Catching a stressed Alexandrine, advice please

Hello everyone

Last Wednesday Alexandrine escaped, I tracked her for about an hour, but she was just in such a panic she kept flying off. I plastered her over Facebook, lost sites, contacted vets. Nothing. Saturday, I got a call locating her, she had flown 10 miles to a small town!

To give you a bit of a background, she hates being handled due to a rough start in life getting passed from home to home. She is also very scared of people, except for me.

I have spent all weekend in the area being sent frequent sightings (she also is a noisy girl may I add) and it does seem she is staying locally now. Unfortunately, I was always one step behind her, by the time I have got there she had always moved on.

I finally found her last night, she called to me and circled around above my head before landing in a tree. This is now my issue; she is in the highest trees and tries to come down but gets so far and flees to another nearby tree! Her cage is big and bulky but I’ve managed to borrow a van I can keep it in so I can go out when needed, but yesterday she was in the middle of a field I would have had no chance of getting it there. Eventually she fled out of sight, it became dark, so I reluctantly went home. By what I’ve been told she stayed very local to those trees last night.

I’m an absolute wreck at the moment. I’ve been trawling threads for people who have caught their birds, but my girl is so skittish it’s making me feel hopeless. What do I do if I can’t get her down? I can’t just leave her.

Any advice is greatly appreciated, thank you.

I'm so sorry to hear this, and for you to have come so close to catching her must be doubly gut-wrenching for you.

Fb and it's local community pages is a great place to start, we recently had another member get their conure back the next day via that method. The other great one is Parrot Alert 911 which has a local "Lost & Found" register in the UK, I've included their link below...

https://www.parrotalert.com/

We lost an IRN back in the days before the internet and got him back the same day by posting paper flyers in every letterbox in our neighbourhood. He landed on a balcony only about 2 streets over. The following link has lots of other great ideas too...

http://www.parrotforums.com/lost-found/49129-bring-them-home-tips-locating-lost-bird.html

Lost birds are sometimes located weeks and months later. Although Rio may ordinarily be quite skittish, in an extreme situation like this she may be tempted to land on a friendly looking human and be taken in.

Please let us know if there's anything else we can do to help. Sending every good wish and hope to you for your baby's safe return!

Parrot 911alert has tips on how to get birds to come down from trees.
I do temper them saying to try and get them to come to you at an angle nit straight down. To stay with them and Ben camp under the tree st night if possible

Oh I’m so wanting you to get your baby back!!!!

Mine is lost and I haven’t any sightings or sounds in weeks just gutted... so I really want yiu to have success

Do you know anyone with parrots who could bring theirs in a cage ? It might help

I dearly wish you a quick and successful reunification with Rio. The threads posted by LaManuke are comprehensive techniques, but the last bit of distance once sighted can be frustrating. I assume you've brought her favorite treats. If you have recordings of her voice or chattering, perhaps broadcasting through a megaphone or other sound amplification device might encourage her. Or perhaps the calls of Alexandrines in general?

We're here for you, please keep us updated. Most importantly, keep searching and you may need to broaden the notification area if she's flying distances.

You can buy live bird traps..never used one..not sure if that might work....as a last resort

Try going early to the place where you know she is and putting down food (white bread might work best, as it's highly visible). It will attract other birds and may attract Rio: she should be hungry by now.

If she comes for the food, set up a large cardboard box propped up with a stout stick. Remove all food except that which is right underneath the box. Maybe a few grains outside as visible bait. Have a long (long enough for you to be quite out of the picture) string attached to the stick. Then, be patient and just wait. If Rio comes down for the food (hopefully, given confidence by other birds), it's a simple matter to pull the string and catch her.

I've caught many birds in this way, both wild and tame. All it takes is patience.

I was lucky enough to get my Barney (Alexandrine) back after a month lost in the wild. I hope like mad your Rio comes home with you very soon! XX

Thank you so much for your replies. It's heartbreaking to see and hear her so close. Unfortunately the Facebook group for the town seem to find the whole thing hilarious and I've been bombarded with silly and insensitive messages.

I went to the spot last night for about 4 hours, saw her briefly and she began talking to me. I slowly approached with her treat tub and she fled. She is staying local to an apple orchard and was happily munching away. I've set her cage up there, so will head back later and see if I have any joy. It just seems like she doesn't want to come back

I'm so sorry to hear she's escaped, but it's great that you've seen her and she's seen you.

The actual catching is going to be a physical act, if you see what I mean, she isn'tgoing to climb into her cage and wait in there for you. The above tip about the box seems like a really good one, although I wonder if you could use a travel cage or something that lets the light in so she won't be scared to go in.

What does she like more than apples? If she's getting those for free you need something of higher value to tempt her.

Putting a load of her absolute favourite treat inside her cage might work too. You could then tie a very long piece of string to the door and pull it (and hold it) closed while you approach once she's in there. She will also be familiar with her cage while other birds are likely to be more wary so it might work to single her out.

Put the box/cage at a distance from the tree she's in, not at the base of it. Then I guess it's just a matter of waiting and watching from a good distance away, out of sight from her if you can. If you can't stay or it gets dark close the cage so she can't get in and eat while you're away.

Best of luck!

la_la_rebecca said:

Thank you so much for your replies. It's heartbreaking to see and hear her so close. Unfortunately the Facebook group for the town seem to find the whole thing hilarious and I've been bombarded with silly and insensitive messages.

I went to the spot last night for about 4 hours, saw her briefly and she began talking to me. I slowly approached with her treat tub and she fled. She is staying local to an apple orchard and was happily munching away. I've set her cage up there, so will head back later and see if I have any joy. It just seems like she doesn't want to come back

Click to expand...

Jottlebot said:

I'm so sorry to hear she's escaped, but it's great that you've seen her and she's seen you.

The actual catching is going to be a physical act, if you see what I mean, she isn'tgoing to climb into her cage and wait in there for you. The above tip about the box seems like a really good one, although I wonder if you could use a travel cage or something that lets the light in so she won't be scared to go in.

What does she like more than apples? If she's getting those for free you need something of higher value to tempt her.

Putting a load of her absolute favourite treat inside her cage might work too. You could then tie a very long piece of string to the door and pull it (and hold it) closed while you approach once she's in there. She will also be familiar with her cage while other birds are likely to be more wary so it might work to single her out.

Put the box/cage at a distance from the tree she's in, not at the base of it. Then I guess it's just a matter of waiting and watching from a good distance away, out of sight from her if you can. If you can't stay or it gets dark close the cage so she can't get in and eat while you're away.

Best of luck!

Click to expand...

Hard to understand the mind of an avian, whether Rio sees this as a game or a new found extension of her life.

Agree with the physicality of capture and need for high value lure. That Rio is communicating with you seems a good sign.

Dear la la rebecca, I feel for you. Over the years I have had a GCC get out by family and he helped himself to a neighbors picnic lunch.They caught him with a laundry basket and i had posted his loss on local site. I also had husband let out parrolett which was caught by neighbor boys. In both cases happy wiser bird returned. What I did was really pray. Birds are funny creatures at times but they remember who cared for them.My thoughts are with you.Start to see him return in your imagination. It can't hurt. Blessings Bonita

I'm spending every single free minute I have at her now chosen location, occasionally getting eyes/ears on her but she is very high in the tree tops 90% of the time.

Prior to this, only my partner and I could get close to her. Visitors used to terrify her, and she would become inconsolable (we were working on that). Her loud calls obviously attracts people attention, and as soon as she sees them...off she goes again.

She has never flown or intentionally landed below eye level at home so I cannot personally see her flying to the ground. As for boxes, she was always scared of these at home. Her cage was her castle, this is now set up in an apple orchard which she has been spotted in.

I've tried every one of her favourite food stuffs but she didn't seem to bat an eyelid. This really is seeming like an impossible task right now. I feel such a failure as an owner that I can't get her

Oh sweetie I feel your pain! Yiu are doing great!

Set up a standing perch next to you, if you don’t have one make one. Something she can land on near yiu . Attach food bowls, her toys eat. Then set yourself up next to it and have a big plate if human food if she likes that and yiu have shared with her or she stolen goid from yiu. Have a big shallow fish of water yiu splash around in that she might be tempted for a bath....

Maybe a shirt latter the ones just bigger than a step latter that have that square flat top shelf . Use that and turn into a play stand perch . With toys food dishes maybe that will help lure her down to yiu while you are talking to her.. tho I think you mentioned how you have hauled her cage around.... would the cage fit on one of those latter shelf’s? Get it a little closer to her so she will come land on it ? This is for while you are there trying to call her down to yiu, not to try and trap her in the cage, but to use as the familiar object to draw her to yiu give her a place to land till yiu can have her step up to you

I want this to be happy ending !!!

I keep trying to even find my baby ......

If you know where she is and have seen her, then maybe you could contact a bird-watching group or university, where someone might have a cannon net (or, indeed, any kind of mist net used for catching and banding birds). I'm sure, given the situation, people would be willing to help you catch her. Maybe you could make some enquiries with your local vet and/or any birding groups in your area?

Betrisher said:

If you know where she is and have seen her, then maybe you could contact a bird-watching group or university, where someone might have a cannon net (or, indeed, any kind of mist net used for catching and banding birds). I'm sure, given the situation, people would be willing to help you catch her. Maybe you could make some enquiries with your local vet and/or any birding groups in your area?

Click to expand...

This is my next port of call - I'm just waiting to hear back from one who may be able to help apparently. I'm keeping everything crossed!!

Where are you located? Someone found what looks to be a ringneck. Is this your bird?


QUOTE=la_la_rebecca;880752]Hello everyone

Last Wednesday Alexandrine escaped, I tracked her for about an hour, but she was just in such a panic she kept flying off. I plastered her over Facebook, lost sites, contacted vets. Nothing. Saturday, I got a call locating her, she had flown 10 miles to a small town!

To give you a bit of a background, she hates being handled due to a rough start in life getting passed from home to home. She is also very scared of people, except for me.

I have spent all weekend in the area being sent frequent sightings (she also is a noisy girl may I add) and it does seem she is staying locally now. Unfortunately, I was always one step behind her, by the time I have got there she had always moved on.

I finally found her last night, she called to me and circled around above my head before landing in a tree. This is now my issue; she is in the highest trees and tries to come down but gets so far and flees to another nearby tree! Her cage is big and bulky but I’ve managed to borrow a van I can keep it in so I can go out when needed, but yesterday she was in the middle of a field I would have had no chance of getting it there. Eventually she fled out of sight, it became dark, so I reluctantly went home. By what I’ve been told she stayed very local to those trees last night.

I’m an absolute wreck at the moment. I’ve been trawling threads for people who have caught their birds, but my girl is so skittish it’s making me feel hopeless. What do I do if I can’t get her down? I can’t just leave her.

Any advice is greatly appreciated, thank you.[/QUOTE]

Littleredbeak said:

Where are you located? Someone found what looks to be a ringneck. Is this your bird?

Click to expand...

Rio is a female Alexandrine, I think the bird found is a male ringneck. Thank you though