Lost budgie outdoors 4th day HELP PLEASE

[Budgiebabymama]

I'm very sorry this is so long! It's my first post here. I've been wanting to be here and some other sites but time etc. ANYWAY. PLEASE please read and comment..tag others who may know?! We love our baby so much!

Desperate for ANY HELP or advice will do all we can. My husband and I gave had Jojo since June--he was born in April. Got him from the local Pet Supplies Plus-- long story short, we are absolutely in love. We have built our life around him, he has the run of our home and he loves us both. If one of us is home, let alone both, Jojo is out....and usually on our head, finger, shoulder, chest or running down our arm....you get the idea. He was very tame
We sing to him and talk to him constantly and he chattered nonstop and knew some phrases also.

Cut to Dec.13th. I would happily choke my husband except he is as utterly destroyed as I am, if not moreso(that doesn't seem possible w how I'm feeling!) due to his own guilt/stupidity. He knows that's what it was.

Jojo got out Dec 13th.(was on his shoulder as he went out to feed birds ironically. He was quick and Craig didn't notice him there until it was too late) :'( This is very early morning Dec 16th as I type.It has gotten as low as 17 degrees Fahrenheit the other night only supposed to be 25-30 last night and has been 40 in the day. Well above normal for here in upper Michigan, US or northern Wi where we live(on border) we both looked and called for 3-4 hours until dark 1st day-- Craig had to work 2nd day but I called in and was out from daylight 7am until 4pm dark driving slowly everywhere, getting out often, calling ..... nothing.....

Craig said he felt dread as Jojo was startled and just BOLTED originally...he was so frightened :'( Craig called and called him but he never paused.

I'm asking you to please refrain from judgment just now...Craig made a mistake and we both feel utterly destroyed. Posting it here might even help just as fellow bird lovers will understand. We can't stop crying. He is SUCH an incredibly sweet sweet baby and we have utterly failed him.

For the FIRST TIME since Thursday afternoon when he got out, yesterday at 3 or 330pm a FB friend was "almost positive" she saw him...she didnt know he was missing until seeing my 4th or 5th FB post w pics...she was working at a BP station and noticed a bird which looked unlike any she had seen. Said from what she could see of it looked "identical" to our pictures. I am still upset, sad, worried but it's the 1st time I've not felt completely hopeless since dark Thursday.

My questions:

The location she thinks she spotted him is 25 miles by car 15-18 in a straight line, flying etc from where we live. He WAS completely disoriented it was obvious....is it possible or credible he could have gone that far in that time??

Is it likely on this 4th day, after 3 nights outdoor he *could have made it....?? I'm awake at 3am(it's now 4:30 am here-- neither have slept or eaten much since this happened) just trying to get ANY advice. He has to.work later this morning but I'm off. We are taking separate cars so I can stay longer and at 630 am, an hour before sunrise, driving over to that area at least to TRY. It's something.

I suppose I have some hope as she was fairly sure...and also because she saw him an hour before dark.....but I dont know where to begin looking....if he had an hour before he would be roosting....he could have gotten anywhere in that time....?

I would think.our poor baby would be hungry and exhausted by now :'(

This has just completely shattered our hearts. It doesn't feel dramatic to say that. If he died we would have been extremely upset....but not like it happening in THIS way knowing he is scared, cold, hungry and that we have failed him so badly. It is just wrenching.

I have his little cage out with the stand and a blanket just in case. Will be loading his cage w his fave veggies...broccoli and cilantro plus millet and avicake before we go.....but we are just desperate for our own sighting of him.

Is he likely to remember us and want to come on this 4th day?? That worries me greatly as he was completely in love with us and vice versa. He loved us both but prob 60/40 tipped toward my husband....as he was always home hours before I was from work.

Are they any groups that would help us even here in this rural area?? I thought I might call local radio and at least ask if they would announce it for us...for ppl in the area to watch out!

I'm begging for any thoughts or helpful advice please! We only got him as we wanted him to bond to US and that he did. He already has gifts under the tree. Maybe fellow bird lovers or if you have ever had anything like this happen(probably not) :'( will know what I mean when I say life seems utterly devoid of joy at the moment. I love Christmas and am completely uninterested in it right now. We are just lifeless without our baby Jojo.

Please please help with any advice

I have this all over social media and on a couple lost pet sites... that first night after dark. Had no way to print fliers so havent yet...not bcs I don't care. If he was sited going to shoot it to the roof. Already made a new FB pist to those area friends and have it on FB marketplace and several buy sell trade sites as In Search Of.....we offered a reward. 250$ is all we can afford. In reality, we would easily pay much more no matter what.

Mostly wondering the answers to above questions and any advice for capture. Where we live here is very rural.:'( Many ppl feed birds outdoors erc... but lots ax nd lots of woods and trees and back roads so just hard to know. He could be in the middle if a woods and never hear us, that's why I was so elated at the ***possibility **** of a sighting in town.

Jojo is a primarily white budgie w blue on his underbelly/back and black on his face and wings.

Any help? Please? THANK YOU!

 

[expressmailtome]

Bump.

 

[Birdbabe]

Keep looking! If hes friendly, he may go to someone else too. Ask around, put up flyers, check lost and found on Craig's list, or whatever other site you may have there. Alert local vet offices, I dearly hope you get him back.

 

[sunnysmom]

I hope you find him. Put up flyers. Contact local vet's offices, any animal rescues, police department, neighbors, etc.

 

[EkkieLu]

Put out a LOT of food to attract birdies. When one Bird spots goodies, they all zero in on it too!

 

[Gribouille]

when mine flew away last year, I used the local facebook sites about lost pets. Got both of them back after 3 and 4 days, they had obviously been seen several places around but inside a 1 kms range.
This Summer a lost budgie was spotted on those sites and I went to try and catch her but never managed. She was about 2-3 kms from her home after 10 days.
But it was Summer in both cases and there was plenty of food. In Winter your bird would have to search further for bird feeders, and if the wind is helping I guess it is possible he flew that far... Budgies are not territorial and they are unable to find back home on their own.

Good luck in your search!

 

[mutlus]

i had a budgie who managed to run away 3 times and he always came back home somehow he found a way to open his cage door so till we got how he ran away he already escaped 3 times.another one as soon as he saw me changing food he escaped from small space where i put bird bowl.i had never seen him again.best chance he will go to a house around your place if not sadly i dont think they can live outside long.i always check birds when i am opening doors and windows and i put lock on cage doors.i never change bowls outside or when windows are open.i learned from mistake.what happened is happened you should move on somehowsearch for him as long as you can of course doing everything you can is better than doing nothing and regret.

 

[mutlus]

in here people use this way for ran away birds.put a cage to balcony or garden or around where he was last seen with food and stuff in it and they leave lights on.some of them put bird sounds in cage to attach them.you can try this.

 

[NK_717]

I'm sorry ): I'll paste info I give others here:

Put fliers up and alert vets/pet stores/animal shelters within 25-30 miles. Birds can fly far when scared unfortunately but most seem to stick around in that range for a few weeks. Also post on Parrot Alert, it's an amazing site for lost birds. If you use Facebook post in the community group for your area and pet related groups.

Put a spare cage out with propped door open on top of a bright color towel to make it easily visible to your bird if they're in the area. Won't hurt to put some treats in it too.
Play calls of the species your bird is or make noises it likes and would respond to.

Before the sun rises is when birds are getting up and ready to move so a good time to look. At night they will likely tuck in and go to sleep, staying quiet to avoid predator attention.

 

[Budgiebabymama]

Thank you all so very much for your thoughtful replies. Jojo has been gone 9 days today and we are still just devastated. Might sound silly to some but it is what it is. If we were hone....he was out. When ready, we will get another....and believe me will have learned. We had already learned a lot from reading when getting jojo and got rid of all my teflon, replaced w copper, about self-cleaning oven,aerosol sprays, perfumes, the list goes on and on as you know!...candles(HATED that one as I dearly love candles...havent been able to burn one since he's been gone...it feels disloyal somehow!! Weird, I know. Believe me.) Would gladly give up just! about anything to have him back. But anyway...my husband has learned his lesson and we will both be SO vigilant...we couldn't go through this again. Our biggest heartbreak, and it haunts us, is how he suffered. It is Winter in northern WI. Most days and nights temps have been moderate...warm for this time of year...but not for Jojo. We can't bear to think of predators... or esp.him being alone...cold...wondering where his "flock" went. We know he loved us and we are just destroyed at what he would have gone through. I want to say is going through so I don't feel I've given up....but it's more unbearable for us to think he's out there suffering. Now that I have an hour left at work and am a blubbering mess again, I shall sign off. I didn't proofread here. So please excuse mistakes....and thank you ALL once again.♡

 

[NK_717]

Budgies are tough little birds. They are constantly being found here even in cold weather...if he liked people he's bound to find someone to stay with

 

[Budgiebabymama]

Even when it's in the lower teens inching to 0....snowing?

 

[Gribouille]

Even when it's in the lower teens inching to 0....snowing?

It has happened before: Budgie rescued after weeks spent outside braving Winnipeg winter | CBC News

 

[Jazzy*]

I have been trying to catch a budgie here in Ontario all month and its been down to -10 one night , and its still alive flying around. so yes they can withstand cold weather somehow.

 

[Sylvester]

I know you said you live in a rural area, but have you contacted the people who live around you? I have a feeling where there is a bird feeder and birds, there will be Jojo.

 

[Hawkward]

I am so sorry to hear about your budgie, so heartbreaking. Don't beat yourselves up so much though. Mistakes happen even to the best.

I do second the idea to talk to your neighbors. More sets of eyes to keep a look out never hurts, especially, yeah like said above, people with bird feeders!

 

[Fergus Mom]

@Budgiebabymama - this is truly heartbreaking and I am devastated for you! But the same gal who posted here in this thread managed to capture a budgie outside her home in Ontario after a number of days! (I think I counted over 3 weeks) @Jazzy* right? I am hoping and praying your Jojo will come back somehow. You can read that post here: spotted a lost budgie | Page 3 | Avian Avenue Parrot Forum