Leaving your birds outside of their cage

buurd

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Is it ok to let my birds have the room to themselves while I am away for the day?

I ask this in retrospect, because i have been doing this for a year now. IF I have to leave the house for 1 hour or 10, I close the door and let them have the room. The windows are covered except for where they perch, nothing electrical is running, no mirrors, no weird bits laying about. These arent big or even medium parrots, they're Bourkes, so a tiny bit smaller than budgies. They are unclipped, but dont spend a great deal of time flying. They like to hop around and bathe, explore the floor, jump on things and explore and when they are tired, they go back to their cages and perch.
I have noticed that they aren't bothered by thunderstorms, fireworks, construction or truck noises, so I don't forsee them ever panicking from that.
I guess I'm asking because I have noticed that a lot of larger parrot owners on here are concerned about leaving their birds out of their cages and wonder if I am missing thinking of something that could endanger my birds.
 

LaManuka

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This is one of those “individual results may vary” type situations. If you’re sure your birds won’t get themselves into trouble or chew on anything potentially hazardous then they may do just fine free-ranging in your home. My Fang and Val would be almost 100% trustworthy as neither of them seem to be interested in chewing stuff or wedging themselves into tiny spaces from whence I’d never be able to extract them. Lilly Pilly on the other hand - I cannot so much as go out into my backyard for 10 minutes to hang my laundry out without caging her. Even though she has the other two to play with she’d WAY rather burrow into somewhere totally unreachable the second she’s left unsupervised!

So I guess if you’re sure your little guys are happy to just chill while you’re gone and you’re prepared to accept the idea that sometimes totally random things can happen then go for it. I’ve left my two trustworthy ones out for a few hours a couple of times and they’ve been just fine. Their only source of food and water is inside the cage so they don’t tend to stray too far. But that maniac Lilly Pilly - never!!
 
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charmedbyekkie

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Cairo is a true toddler. The silly bird can be in a room full of toys he loves and entertaining humans he enjoys, and he'll still try to lick the wall.....
 

SailBoat

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In their natural range, Parrots free range everyday and are faced with serious dangers. Reality, some die but the vast majority survive.
Free Ranging in our homes offer many of the same dangers and some additional ones due to the collective gathering of chemicals, electrical wires and cords, etc...
We have a DYH Amazon and at 500g he is a fairly good size Parrot. In addition, he is fully flighted and one strong guy. And, he is 100% Free Ranging and Free Flighted with in our home. This comes with great risks and a home wide effort in keeping ones home as Bird Safe as possible.
I do not recommend this life style for everyone and/or every Parrot. We see this as an earned activity, not unlike shoulder time. Some Parrots should never be allowed on ones shoulder and other Parrots rapidly earn this trust.
To keep this short, I see this as a very individual choice in which ones Parrot provides clear examples of being trustworthy being out and about whether in a room, sections of a home, or a full home.

Understand, if one does not keep the home Parrot Safe, coming home to a dead Parrot is a real possibility.
 

itzjbean

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Some people have bird-proof rooms that only the birds are allowed in and they are allowed to free roam outside the cage in that room all day.

I don't have an extra room to devote to my birds yet and if I let them out of the cage in the living room all day, I would come home to dead birds!

I have tweo cats and a dog as well who share the space, so they can not be trusted with the birds alone. SO I keep the birds safely caged all day until I get home from work. Its just something I could never do with so many hazards in my house, but some do own only birds and make it work.

This does come with great risk even if you don't have other animals -- they could fly into a window, chew something they aren't supposed to chew on or worse (drown in the toilet, land somewhere they can't escape, chew on a wire, etc.) the list goes on. I just couldn't risk it in my house but I know many people do. The key I think is to bird-proofing the space before you decide to leave. But even with preventative measures taken, there is still risk. You could come home to a dead bird and have NO idea what happened. Same principle as leaving atoddler out by him or herself all day....just not advised but some do it anyway.
 
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Flboy

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This is something I couldn’t get away with my JoJo! He will burrow into anything! Clueless to risks of entrapment! Latest adventures? He got behind the drawers in a tall dresser, one that the drawers can’t be removed! Loves exploring open drawers, what could go wrong?
The last one almost sent me to the ER with a heart attack! He was playing in the kitchen, on top of the cabinets, a nice, safe, spot! Well something I forgot about, the way cabinets are installed, there is a space behind them! Well, he is busy playing around on the top, and he suddenly pops his head out the bottom!
 

Kiwibird

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As others have said, it varies by bird if they are trustworthy enough to be out unattended and there are always risks (though they can be mitigated to a certain extent). Our amazon is also free range, though not flighted. He has a large area encompassing his oversized cage, a play tree and hanging boing swing he hangs out in during the day. His cage has a small breeder door on the side he is fully capable of opening and closing himself, so he comes and goes as he pleases all day long. He actually closes his little door behind himself when he naps in his cage during the afternoon and at bedtime. While he is fully capable of climbing down off his cage and going to get into trouble, he never does. Interestingly, long before he was free range during the day, there were a few occasions in which he did escape his locked cage, and ended up in places he absolutely shouldn’t have been doing things he shouldn’t have been. With more freedom, he has gained better self control and learned the rules of the home. His freedom evolved naturally too, first we’d just leave the room for a second (like to go to the bathroom), then as time went on, whenever we we home, then when we ran short errands until eventually there became no need to cage him at all. He was trustworthy. We also accept there are risks, but we keep our home as bird proof as possible- hidden cords, no dangerous chemicals, no easily accessible dangerous things like scissors, pens, pins, paint etc... We also do not have any dangerous pets like dogs or cats and the aquariums (and toilet) are always covered.

I would say as long as you have done some bird proofing and you understand there are risks to a cage free lifestyle, your birds are probably fine if they’ve been free range for a year anyways. I would strongly reconsider if you have any other pets in the home that could eat them though.
 
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buurd

buurd

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This is one of those “individual results may vary” type situations. If you’re sure your birds won’t get themselves into trouble or chew on anything potentially hazardous then they may do just fine free-ranging in your home. My Fang and Val would be almost 100% trustworthy as neither of them seem to be interested in chewing stuff or wedging themselves into tiny spaces from whence I’d never be able to extract them. Lilly Pilly on the other hand - I cannot so much as go out into my backyard for 10 minutes to hang my laundry out without caging her. Even though she has the other two to play with she’d WAY rather burrow into somewhere totally unreachable the second she’s left unsupervised!

So I guess if you’re sure your little guys are happy to just chill while you’re gone and you’re prepared to accept the idea that sometimes totally random things can happen then go for it. I’ve left my two trustworthy ones out for a few hours a couple of times and they’ve been just fine. Their only source of food and water is inside the cage so they don’t tend to stray too far. But that maniac Lilly Pilly - never!!

I had no idea lorikeets were so crazy :p

Early on, there was one time when I came home and one was behind the dresser just walking around and the other was under the bed chilling next to the (unplugged, small) vacuum.
 
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buurd

buurd

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Cairo is a true toddler. The silly bird can be in a room full of toys he loves and entertaining humans he enjoys, and he'll still try to lick the wall.....

My little guys aren't so usually so inquisitive. I get excited if they even yawn :rolleyes:
 
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buurd

buurd

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In their natural range, Parrots free range everyday and are faced with serious dangers. Reality, some die but the vast majority survive.
Free Ranging in our homes offer many of the same dangers and some additional ones due to the collective gathering of chemicals, electrical wires and cords, etc...
We have a DYH Amazon and at 500g he is a fairly good size Parrot. In addition, he is fully flighted and one strong guy. And, he is 100% Free Ranging and Free Flighted with in our home. This comes with great risks and a home wide effort in keeping ones home as Bird Safe as possible.
I do not recommend this life style for everyone and/or every Parrot. We see this as an earned activity, not unlike shoulder time. Some Parrots should never be allowed on ones shoulder and other Parrots rapidly earn this trust.
To keep this short, I see this as a very individual choice in which ones Parrot provides clear examples of being trustworthy being out and about whether in a room, sections of a home, or a full home.

Understand, if one does not keep the home Parrot Safe, coming home to a dead Parrot is a real possibility.

Mine are tiny dino-fairies, and even I can feel the strength of their wings when they fly over my head. It's amazing.

I keep things minimalist in my home overall, but they are relegated only to their room, when I am out. I always do a walk-through before I leave them, to make sure the windows are secured, everything is unplugged or there is no new thing left behind in error, and I doubly make sure that the door is securely shut, because I have a dog, and these guys might be walking around on the floor at some point in the day.
I am pretty hyper-secure with my dog's safety also, but not like I am with the birds.
 
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buurd

buurd

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This is something I couldn’t get away with my JoJo! He will burrow into anything! Clueless to risks of entrapment! Latest adventures? He got behind the drawers in a tall dresser, one that the drawers can’t be removed! Loves exploring open drawers, what could go wrong?
The last one almost sent me to the ER with a heart attack! He was playing in the kitchen, on top of the cabinets, a nice, safe, spot! Well something I forgot about, the way cabinets are installed, there is a space behind them! Well, he is busy playing around on the top, and he suddenly pops his head out the bottom!
I've never seen them burrow into anything. There's nothing to get into but some empty boxes I leave for them to hop on and around. They seem to like exploring them for fun, but haven't tried to chew or stuff them with anything for a nest. My male especially loves bouncing up and down on the flaps :09:
 
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buurd

buurd

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As others have said, it varies by bird if they are trustworthy enough to be out unattended and there are always risks (though they can be mitigated to a certain extent). Our amazon is also free range, though not flighted. He has a large area encompassing his oversized cage, a play tree and hanging boing swing he hangs out in during the day. His cage has a small breeder door on the side he is fully capable of opening and closing himself, so he comes and goes as he pleases all day long. He actually closes his little door behind himself when he naps in his cage during the afternoon and at bedtime. While he is fully capable of climbing down off his cage and going to get into trouble, he never does. Interestingly, long before he was free range during the day, there were a few occasions in which he did escape his locked cage, and ended up in places he absolutely shouldn’t have been doing things he shouldn’t have been. With more freedom, he has gained better self control and learned the rules of the home. His freedom evolved naturally too, first we’d just leave the room for a second (like to go to the bathroom), then as time went on, whenever we we home, then when we ran short errands until eventually there became no need to cage him at all. He was trustworthy. We also accept there are risks, but we keep our home as bird proof as possible- hidden cords, no dangerous chemicals, no easily accessible dangerous things like scissors, pens, pins, paint etc... We also do not have any dangerous pets like dogs or cats and the aquariums (and toilet) are always covered.

I would say as long as you have done some bird proofing and you understand there are risks to a cage free lifestyle, your birds are probably fine if they’ve been free range for a year anyways. I would strongly reconsider if you have any other pets in the home that could eat them though.

Kiwi sounds like such a sweet birb :)

Yeah they've never ended up behind the dresser or under the bed, like that one time a year ago, so I guess they do learn; even the small ones :09:
They're most active during the mornings and at dusk. They'll come out of the cage and fly around for half a min or less in low light, at dusk, and even sometimes during the night, if I am up (I'm a bit of an insomniac).

Bourke's are prone to night terrors. I have noticed this. I have also noticed that it's usually the female, almost exclusively, and that on the nights that I am up, she will just wake up and sit in her doorway or fly around the room, and then maybe over to the window and sit up at the top of the drape. So I think it's normal for them to do do this in the wild. Their nest are usually not built in a tree, but in a low, hollowed tree stump. So it makes sense for them to get spooked sometimes at night and then fly up to a higher point.

All of this to say that, after a year, they have the room mapped out well enough to fly around sort of fast, in low light. At first, I was scared that they might fly into a wall or door or even each other, but they've never even come close to doing it.
 

ParrotGenie

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This really depends on the type of bird. The macaw that taking care of for someone don't put her in a cage as she pretty well behaved and she usually stay on tree stand that I built, but she can't fly to get fully down and will call me when she want to come out, due to previous owner kept her in a to small of a cage most of the time and her muscles deteriorated, but my Cockatoos and cockatiels I can't as there will be no room left as wood would be all destroyed as they can fly and get into trouble, but they get to spend time outside during the day, or let them loose supervised when home, or take with me. They are not clipped and flight trained. So they love being outside, or my shoulder for the most part. The room a dedicated bird room, so bird safe for the most part.

I advise against it as they can chew a wire, or something you overlooked, or get stuck behind something and you come home one day to a injured, or dead parrot.

As far as night terrors, putting a night light will help stop it.
 
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LaManuka

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This is one of those “individual results may vary” type situations. If you’re sure your birds won’t get themselves into trouble or chew on anything potentially hazardous then they may do just fine free-ranging in your home. My Fang and Val would be almost 100% trustworthy as neither of them seem to be interested in chewing stuff or wedging themselves into tiny spaces from whence I’d never be able to extract them. Lilly Pilly on the other hand - I cannot so much as go out into my backyard for 10 minutes to hang my laundry out without caging her. Even though she has the other two to play with she’d WAY rather burrow into somewhere totally unreachable the second she’s left unsupervised!

So I guess if you’re sure your little guys are happy to just chill while you’re gone and you’re prepared to accept the idea that sometimes totally random things can happen then go for it. I’ve left my two trustworthy ones out for a few hours a couple of times and they’ve been just fine. Their only source of food and water is inside the cage so they don’t tend to stray too far. But that maniac Lilly Pilly - never!!

I had no idea lorikeets were so crazy :p

Early on, there was one time when I came home and one was behind the dresser just walking around and the other was under the bed chilling next to the (unplugged, small) vacuum.

I don’t know if ALL lorikeets are quite so crazy, it might just be Lilly! We had a male purple crown about 20 years ago who wasn’t nearly such a nutter but occasionally he’d go really quiet and just disappear and we’d have to turn the house upside down to find where he was hiding! I think half of Lilly’s current issues stem from her being extremely hormonal and nesty so this may be something you will need to consider with your Bourkes at some stage too.

I also feel extremely guilty when I do have to cage Lilly. Her cage is plenty big enough for a bird of her size but not for her energy levels! We had to go stainless steel because she chewed the powder coating off Fang’s previous (brand new!) one. I’m still contemplating getting her a bigger one even though they are ridiculously expensive here and I really don’t have the floor space.

Fang and/or Val get left to roam sometimes largely due to Val not being tame and it stresses both of us out if I need to chase and catch him. He’s safe enough to stay out if we have to go grocery shopping because he sticks close to Fang and they’re not the destructive type. But I do cage them if I’m going to work because I don’t want Lilly stuck in her cage wondering why the other two have free range!
 

Aspie_Aviphile

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Bourke's are prone to night terrors. I have noticed this. I have also noticed that it's usually the female, almost exclusively, and that on the nights that I am up, she will just wake up and sit in her doorway or fly around the room, and then maybe over to the window and sit up at the top of the drape. So I think it's normal for them to do do this in the wild. Their nest are usually not built in a tree, but in a low, hollowed tree stump. So it makes sense for them to get spooked sometimes at night and then fly up to a higher point.

It's probably because the genes causing their colour mutation also cause impaired night vision, similarly to how people with albinism have varying degrees of visual impairment. The types of parrots prone to "night fright" behaviours are all certain colour mutations not found in the wild, e.g. lutino cockatiels. So a nightlight as already suggested might help.
 
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buurd

buurd

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I advise against it as they can chew a wire, or something you overlooked, or get stuck behind something and you come home one day to a injured, or dead parrot.

As far as night terrors, putting a night light will help stop it.

They have a nightlight that is always on right next to their cage. The night terrors are not frequent, so thank god for that.
Also I used to mainly cover up the front & top of the cage, and allow in more light from the back. When I changed it to allowing more light from the bottom of th ecage, it seemed to alleviate it. Not sure if that actually did help, or if they just got aged out of having them more frequently.


I don’t know if ALL lorikeets are quite so crazy,....I think half of Lilly’s current issues stem from her being extremely hormonal and nesty so this may be something you will need to consider with your Bourkes at some stage too.

....We had to go stainless steel because she chewed the powder coating off Fang’s previous (brand new!) one.

Omg, aren't lorikeets small fruit-loving birds? And she chewed the powder off!? I guess it matters what a bird's energy level is, when it comes to that? That is something I hadn't considered. I guess I am lucky that the bourkes are so mellow, then :25:

I am always looking out for any overtly romantic behavior from them, as I don't want chicks. The most I've caught them doing in ages, is singing to one another. And I am here with them all day, most days. They should be about 3 or 4 years old now, if I was told right.

Right now it's night, and the female is sitting atop the window drape, sleeping. She's usually the one who does this,and he may come out to be with her, but he's not usually the one going solo.


It's probably because the genes causing their colour mutation also cause impaired night vision, similarly to how people with albinism have varying degrees of visual impairment. The types of parrots prone to "night fright" behaviours are all certain colour mutations not found in the wild, e.g. lutino cockatiels. So a nightlight as already suggested might help.

Thanks; that's good to know. They are rosies, but not lutino, and have normal black eyes. I just assumed they could see well in low light because they will fly around the room in low light, sometimes. But that must just be because they have mapped the room, then, I guess.
 
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ParrontMitch

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When I had birdies, I often let them free range in the house. I was honestly less worried about the birds than I was all my things being absolutely destroyed!

One thing I did do was get outlet covers (the kind they make for babies), just because they are so easy to install. Yeah, a bird could pry them off, but they are less enticing than outlets. I also unplugged things like decorative lamps that I never actually turn on and are just there to look pretty. That way if the cord gets chewed, oh well! But my birds were always pretty smart, plus I gave them an ABUNDANT amount of toys, so there really wasn’t as much need for them to go hunting for entertainment. I still lost some wooden blinds (more pricey than you expect!) and a leather sofa arm thanks to my willingness to allow them to wander, haha! It really is a bird by bird thing—I just minimize what risks I easily can and trust them to have a teensy bit of survival instinct.
 

LaManuka

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Omg, aren't lorikeets small fruit-loving birds? And she chewed the powder off!? I guess it matters what a bird's energy level is, when it comes to that? That is something I hadn't considered. I guess I am lucky that the bourkes are so mellow, then :25:

Yep HRH Lilly Pilly is a small fruit (and nectar) loving bird, and she's even smaller than Val the budgie, but she has a laser scalpel for a beak! :eek:
 
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buurd

buurd

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When I had birdies, I often let them free range in the house. I was honestly less worried about the birds than I was all my things being absolutely destroyed!

One thing I did do was get outlet covers (the kind they make for babies), just because they are so easy to install. Yeah, a bird could pry them off, but they are less enticing than outlets. I also unplugged things like decorative lamps that I never actually turn on and are just there to look pretty. That way if the cord gets chewed, oh well! But my birds were always pretty smart, plus I gave them an ABUNDANT amount of toys, so there really wasn’t as much need for them to go hunting for entertainment. I still lost some wooden blinds (more pricey than you expect!) and a leather sofa arm thanks to my willingness to allow them to wander, haha! It really is a bird by bird thing—I just minimize what risks I easily can and trust them to have a teensy bit of survival instinct.

I think mine might be too small to cause some real mayhem, thankfully!

The sheer amount of thought that goes into keeping these guys safe is sort of daunting, but there isn't a moment that goes by where I don't feel privileged to be in their presence. It's like living with dinosaurs, if dinosaurs were also fairies :p

Yep HRH Lilly Pilly is a small fruit (and nectar) loving bird, and she's even smaller than Val the budgie, but she has a laser scalpel for a beak! :eek:

Scalpel! :eek:

Mine are hands-off birds, so I haven't ever been bit. Mine have small beaks, too, so I'm not sure how much damage they could do. The worst I get from them, is when they throw their pellets out of their feed dish and bean me in the head.

That's the only thing that takes me aback about birds, is how everyone says you *will* get bit by them. Honestly, I rather be knocked over by a goat or trampled by a lab.

The thought of getting cut scares me. But I've handled a wild crow before without much fear from their beak, and they are pretty big and pointy. But then again I was helping them and they knew it, so they didn't hassle me.
 

Scott

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RIP Gandalf and Big Bird, you are missed.
I have a bird-proofed room currently housing 4 parrots, at one time total of 6. All electric outlets sealed, no harmful window coverings, painters plastic on floor to protect tile. No furniture or exposed wires, just open cages and two stands. All of the birds have earned extraordinary privileges and are never locked in cages. The 3 Goffins are family and get along well, no competition with the single TAG. They have been in this environment for 11 years without incident or reason to curtail. Free to fly, it is fun to watch them choose where and with whom to hang out. On occasion the Goffins and TAG will land in close but respectful proximity.
 

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