Snowbirds Are Not The Only Kind Of Birds That RV

Skip and Barbra Johnson are former pet store owners and breeders of exotic birds who recently hit the road as full time RVers. They live and travel in a 1996 Allegro Bus motorhome. They’ve been at it for seven months now and love it. The Johnsons RV with two birds in the coach. TJ is an 18 year old female Umbrella Cockatoo with a life expectancy of 70 to 90 years. TJ stands for “Trouble” and “Joy” because she has a great personality but can damage RV furniture. Her bill can cut right through soft woods – like a broom handle with no problem. These birds make good company because they talk to you. TJ has a vocabulary which consists of, “Hello”, “Pretty Bird” and “I’m Sorry” and other assorted phrases. Zane Grey is a 17 year old male African Grey Parrot. He likes to mimic sounds like the RV microwave, emergency vehicle sirens, squeaky doors, and phone sounds. Sometimes they don’t answer their cell phone because they think it is Zane mimicking the sound. From outside the coach friends would ask, “Is that your bird ringing?” He also likes to whistle tunes. One of his favorites is La Cucaracha which puts everyone in the mood for Mexican food. These birds love to look out of the window of the motorhome while they travel saying things like, “Are we there yet? Awwk” (not really, but next time I see them, I’m going to clandestinely teach them this phrase). These types of birds are expensive and unfortunately subject to theft, so they are now receiving ID chips embedded under their skin. One of the problems with RVing with any pet is border crossings. Skip says he would have no problem getting them into Mexico, but would have trouble getting them back across the border. He reports that when he last checked, Canada had a quarantine requirement making it difficult to travel there. Just like you walk the dog, you have to get these birds out for some fresh air. Skip made a portable perch out of PVC pipe and fittings. He didn't glue them together but just inserts them into their fittings until they are snug. The perch is a wooden branch and the chain gives the birds a foot-hold when climbing. An eye bolt screwed into the end of a PVC cap serves to hold up the perch. A note of caution, these birds will in all likelihood outlive you, so you need to provide for them in your will to make sure they go to a good home. Pets on the RV road are numerous and diverse (I once saw someone with a pet goat). What kind of pets do you RV with? Leave us a message in the "comments" section below and tell us. Jim