A lost cockatiel outside!!

[hrafn]

I just went out to let my puppy into the yard, and heard the unmistakable screams of a cockatiel. At first I assumed it was Kraz or Harry (my neighbour's tiel), but then I saw a little tiel fly out of the tree in my front yard, and into the hedge on the opposite side of the road.
I freaked, but did my very best to relax and walk calmly over to him while silently panicking, but he took off over the rooftops. In a panic I ran back inside to make sure Kraz hadn't somehow broken out of his cage, phased through the window and escaped in the two minutes since I'd been in the bird room, but he was fine. Next I hurried outside and ran up the stairs to see if Harry was okay, and I could see him in his cage through the window.

I hope the little darling finds his way home. This is a terrible place for a cockatiel to be lost; he's extremely lucky that Scarecrow and Chainsaw (the hawks who live in my yard) were out on the hunt, because he was in their tree. And beyond them, there's the golden eagle who's taken up residence in the neighbourhood, not to mention owls and magpies and cats and...oh god, I hope he's lost and not abandoned, and that his people will find him. I'm going to post my sighting on Kijiji and the local bird club sites and wherever else I can think of.

I was thinking I'd put out a travel cage with some food for him, to lure him in so he'd be safe in my house for now...but with Scarecrow and Chainsaw, that's not really an option. Plus my neighbour has a tiny yappy demon dog who'd probably eat him.

I just wish I could do something! I'm so afraid for him!

 

[Mizzely]

Check https://www.911parrotalert.com too! Poor little guy!

 

[SandraK]

Try it, you have nothing to lose and at least you'll have a clean conscience knowing that you tried. And if the little stray can hear your inside birds he'll hopefully come in. It's heartbreaking to watch what is obviously a lost domesticated bird in the wild.

 

[Shezbug]

How awful for both you and the little bird. I hope he finds someone who he is comfortable going to until his family find him.

A few years ago I heard a budgie where I knew there should not have been one. I went looking and saw him in the magpies tree and I went to get him but he flew off before I had even crossed the road to get to the tree he was in. By the time I crossed the road I had lost sight of him so I went back home feeling awful. A few hours later I heard him again so I went to look and he was actually flying straight to me and got hit by a car right in front of me (like arms length away) while I was stood on the side of the road waiting for the car to pass. I feel like it was my fault because he would have been flying up much higher if he was not coming to land on me, I still can not forgive myself for that.

It is so terrible when 'pet/companion' birds end up out free and terrified, it breaks my heart.

 

[iamwhoiam]

Hope he can be rescued. Give it a try. It would be nice if he could find his way to a safe place.

 

[hrafn]

I can hear him again this morning, but I can't see him. I think maybe he's drawn to the sound of Kraz and Harry's morning songs.

I've put out Kraziffir's old travel cage with a couple bowls of pellets, seeds and millet, and a big dish of water (it's blisteringly dry here right now, so hopefully that'll draw him in).

It's hung up a bit, where it can't be reached by squirrels or any land predators, and the cage is too small for the hawks to get into. They don't like coming near my door either, so hopefully they'll be deterred.

With luck he'll either make his way safely in and hunker down until I get home (or, at the very least, get something to drink and eat), or he'll find his humans. I haven't seen any posts for lost cockatiels yet, but I'm hoping!

 

[SandraK]

I know it'll sound stupid but whenever you're outside whistle like your tiels do and maybe call to him - "pretty bird", "whatcha doing baby", stuff like that. I've been where you are - there was a little budgie who showed up with the sparrows in the nasty polar vortex we had a couple of years ago. I tried putting out a cage but the squirrels took over so I put out parakeet seed and millet in hopes I'd catch him but he disappeared after a couple of weeks.

 

[rocky'smom]

Try putting Kraz voice on your phone, play outside as loud as you can get it, see if other bird response to it. Sometimes they will fly right to you. Fingers crossed that he she stay close enough that they can hear Kraz voice.

 

[Tiel Feathers]

I hope he comes down to the cage!
@Shezbug that’s so sad!

 

[hrafn]

He's still here. The ambient noise is very loud, but you can hear him calling if you turn up the volume.

Someone, hopefully him, has been eating and drinking what I have left out in the travel cage, but the cage is always empty when I get home. Thankfully I don't work weekends and can keep an eye on it, and (with luck) I'll be able to get him inside the house and away from the hawks!!

 

[SandraK]

I'm sure that the cage and food are familiar to him and (hopefully) will bring him in before something untoward happens.

 

[Love My Zons]

Awe, really hoping here for some good news!

♡ you for trying to help this soul.

 

[ode.to.parrots]

Any luck today? I am keeping my fingers crossed for you and this poor lost cockatiel!

 

[Gemini Jones]

That's horrible! I have a friend that has lost one because she had opened the bird cage to let him out, and someone had left the back door open to cool off the house and she didn't know it, her baby flew out and she hasn't seen him since. She was so deviated. I really hope that baby finds it's way home. She lost hers in the middle of winter. We still don't know if he even survived. Praying!!

 

[hrafn]

Saw little buddy in the cage yesterday evening, but when I tried to slowly open my front door to close the cage on him, he spooked (I have a huge fabric ghost over the door ) and flew out into a tree. Once he saw me he started chirping up a storm and opening his wings like he wanted to fly to me, but couldn't figure out how to get down. I can't climb my trees because the lower branches can't support human weight, so I couldn't get him down.

He was here again this morning, but Black, White and Sophie (magpies who also live in my yard) ran him out. He's damn lucky he hasn't met Scarecrow or Chainsaw yet. For whatever reason they don't bother any of the other birds who live in my trees, but I don't think they'd be able to resist a lost, floundering 'tiel.

There are so many birds in my yard!

No news yet as to whether anyone in the area has lost their cockatiel. One lady did contact me to ask if he was her lost 'tiel, but she lives on the other end of the city and her lost baby is a whiteface.
I hope she finds him.

 

[TikiMyn]

Oh my! I am hoping very hard you capture him!! Thank you for trying what a big birdie family you have in your backyard Pretty awesome, except kn this situation maybe

 

[iamwhoiam]

Good that he is still around and hopefully he will come down and go into the cage again and perhaps you can get a chance to close the door next time.

 

[ode.to.parrots]

Oh keep trying!!! It sounds like you are so close to getting him back to safety!

 

[Tiel Feathers]

Agh, so close! I hope he comes back and goes into the cage again!

 

[Dartman]

Figure out some kind of remote door closing device with string or fishing line that you can pull to close it if possible. At least he knows and likes the cage and it gives him a safe place to hide and eat.