Many parts of the world have very cold temperatures during the winter months. We are obviously not going to sit out on our decks, patios or balconies with our birds in the winter, but it might be necessary to take your bird somewhere at some time when the weather is cold.

Birds have feathers that provide them with warmth during cool temperatures, but when the outdoor thermometer reads -36C (-33F), it is considerably colder than cool.

Hopefully you have your own car to transport your bird and you should warm the car up before bringing the bird to the car. If you do not have a car and were planning on taking your bird in the bus, I hope you will decide to call a cab instead if it is this cold. The cab will be warm by the time it arrives to pick you up.

How you get the bird to the car depends on the bird's size and temperment.

Small birds can be put into a little box or carrier and wrapped in a towel or put inside your jacket. When I used to take baby birds (cockatiels, budgies or lovebirds) to a friends place for handfeeding, I put them in a small plastic carrier and placed that into a zippered cooler. I usually put the inside of the cooler over a heat vent for a couple of minutes to have it nice & warm for them.
WARNING Do not overheat! One time a friend of mine warmed the cooler and put a hot water bottle in with some budgies. After a 45 minute drive, the birds were in very bad shape from overheating. Although most of them survived, not all of them did.

Medium sized birds can be transported in a travel carrier wrapped in a blanket. When inside the warm car, the blanket can be removed and then placed back over the container again when you get out of the car. I know someone who used to take her Amazon Parrot with her by placing the bird inside her jacket to go outside. You must be very careful that your bird does not get under the seatbelt that goes over your shoulder and across your chest when inside your jacket in the car though.

Large birds can be transported in a large carrier covered with a blanket while outside. The blanket can be removed when inside the car and put back when you get out of the car again. Although it is not recommended, some people with large birds, transport their bird without a carrier. They usually just carry the bird on their hand (holding the bird's feet or with a harness attached) and place the bird on a perch in the car. For the short distance to the car, the bird will be fine in the cold, but this method of transport without a carrier will not be safe in the event of an accident.

Cold weather does not mean you and your bird have to stay at home as long as you are careful about the transportation method you use.