State the bond in the first line, not the fine print
Write, in plain words at the top of the boarding paperwork, that these two birds are a bonded pair and must not be separated for any reason — not for a cage clean, not for a health check, not because one looks calmer alone. Boarding staff work from quick notes during busy changeovers, so a bond mentioned only in a paragraph of background can be missed. Name both birds together in that first line, with their species, and give the instruction a reason staff can act on: separation causes visible distress and can stop either bird eating.
Identify each bird so the pair cannot be confused
Record both leg-band numbers exactly as stamped, or microchip numbers where fitted, and note which number belongs to which bird. Add close, recent photographs: each bird alone showing colours, markings, and any distinguishing feature such as a missing toe or a distinctive feather pattern, and at least one photo of them side by side showing relative size. Bonded pairs are often the same species and similar colouring, which is exactly how a well-meaning swap happens. If one bird is banded and the other is not, say so explicitly rather than leaving a blank that looks like an oversight.
Describe how they live together day to day
Note the cage arrangement they expect: perches close together, food and water bowls they share or duplicate, and the toys or sleeping spot they use as a pair. Record their shared routine — when they settle, whether one feeds the other, and who tends to be handled first. Explain what normal looks like between them, including ordinary squabbles, so staff do not separate them over behaviour that is routine at home. Also describe the early signs that one is stressed by the other's absence: repeated contact calling, searching the cage bars, plucking, or going quiet and still.
Cover the moments separation usually happens
List the risky handover points and give an instruction for each. During cage cleaning, both birds move to the same secure carrier together. For weighing or a vet check, one is returned before the other is taken, or both travel. If one bird needs urgent veterinary care, ask to be phoned before any overnight separation, and record whether the well bird may travel as a companion. Note feeding arrangements too: if one bird guards a bowl or eats more slowly, staff should add a second bowl rather than feeding them apart.
Make the instruction follow both birds
Keep a copy of the bonded-pair note with each bird's own records, cross-referenced by name and band number, and give the boarding facility the same version before arrival rather than at drop-off. Tell your emergency contact that the pair must stay together, so they can reinforce it if the facility calls. Review the note whenever a band is replaced, a photo no longer matches moulted plumage, or their routine changes. Travelling with both birds' details gathered in one KinsLe Pet Passport packet lets you hand the boarder a single, complete record where the bond is impossible to overlook.