Lost Lovebird

mh434

New member
Oct 28, 2014
473
9
BC, Canada
Parrots
Yellow-naped Amazon "Sammy"
Love birds (4)
Green-cheeked Conure "Skittles" - now, sadly gone from my life
Blue-Crowned Conure "Tequila"
African Grey "Reno" - sadly, now gone from my life
I doubt there are many forum people in my area, but I need to post this anyway, just in case. We live in the Sooke, British Columbia area (just outside Victoria, BC).

On Sunday night, we were entrusted with the long-term fostering of a pair of Peach-faced Lovies. We were told they were secured in a small cage, and there was a larger cage we could have for our trouble. When we got there, we found they'd moved the little ones into the large cage, and disposed of the small cage. We really had to wrestle the big cage into our car.

When we got home, and tried to get the big cage out of the car, it fell apart. Both birds flew out, around the inside of the car. We managed to catch one, but couldn't find the other. We finally located him under the driver's seat, but when my wife opened the door to try to flush him out, he flew out the door, and 30' up in a cedar tree.

I put the cage in the driveway with the remaining bird in it, to try to coax the other one down. He did, after an hour or so, come down to the cage, but flew off when we tried to approach the cage.

It was horrible! He flew to the top of a larger tree, a hundred yards away (and over 100' up), and kept calling to the one in the cage, who desperately kept calling back. Over the space of a couple of hours (now, approaching darkness), he flew further and further away, stopping to call to his mate. Eventually, his voice was so faint (probably 1/4 mile away), we couldn't even determine where he was. He did fly by, once, after dark, but wouldn't approach the house. I haven't seen or heard him since.

Over the past few days, we've tried everything - for example, putting his mate's cage just inside a window, open far enough for the other one to get in - but no luck.

I've posted him on every forum, Facebook site, veterinarian, and animal control site there is in the area, without a single word.

I suspect he's probably dead now. He's young (only a year old), was going through his first major molt (doesn't have much down), and it's been down to freezing, alternating with heavy rain & wind, since he left. He'll have no idea how to find food if it's not in a stainless steel dish.

Unfortunately, the owners had decided that, although both were originally clipped & very hand-tamed, as the birds had each other, there was no need of bird/people interaction, so he won't come to people. I'm hoping that if he gets hungry enough, he might, but I have my doubts. He has absolutely no idea about predators, either, and we have lots of owls, Cooper's hawks, feral cats, crows, ravens, eagles, etc. around our house.

His mate called endlessly for 3 days, but now has given up. She just sits on her perch, not making a sound. It's heartbreaking!! She's getting old (11 years old, at least) and I don't know if she can survive this.

Anyway, here's a picture of the remaining one (we didn't even have the missing little one long enough to take a picture), as they look much alike. Their heads are very red, as in the picture.

P3290035.jpg
 
Last edited:

RavensGryf

Supporting Member
Jan 19, 2014
14,233
190
College Station, Texas
Parrots
Red Bellied Parrot /
Ruppell's Parrot /
Bronze Winged Pionus /
English Budgie
I am so sorry. Poor remaining Lovie calling for 3 days is now silent. :( What is a "long term foster"? I understand the word foster, but "long term", is it essentially like they gave them to you to keep? Do they know about this? Very heartbreaking, but it was an accident.
 

SilverSage

New member
Sep 14, 2013
5,937
93
Columbus, GA
Parrots
Eclectus, CAG, BH Pionus, Maximilian’s Pionus, Quakers, Indian Ringnecks, Green Cheeked Conures, Black Capped Conures, Cockatiels, Lovebirds, Budgies, Canaries, Diamond Doves, Zebra Finches, Society F
How heart breaking! You are doing all the right things.
 

Terry57

Moderator
Staff member
Super Moderator
Nov 6, 2013
47,515
Media
47
Albums
13
38,729
Spruce Grove, Alberta, Canada
Parrots
Hawkhead(Darwin),YCA(Dexter),VE (Ekko),OWA(Slater),BHP(Talli),DYH(Calypso),RLA(Kimera),Alex(Xander)CBC(Phoe),IRN (Kodee,Luna,Stevie),WCP (Pisces),CAG(Justice)GCC (Jax), GSC2(Charley)
What a sad situation:( I am so sorry this happened.
I hope someone found him and took him in, and that he will be returned to you.
My heart is breaking for his mate as well.
 
OP
mh434

mh434

New member
Oct 28, 2014
473
9
BC, Canada
Parrots
Yellow-naped Amazon "Sammy"
Love birds (4)
Green-cheeked Conure "Skittles" - now, sadly gone from my life
Blue-Crowned Conure "Tequila"
African Grey "Reno" - sadly, now gone from my life
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #6
I am so sorry. Poor remaining Lovie calling for 3 days is now silent. :( What is a "long term foster"? I understand the word foster, but "long term", is it essentially like they gave them to you to keep? Do they know about this? Very heartbreaking, but it was an accident.
The situation is a bit unusual. The guy who owned them is moving in with a new girlfriend, and she hates birds. As he's not totally certain this will work out long-term, he more or less said that if it doesn't, he might want them back.

We did let him know the night it happened. Offhand, I'd say he's not one of us "hard-core" birders, as his response was "Well, sometimes I think it would be better if they weren't in cages, and were just set free anyway."

Or, maybe he was trying to make us feel better, I don't know.

Many, many tears shed so far at our house. I keep wandering the neighborhood, but he's so well camouflaged in all the fir & cedar trees around here, if he's quiet he's invisible.

I put up a ton of color posters in the area, too, offering a reward for his return. No responses so far, but I'm still clutching at hope.

Does anyone know how far Lovies stray? I don't even know how far he might have gone!
 

RavensGryf

Supporting Member
Jan 19, 2014
14,233
190
College Station, Texas
Parrots
Red Bellied Parrot /
Ruppell's Parrot /
Bronze Winged Pionus /
English Budgie
Okay, I see the situation ;). Im glad he wasn't mad at you and your wife. Sounds like he only half cared anyway. You are doing about all you can to get him back. Again, so sorry you're going through this.
 

Allee

Well-known member
Oct 27, 2013
16,852
Media
2
212
Texas
Parrots
U2-Poppy(Poppy lives with her new mommy, Misty now) CAG-Jack, YNA, Bingo, Budgie-Piper, Cockatiel-Sweet Pea Quakers-Harry, Sammy, Wilson ***Zeke (quaker) Twinkle (budgie) forever in our hearts
I'm so sorry, what an awful thing to happen. Sometimes when pet birds start to get weak, they will go to a human for help, hopefully that's what happened with this little one. I feel so bad for you and the remaining lovie. I know it's hard, please try not to lose hope. We are all hoping with you for the little guy's safe return.
 

IMSA87

New member
Apr 4, 2015
12
0
Kingwood Tx
Parrots
3 year old male Military Macaw(buster) , 5 year old female yellow cheek cockatiel (cleo), 16 year old male white face cockatiel (frosty)
Hope you find your friend. if you do happen to see him try spraying a mist bottle into the air, my old pearl cockatiel got out once and I did this she came right now and landed on my shoulder. Also by their color (I think correct me if I'm wrong as I don't know much about love birds) if they both are this color they are both male, I grew up with love birds before heavily getting into birds and we had about 6 of them. 3 green and red 3 yellow and at one point has a blue with a white face and the multi colored ones.
 
Last edited:

Most Reactions

Top