Outdoor Parakeet Aviary

[MnGuy]

@Destiny Thank you for such a thorough explanation and all the great photos! This aviary is amazing!

 

[Sparkles99]

Who's the green budgie hanging upside down from the millet in your (?) hand?!

 

[Destiny]

That's my brave boy, Kiwi. He is a millet fiend.

 

[Pepebirdie]

honestly the button quail are my favorite they are so adorable!

 

[April]

I just read through this entire thread! What an inspiring vision that was able to come true! I'm sorry for all your losses but the journey that you and your flock has been on has been so interesting to read! This has seriously been one of my favorite threads to ever read on AA.
I look forward to the future updates

 

[Destiny]

Well, I wasn't planning on making another update so soon, but the weather had other plans. We've been experiencing some extreme weather conditions over the last couple of weeks. The snow is gone, replaced by lots of cold rain and risk of floods. The ground is completely saturated. If you dig a hole, it fills up with ground water almost immediately because the water table is so high. Drainage ditches are overflowing and my usual route to work is blocked by water on the roadway. Last night, our area was hit by a bad wind storm. High winds and wet ground is not a great combination. We didn't lose power this time, but we did lose a couple trees and some big tree limbs. One of those limbs came off a large fir tree that is next to the aviary. It missed the main part of the aviary, but hit the roof on one side and damaged the exterior wall. Thankfully, the structural damage wasn't that bad, all things considered, and I was able to immediately repair it with supplies I have on-hand.

Unfortunately, I am missing three parakeets. Misty, Snowball, and June are not in the aviary, so I assume they escaped through the damaged area before I checked on the aviary this morning. The roofing material had separated from the frame enough to create a small gap that a bird could wiggle through The quail and finches are all accounted for and no one was injured or dead, thank God. The inside of the aviary is untouched and the roof is still water-tight. If not for the escaped birds, I would consider myself lucky. It could have been much worse, if the branch had landed differently or if the roof was more badly damaged.

I've searched the surrounding area, notified my neighbors, and put out food/water near the aviary in the hopes that they are still nearby. However, considering the high wind conditions, they could be pretty far away and unable to get back. It is dark now and there has been no sighting reported on our local Facebook page.

On the upside, it is not as cold right now as it was last week, but it is still the middle of winter and will freeze again. I am very worried that if I don't find them soon, it will be too late.

 

[MR. Mango]

Don’t blame yourself there’s nothing you could have done, maybe try placing some empty cages outside or food that they like/ are familiar with, sending lots of prayers

 

[April]

Well, I wasn't planning on making another update so soon, but the weather had other plans. We've been experiencing some extreme weather conditions over the last couple of weeks. The snow is gone, replaced by lots of cold rain and risk of floods. The ground is completely saturated. If you dig a hole, it fills up with ground water almost immediately because the water table is so high. Drainage ditches are overflowing and my usual route to work is blocked by water on the roadway. Last night, our area was hit by a bad wind storm. High winds and wet ground is not a great combination. We didn't lose power this time, but we did lose a couple trees and some big tree limbs. One of those limbs came off a large fir tree that is next to the aviary. It missed the main part of the aviary, but hit the roof on one side and damaged the exterior wall. Thankfully, the structural damage wasn't that bad, all things considered, and I was able to immediately repair it with supplies I have on-hand.

Unfortunately, I am missing three parakeets. Misty, Snowball, and June are not in the aviary, so I assume they escaped through the damaged area before I checked on the aviary this morning. The roofing material had separated from the frame enough to create a small gap that a bird could wiggle through The quail and finches are all accounted for and no one was injured or dead, thank God. The inside of the aviary is untouched and the roof is still water-tight. If not for the escaped birds, I would consider myself lucky. It could have been much worse, if the branch had landed differently or if the roof was more badly damaged.

I've searched the surrounding area, notified my neighbors, and put out food/water near the aviary in the hopes that they are still nearby. However, considering the high wind conditions, they could be pretty far away and unable to get back. It is dark now and there has been no sighting reported on our local Facebook page.

On the upside, it is not as cold right now as it was last week, but it is still the middle of winter and will freeze again. I am very worried that if I don't find them soon, it will be too late.

Oh my goodness I'm so very sorry to hear this . Thank goodness that it wasn't damaged worse and that the rest of the flock was safe. I really hope your able to find your missing little ones.

 

[Sodapop&Co.]

Oh no, I'm sorry that you've lost the three through this accident. I hope they find their way to safety!

 

[Destiny]

Don’t blame yourself there’s nothing you could have done, maybe try placing some empty cages outside or food that they like/ are familiar with, sending lots of prayers

I feel terrible, but I know you are right. I am glad it wasn't worse. Now I just need to do what I can to get them back.

I've got food out in several spots. Hoping they are still close by, but so far, I haven't seen any sign of them. I've also put the word out in my community, so if someone else sees them, I am hoping that I will hear about it. My missing girls are all clearly not wild birds. Parakeets are not native to my area and they are are all blue with other visible mutations - anyone who sees them should be able to tell immediately that they are someone's lost pet. With my finches or quail, I would have no hope of rescue, since most people would just assume they were unusual-looking wild birds and they are too flighty to let someone catch them.

My parakeets are not super hand-tame, but they do recognize people as a potential food source. They are used to visitors bring millet sprays and other goodies to the aviary, so it is possible they might approach a stranger, if they are hungry. Snowball is especially bold. Misty is pretty shy. June is somewhere in between those two. My hope is that they will seek out people and someone will be able to help them. Even if they can't find their way back to me, I just want them to be somewhere safe.

 

[Sodapop&Co.]

My parakeets are not super hand-tame, but they do recognize people as a potential food source. They are used to visitors bring millet sprays and other goodies to the aviary, so it is possible they might approach a stranger, if they are hungry. Snowball is especially bold. Misty is pretty shy. June is somewhere in between those two. My hope is that they will seek out people and someone will be able to help them. Even if they can't find their way back to me, I just want them to be somewhere safe.

I had two aviary doves escape once. They were not handtame but they knew me as a food source and came back for food and let me catch them. I hope the same thing happens with your budgies!

 

[tka]

I'm so sorry that the three escaped. I hope you manage to find them or, at least, they make their way to someone who will care for them.

 

[expressmailtome]

I am very sorry to hear about your three budgies.

 

[Kassiani]

I'm relieved you and your family are OK and that the aviary didn't suffer any more damage than it did. I hope you will be able to find your 3 missing budgies! We have had similar weather here, but not as cold. Lots of rain followed by very strong winds Sunday/Monday (like 50 - 60 mph).

 

[KeetQueen]

I can't tell you how many times I have read through this thread! Your aviary is my dream come true! I have three budgies, so I hope I can build them an aviary at some point too. I think that the more natural a bird's life, the happier they are. Thank you for all the detailed updates and beautiful pictures!

 

[Dio]

Sorry to hear about your 3 budgies. I hope you, or someone in your area finds them and returns them to you safely. I absolutely love the aviary though! Definitely a dream of mine to have something like that

 

[April]

Well, I wasn't planning on making another update so soon, but the weather had other plans. We've been experiencing some extreme weather conditions over the last couple of weeks. The snow is gone, replaced by lots of cold rain and risk of floods. The ground is completely saturated. If you dig a hole, it fills up with ground water almost immediately because the water table is so high. Drainage ditches are overflowing and my usual route to work is blocked by water on the roadway. Last night, our area was hit by a bad wind storm. High winds and wet ground is not a great combination. We didn't lose power this time, but we did lose a couple trees and some big tree limbs. One of those limbs came off a large fir tree that is next to the aviary. It missed the main part of the aviary, but hit the roof on one side and damaged the exterior wall. Thankfully, the structural damage wasn't that bad, all things considered, and I was able to immediately repair it with supplies I have on-hand.

Unfortunately, I am missing three parakeets. Misty, Snowball, and June are not in the aviary, so I assume they escaped through the damaged area before I checked on the aviary this morning. The roofing material had separated from the frame enough to create a small gap that a bird could wiggle through The quail and finches are all accounted for and no one was injured or dead, thank God. The inside of the aviary is untouched and the roof is still water-tight. If not for the escaped birds, I would consider myself lucky. It could have been much worse, if the branch had landed differently or if the roof was more badly damaged.

I've searched the surrounding area, notified my neighbors, and put out food/water near the aviary in the hopes that they are still nearby. However, considering the high wind conditions, they could be pretty far away and unable to get back. It is dark now and there has been no sighting reported on our local Facebook page.

On the upside, it is not as cold right now as it was last week, but it is still the middle of winter and will freeze again. I am very worried that if I don't find them soon, it will be too late.

Any updates? Have there been any sightings of your little ones?

 

[Destiny]

Unfortunately, no. I have nothing to report. No sighting of the missing birds by myself or any of my neighbors. I'm still leaving out millet sprays, much to the delight of our native finch population, but the parakeets haven't returned.

I hope they are doing okay, where ever they are.

 

[April]

Unfortunately, no. I have nothing to report. No sighting of the missing birds by myself or any of my neighbors. I'm still leaving out millet sprays, much to the delight of our native finch population, but the parakeets haven't returned.

I hope they are doing okay, where ever they are.

I'm so very sorry to hear this. I'm sure they joined up with some wild birds and are thriving. I still hope they will come home to you someday

 

[Destiny]

Me too. I haven't given up hope. It is just such a terrible time of year for this to happen. The nights are too cold.