Toddster63
Moving in
- Joined
- 7/20/24
- Messages
- 12
- Real Name
- Todd March
It’s been 3 of the worst days ever around here. My Meyers Kiwi flew off my shoulder into the woods, and was lost for 3 days, until this morning…!
Kiwi’s breeder let him fledge for a week, then clipped his wings; he did more of a vanity clip, only clipping half the length of his first 5 flight feathers. Kiwi often flies off his cage and playpen, and nicely glides down on the floor, about 8 feet from his cage. I considered him clipped, and seemed to have lost track of what my experience as a bird professional taught me—that lighter clipped birds, under the right circumstances—wind flow, in a flight/fee mode so flapping extra hard—can fly pretty much normally.
I had taken the dog, and Kiwi on my shoulder, on a short walk along our rural country lane to the landlords main house to pick up a UPS delivery. One side of the lane faces the large, long house where I live in the converted to a studio, former garage. The other side of the lane faces a woodland forest that runs down a slight hill.
We were on our way back, Kiwi on my shoulder facing the forest, and I was carrying a large flat 3’ x 2’ package. There was a slight breeze crossing the lane, headed down into the forest. Suddenly Kiwi was in alert mode, standing tall and with tight feathers. I have no idea what set him off—I could see nothing on our always tranquil lane. Within a split second Kiwi launched into flight and flew into the forest. My mouth dropped as he was really flying well, with lift, as if his wings were not clipped at all.
I dropped the package and ran the 50 feet to the entrance of the trail that ran along the upper ridge of the forest. I then worked my way through the sticky dead foliage, down to where I was pretty sure he landed. He was calling, and saying “KiwiBird” and responding to me, but the thick forest was ambushing the sound and I couldn’t precisely tell where he was at. I didn’t have my glasses on, so scouting the trees was almost futile. I spent 5 minutes running home to get my glasses and binoculars, and when I returned he was vocalizing, but less so. I scanned the trees endlessly but could see no sign of him… He stopped vocalizing and answering me close to dusk. I found one isolated tree where I had heard him the clearest, and scoured it diligently for an hour—but no sign of him. After no vocalizing or answering for an hour, I made my way home in the dark…
At dawn the next morning, under the same tree, (and after crossing paths with a feral cat!) there was no vocalizing, no auditory sign of him. I spent hours over the next 2 days scouring and calling to him—but nothing. And all I could think about was that dang feral cat! I then had flyers printed up with a good pic of him and a description of “8 inches long, yellow on wings”, and my phone number and posted them for a few miles near my rural country home… I hoped for the best, and sent him mental messages to hang in there…
Then this morning a woman called and said they had found my lost parrot. We made arrangements for me to come over immediatel. Their house was only a mile away, and there was my little rascal, in a dog crate, with a big bowl of birdseed! They owned an Amazon and chickens. Apparently the one gentleman was across the road (on the side with the forest Kiwi flew into), watering his neighbor‘s garden, when he saw something walking around a wild shrub, outside of the garden. He could tell it was a green bird, but he doubted it was wild because as he approached it didn’t fly away. He picked Kiwi up (“He didn’t even bite me!?) and when he got home, his roommate said he saw a flyer right down the road with the bird’s picture on it!
Kiwi was a little dazed, but I could tell he was a little relieved to see me. We got home and he dug into a bowl of his normal breakfast—sprouts, wheatgrass greens and chopped dandelion greens—only missing veggies. I also added some extra dry seed. I had weighed him as he helped me prepare his meal, and he down to 107 grams, so he lost 10 grams over his 3 day ordeal. He ate for 10 minutes, then climbed up to his roosting perch, tucked his head into his back and instantly fell asleep! Poor little guy is exhausted.
Can’t wait till he wakes up, eats some more, and then we can cuddle and I can rub his head but good!
Gratitude is mine!
Kiwi’s breeder let him fledge for a week, then clipped his wings; he did more of a vanity clip, only clipping half the length of his first 5 flight feathers. Kiwi often flies off his cage and playpen, and nicely glides down on the floor, about 8 feet from his cage. I considered him clipped, and seemed to have lost track of what my experience as a bird professional taught me—that lighter clipped birds, under the right circumstances—wind flow, in a flight/fee mode so flapping extra hard—can fly pretty much normally.
I had taken the dog, and Kiwi on my shoulder, on a short walk along our rural country lane to the landlords main house to pick up a UPS delivery. One side of the lane faces the large, long house where I live in the converted to a studio, former garage. The other side of the lane faces a woodland forest that runs down a slight hill.
We were on our way back, Kiwi on my shoulder facing the forest, and I was carrying a large flat 3’ x 2’ package. There was a slight breeze crossing the lane, headed down into the forest. Suddenly Kiwi was in alert mode, standing tall and with tight feathers. I have no idea what set him off—I could see nothing on our always tranquil lane. Within a split second Kiwi launched into flight and flew into the forest. My mouth dropped as he was really flying well, with lift, as if his wings were not clipped at all.
I dropped the package and ran the 50 feet to the entrance of the trail that ran along the upper ridge of the forest. I then worked my way through the sticky dead foliage, down to where I was pretty sure he landed. He was calling, and saying “KiwiBird” and responding to me, but the thick forest was ambushing the sound and I couldn’t precisely tell where he was at. I didn’t have my glasses on, so scouting the trees was almost futile. I spent 5 minutes running home to get my glasses and binoculars, and when I returned he was vocalizing, but less so. I scanned the trees endlessly but could see no sign of him… He stopped vocalizing and answering me close to dusk. I found one isolated tree where I had heard him the clearest, and scoured it diligently for an hour—but no sign of him. After no vocalizing or answering for an hour, I made my way home in the dark…
At dawn the next morning, under the same tree, (and after crossing paths with a feral cat!) there was no vocalizing, no auditory sign of him. I spent hours over the next 2 days scouring and calling to him—but nothing. And all I could think about was that dang feral cat! I then had flyers printed up with a good pic of him and a description of “8 inches long, yellow on wings”, and my phone number and posted them for a few miles near my rural country home… I hoped for the best, and sent him mental messages to hang in there…
Then this morning a woman called and said they had found my lost parrot. We made arrangements for me to come over immediatel. Their house was only a mile away, and there was my little rascal, in a dog crate, with a big bowl of birdseed! They owned an Amazon and chickens. Apparently the one gentleman was across the road (on the side with the forest Kiwi flew into), watering his neighbor‘s garden, when he saw something walking around a wild shrub, outside of the garden. He could tell it was a green bird, but he doubted it was wild because as he approached it didn’t fly away. He picked Kiwi up (“He didn’t even bite me!?) and when he got home, his roommate said he saw a flyer right down the road with the bird’s picture on it!
Kiwi was a little dazed, but I could tell he was a little relieved to see me. We got home and he dug into a bowl of his normal breakfast—sprouts, wheatgrass greens and chopped dandelion greens—only missing veggies. I also added some extra dry seed. I had weighed him as he helped me prepare his meal, and he down to 107 grams, so he lost 10 grams over his 3 day ordeal. He ate for 10 minutes, then climbed up to his roosting perch, tucked his head into his back and instantly fell asleep! Poor little guy is exhausted.
Can’t wait till he wakes up, eats some more, and then we can cuddle and I can rub his head but good!
Gratitude is mine!
