mh434
New member
- Oct 28, 2014
- 473
- 9
- 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.
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.
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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.
