I've had my birds for a week now and wanted to try letting them have free flight time, as soon as they got out they went for my air conditioners, ceiling fans and wont come back down..They were there for quite awhile and I needed them to come back so i tried to grab them ( I know it was a mistake but i lost my patience ). Now they're back to the ceiling fan and wont come down.. I have my food above their cage too and i'm really worried.
If you're a beginner, it's been a week getting them home? The birds may scared, it is the reason they don't want to get back into the cage. You must give them time for Tame before free flight. Try to hand feed them daily even twice, If they got trust on you, won't run away even you're approaching to them. Keep the room dark, switch off all lights, switch on any torch and place it near the cage door, budgies have poor eye sight in the darkness. So they move to the cage side..
it works most of the times. in the emergency situations, you can hold them and keep them back to their cage, (I mean hold, not grab, be so gentle) but I won't suggest you to hold them before they tammed,. Don't grab them or Do not rush on them, it may hurt them, in the worst situations they may get heart attacks in panic, they may hit against walls, fans etc. Just be patient.