine.
  • A first aid kit, with bandage material.
  • A large sheet, a few towels, and a stick for stepping the bird up when you move it.
  • A folding pen to keep other animals out of reach.
  • A gram scale, because weight loss is an early sign a bird is not eating.

What the current guidance adds

The ASPCA says to move birds in a secure carrier, to keep a blanket handy for cold weather, to keep recent photos, and to leave leg bands on. It also lists a catch net and a heavy towel. Ready.gov says to ask your vet what belongs in a first aid kit for your pet. Ask an avian vet what yours should hold.

This tip first appeared on the former Pet Safe Coalition website on 13 May 2013. The advice here was rewritten and checked against the sources below on 4 October 2026.

Sources

  1. Former website, "Tip 2: a go bag for birds", Internet Archive copy of 26 March 2014
  2. ASPCA, "Disaster Preparedness"
  3. Ready.gov, "Prepare Your Pets for Disasters" (page dated 20 March 2026)