Close call!

danewillow

New member
Feb 27, 2008
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Ham Lake, MN
Parrots
Timneh African Grey, Yellow-naped Amazon
It's starting to warm up here in MN. I opened up the 3-season porch (with a space heater) so we sit out there at night. The birds' perches are still in the family room in the basement so we were acting as perches while in the porch. The back yard is a disaster area and the dogs have to be let in through the garage to get their feet clean before coming in the house. I went to let the dogs in with Einstein perched on my hand. All of a sudden, he FLEW AWAY!! All I saw was his little birdy butt disappearing into the woods! :eek: His wings are trimmed but he's been molting lately so he has a few flight feathers. In the past though, he's never been able to do any long distance flying since he's always been trimmed and doesn't have the strength or coordination to do it. He's also never been one to fly off my finger (there are dogs that like to play with you when you land on the floor). He flew quite a ways last night. So far I couldn't see where he landed. Our neighborhood is heavily wooded. We have 3 acres and our neighbors all have at least 2 acres. I go crashing through the woods, doing all his little sounds. No sign of him. I run back into the house and get a cracker (it always gets a response from him), still nothing. My husband is out there calling him. I'm getting all torn up by the raspberry and blackberry thorns. The sun was going down and it was getting dark. We were wishing the whole world would just quiet down. Wild turkeys were gobbling, crows cawing, tweety nocturnal birds coming out, cars driving by. No signature hello whistle or "cracker" or "CHIRP" from Einstein. I went back in to get a flashlight and my husband is telling me I have to stop looking. I couldn't leave him out there! His little African body isn't made for cold and it was getting down into the 20s last night. Plus, I'd been hearing an owl every night and the neighbors all let their cats roam! I'm out there scanning everything with my dying flashlight and I'm just heading back to the house, finally giving in to the fact that my bird is gone :17: when my light hits something that looks quite a bit like a (very scared) grey parrot! I had probably walked by him 5 times already but his grey just blended in with the grey of the woods at dusk. He gripped my finger so tight I thought it would fall off (I was gripping his toes so tight he probably thought the same). I come in the house and my husband stares in disbelief "YOU FOUND HIM?????" Einstein is safe at home now. I don't think he'll want to take another trip out into the woods but he won't get that choice anyway.

Julie
 
WOW!!! :eek: What a very lucky turn of luck for both Einstein and yourself! I am so glad you found him, that would have been just awful to lose him that way! Luckily this story has a very happy ending! :D

Personally, greys would be the last bird that I would trust outside, they just spook too darned easily. There is definitely a 'comfort zone' for greys and when they get out of theirs, all bets are off.

Julie,I am glad that there is a happy ending to this story ... looks like someone gets an extra long warm bath today!
 
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He didn't seem to spook, just flew off. He's not a bird that spooks very often. We have a pretty chaotic house sometimes with the dogs so he's used to a lot of noise. He also usually is perched near the door when we call the dogs in (when they don't come in through the garage) and has never had a response to it other than helping to call the dogs. It's like last night he just decided to go on a little adventure. Who knows what goes on in that little birdy brain of his?

Usually he gets half a cracker but last night got the whole thing. It was such a huge relief. When I was looking for him I almost threw up from the massive panic attack I was having.

Julie
 
Oh how scary. I can't tell you how many times I have seen it happen that a partially clipped bird ends up catching a small breeze and suddenly they can go high, but they cannot steer or figure out how to go down.
If you think about it, the way a birds wings work it is easy to gain altitude. As they get going and the adreniline is flowing the harder they flap the higher and faster they go, making them more scared hence pumping even harder and going even higher. Then by the time the wings really ache the poor bird has little choice but to let gravity bringing it crashing to the ground or if it is lucky then into tree branches.
This is the best reason in the world for clipping your birds wings yourself. That way as each new primary grows in it can be trimmed.
Or like me you can leave your birds in full flight, but this has its own risks and isn't practicle for most people.
And yes, I have had the nerve-wracking experience of seeing my citron in the top of a pine tree.
I'm so glad that Einstein is safe. I wouldnt want to imagine the poor little guy alone, scared and cold in the dark.
 
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If only Einstein could be as chatty as Rocky when I'm looking for him. Yesterday Rocky fluttered around the house (yeah, bad bird-mom, they both need a trim). I found where he'd gone immediately by the "Brrrrr.... HA HA.... HI ROCKY!" He's such a ham.

Julie
 

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