A finger-tamed parakeet who escapes his cage but is confined to a sealed room is easy to recapture, tempting him to the finger with millet and then putting him back in the cage.
The problem is trickier if the bird is untamed. In this case, you will need to lure him back by removing all food and handy perches from beyond the cage, and waiting for him to return of his own accord. If you’re in a hurry, you may have to resort to catching the parakeet in a net or towel.
If the recapture of an escaped bird moves beyond a closed room, your campaign of recapture needs to be well planned. You’ll need a parakeet-capturing kit consisting of a net and towel, a cage or carrying box, a cage cover, a millet spray, and a recording of parakeets chattering (an MP3 on your mobile phone will do the trick). Your own voice is a useful weapon, too, as that will be a very familiar sound to your pet bird.
Your chances of recapturing an AWOL parakeet outdoors depend on how soon you realise he’s escaped. It will be easier to lure him back if he’s still in the vicinity of his cage and cage-mates; but if he’s flown further afield, you’ll struggle.
The first place an al fresco escapee is likely to go is to the top of the outdoor cage, or to a nearby tree. If he’s simply nipped through an open window and there is no outdoor cage, he’ll head for your roof/gutter or a high tree/fence.
Parakeets’ tendency to seek out high places doesn’t assist in their recapture, but the trick is to lure the bird down to your millet-loaded hand or portable, food-stuffed cage.
A bird that has flown further afield is a lot harder to recapture. He will not necessarily return to the cage or aviary, driven on by a mixture of anxiety, disorientation and curiosity. There are no guarantees of his return and you must rely on luck and cunning to get him back.
If the bird is on the move, follow on foot, carrying with you the parakeet-capturing equipment mentioned above. He will not travel far on his first flight away from the cage, so even if you didn’t see him leave, as long as you notice his absence within the first hour of his escape, you’re in with a decent chance of locating him in the vicinity. Listen for his voice – he will probably be calling to his absent friends, or trying to make contact with other birds he encounters (a house sparrow’s chirrup is not dissimilar to a parakeet’s, and will often provoke a reply). If you can’t see him, play the recording of the parakeet voices, and listen for his response.
When you catch up with him, try to lure him down with a combination of millet, cage and parakeet song. He will be tired, and if he’s been away for a long time he will probably be hungry too. But he will also be stressed, and not inclined to fly down from the safety of the tree or rooftop he’s resting on. This, sadly, is where a lot of parakeet chases end. The bird remains high and dry, and eventually flies away and out of sight. Your only chance of capturing him is to tempt him down. If he’s on a rooftop, there is the possibility of getting yourself into the closest upstairs room and trying to lure him from there.
A net on a long stick occasionally works. Load the net with millet and move it ever-so-slowly towards the parakeet. Scoop him up and bring him down quickly, removing him from the net with your hand and returning him to the cage. He will be stressed and unhappy, but a cage cover will assist in calming him down during the journey home.
A net on a long stick occasionally works. Fill the net with millet and gently drag it in the direction of the parakeet. Quickly scoop him up, bring him down, and use your hand to take him out of the net and put him back in the cage. While traveling home, a cage cover will help to soothe his anxious and depressed state.
If the bird is flying, follow it on foot while bringing the previously mentioned parakeet-capturing gear. As he won’t go very far on his first flight out of the cage, you have a good chance of finding him nearby even if you didn’t witness him depart. Just make sure to notice his absence within the first hour of his escape. He will likely be calling to his friends who are far away or attempting to establish contact with other birds he comes across. A house sparrow’s chirrup is similar to a parakeet’s and frequently elicits a response. Play the recording of the parakeet voices if you are unable to see him, and then listen for his reaction.
The sooner you discover an AWOL parakeet has escaped, the better your chances are of recapturing him outside. If he is still close to his cage and other cagemates, it will be simpler to entice him back; but, if he has flown farther away, you will have more difficulty.
It is much more difficult to catch a bird that has flown farther away. Motivated by a mix of fear, confusion, and curiosity, he might decide not to go back to the cage or aviary. You have to rely on good fortune and slyness to win him back because there are no assurances that he will return.
Although parrots have a propensity to seek out high places, you can still capture them by luring them to your hand loaded with millet or into a portable cage filled with food.
Try to take a picture of the bird if you discover it perched in a tree in your backyard.
First try some simple techniques. If these don’t work, proceed to more drastic actions.
FAQ
How do you take a pet bird outside?
How do you get a pet bird to come to you?
How do I catch my bird?