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A lost cockatiel outside!!

rocky'smom

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Run mono filament line from the door of the cage, make sure the knot is tight to the door, string it back to a screen or door in the house. Leave a good sized loop that you can pull quickly to close the cage door fast. Test it several time to make sure it works well. Do not plan on catching the little sweetie the first time either, let them get use the line being there.
 

Fergus Mom

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Hoping hoping hoping that you will be able to catch him!
 

Shezbug

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Oh that must have been frustrating for you. So close, hopefully he keeps coming back and dodging the other birds and you can capture him soon. At least you know he has had a feed which is great.
 

hrafn

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Somehow, miraculously, little dude is still alive and well and has not been eaten by the hawks, magpies, eagles, owls, cats, coyotes, foxes, weasels, or skunks who like to traverse my yard.

On the other hand, he is still evading capture. Since it's getting later in the year, I've started my winter ritual of putting out food and water for the sparrows and chickadees (who also live in my trees....), which means he doesn't have a reason to go into the cage now. Whoops.

I'll keep working on it though. I think I have enough resident avians making their homes in my front yard without adding a 'tiel to the mix. It's going to start getting cold soon, too. 12° won't do him any harm, but -30° certainly will.
 

iamwhoiam

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Good news that he is surviving. Don't give up. Maybe he will decide to go into that cage. Are there any extra special treats you can throw in there that might tempt him?
 

Just-passn-thru

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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.

I have been in similar situations not exactly like you but with the intent to help that turned out tragically. I too ,still beat myself up over things I felt I could have prevented. I feel your pain...:sadhug:
 

Lady Jane

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The whole forum is pulling for little Tiel. Have you tried making a dental floss door trap like @rocky'smom suggested?

What do you think of playing cockatiel sounds outdoors from a device that may fit in cage?
 

hrafn

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The whole forum is pulling for little Tiel. Have you tried making a dental floss door trap like @rocky'smom suggested?

What do you think of playing cockatiel sounds outdoors from a device that may fit in cage?
I tried to rig something like that, but it didn't work. My kitchen window doesn't open (I keep meaning to get it fixed, and then I...forget), and if I move the cage to sit by the bird room window, it's too close to the hawks. I also tried putting the string through my screen door, but the door cut it in half lmao.

For the string trap to work I'd have to just sit outside holding the string and hope he decided to hop on over into the cage while I was there. Which I did try, without success.
 

rocky'smom

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Run it thru the screen.
 

tielluver

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Oh, I really hope and pray you can catch him and he's safe. I know this probably sounds strange, but I have had luck a few times catching parakeets that flew out the door of neighbors by quickly throwing a lightweight baby blanket over him (or a dishtowel or whatever you have that is a size that would work) over the bird if it's on the ground, especially after it rains, as their feathers are too wet for them to fly up, especially if his tail is wet. You just quickly try to judge where the bird is under it, and calmly grab him, get him in the house. If it's a large towel you can even throw it over the bird, fold it quickly and get him in the house. It has worked for me. It also worked for us to get a parakeet we had that flew out of the house after a rain storm. I don't think cockatiels can fly when they are very wet either. Other than that, you are doing right by putting the food, water, etc. in a cage. at least he is probably eating. And him hearing another cockatiel chirping may also help him and convince him to come. But since winter is coming, it';s getting cold, if you have the opportunity, try to grab him with a towel. It will take him by surprise, you may have him in your house before he even has a chance to react. good luck, prayers.
 

CrazyBirdChick

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Oh, I really hope and pray you can catch him and he's safe. I know this probably sounds strange, but I have had luck a few times catching parakeets that flew out the door of neighbors by quickly throwing a lightweight baby blanket over him (or a dishtowel or whatever you have that is a size that would work) over the bird if it's on the ground, especially after it rains, as their feathers are too wet for them to fly up, especially if his tail is wet. You just quickly try to judge where the bird is under it, and calmly grab him, get him in the house. If it's a large towel you can even throw it over the bird, fold it quickly and get him in the house. It has worked for me. It also worked for us to get a parakeet we had that flew out of the house after a rain storm. I don't think cockatiels can fly when they are very wet either. Other than that, you are doing right by putting the food, water, etc. in a cage. at least he is probably eating. And him hearing another cockatiel chirping may also help him and convince him to come. But since winter is coming, it';s getting cold, if you have the opportunity, try to grab him with a towel. It will take him by surprise, you may have him in your house before he even has a chance to react. good luck, prayers.
That's how I caught a budgie outside too. I didn't have a blanket on me but I used a light jacket. A sheet or blanket would be perfect though!

Eta* actually a sheet might not cover the bird quickly enough. A light blanket would probably be better
 
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Dartman

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I should have done something like a light blanket when Lurch escaped but he was up in several trees so it could have just sent him crashing to the ground. He never ended up on the ground the whole time I climbed after him and tracked him. It's hard to think straight when you're just trying to get them back.
 

Serin

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I have caught a tiel and two budgies, and tried very hard - but ultimately failed - to catch two other tiels and two other budgies in the past four years.
You have the fortune, if you can call it that, that your stray tiel has the sense to come down to the cage and eat. One of the budgies, and one of the stray tiels I dealt with would want to bad to come down and would call frantically to my birds but would panic in the air and just keep flying up and up into the tallest trees or wires, again and again, making any sort of capture ultimately impossible.
 

hrafn

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I've been mad busy and haven't been on AA as much, so I forgot to update with the conclusion to this exciting tale!

I did end up catching Mr. 'Tiel! He happened to be in the cage munching on a nutriberry when i went out to walk my dog one day, and I quickly snapped the door shut before he saw me coming.

Sadly, he was in a bad way; he had no crest or head feathers at all, his tail was in tatters, and he clearly had a respiratory infection of some kind. He was sickly enough that I was afraid to bring him anywhere near the flock, so I packed him nice and comfy in a travel carrier and took him to the Humane Society within minutes of catching him (which meant that I also forgot to take pictures...:bash:).

CHS has amazing avian-savvy staff and vets, so I knew he'd be well looked-after. And he was! He ended up getting adopted by one of the vets, and I've been told he's doing worlds better!

I really couldn't ask for a more amazing outcome for the poor lost cockatiel in my yard!
 

Mizzely

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Oh awesome !
 

sunnysmom

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That's so great! Thanks for the update.
 
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