This is one of the essential questions everyone who wants to buy a parrot asks. Admittedly, in my childhood, I was also afraid that my parrot would fly away if I were to open a window. This is a legitimate worry of all people, just like you wonder whether your cat will run away to the streets. Thus, I find it necessary to devote an article to this pressing issue.
To answer in short, yes, your parrot will come back if they fly away. Your home is their home! Besides, they naturally strive for companionship, and you are already their family. You are a part of their flock! You are bonded. So if your parrot likes you, it’ll surely return.
And you’ll surely know whether your parrot likes you or not! I’ve written about the signs that your parrot likes you before!
However, there is a small catch in the matter of distance. If you’d like to read about the topic in detail, I’ll answer all your questions in the paragraphs below.
What to Do If Your Parrot Is Flying Away?
Do not wait for the bird to decide on its own. Instead, become an active participant and make everything possible to “lure” your parrot to come back home. If your bird is in the vicinity, you can start with the following steps:
- Find your parrot visually. Make sure that it is nearby and in a safe place. If your bird is bad at flying long distances, you may want to come closer to it and offer your hand for landing.
- Start calling its name. It should be already used to your call and will fly back to you. Of course, it may be a bit moody, and you’ll need to wait, but it’ll eventually return.
- Play the recording of its own voice. Record your parrot singing, talking, or just chirping and save it on your phone. You never know when you may need to lure your parrot back home.
These three simple steps are usually enough. However, if your bird behaves strangely or you notice an injury, it’s your time to act and come get it. Slowly and carefully!
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How to Catch a Parrot on the Ground?
More on that slowly and carefully!
When you come close to a parrot on the ground, be gentle and stealthy. If a parrot is frightened, it may fly into you or simply hop away even if it’s injured.
The best way to ensure the bird’s safety is to bring its cage. But your parrot’s favorite treats inside and some toys. Place the cage on the ground not far from the bird; it’ll hop in.
How to Rescue a Parrot on a Tree?
If your parrot has settled in a tree and does not respond to the step-by-step instructions from before, you’ll need to take it down by hand. Well, not by hand per se! By the net!
Try hard to find a long-handled net and swiftly scoop the bird! Be careful, though, not to injure it.
There’s no need to climb the tree to catch the bird. While you do that, it may become scared and will fly away. Be sure to follow it in this case.
Overall, just be patient if your bird is comfortable in a tree, not injured, or in danger. It’ll return when it does enough “sightseeing” on the tree. If you are in a hurry, bring a fellow parrot to the location if you have two. Also, if your birdie is friends with your dog or a cat, use them as bait as well.
No matter what you do, don’t make it fly from the top of a high tree. Home parrots are not used to flying as much and can harm themselves. Instead, offer them some kind of a ladder or a branch to hop down. Also, if it’s an object that your parrot is used to, it’ll work much better!
Observe how your bird behaves. Is it calm or nervous? Does it want to fly down but is afraid? A common sign before it takes off is a “shout”. Be ready.
Note! An important detail is to make sure that some random people don’t gather under the tree. Your parrot will be frightened and less likely to turn to you. Shoo away all passers-by!
What If It’s Dark and My Parrot Won’t Return?
Make sure to bring your bird home before it’s dark. It’ll fly eagerly before the sun comes down. When it’s already dark, you’ll notice it settling down for the night. In that tree!
Thus, your main task is to make a commotion before dark. Excite your parrot, offer some last play and flight time before bed.
When you notice it ruffling feathers, it’s already starting to settle down. At this point, you can do nothing except wait for the morning. Nothing except some stray cats or an owl can move a parrot from its place right now.
Be sure to stay somewhere near the tree at night. Chances are, the bird has settled somewhere outside your window, so you’ll see it during the night. Then, in the morning, you start the steps as mentioned above once more.
Be ready to welcome home your parrot as soon as the sun rises. It’ll probably be ready to fly again somewhere around 6-7 in the morning.
What to Do If I Can’t Find My Parrot?
Search your neighborhood first. It’s probably stayed somewhere relatively close to home. Still, bring the cage close to a tree and place treats inside. The bird will be able to locate it.
If you still cannot find it, make flyers and post ads online about your parrot. Ask for help in finding it. Some promised rewards may be a better incentive for people to help. Ask your neighbors whether they’ve seen the bird. Also, make some calls: animal control, a nearby zoo, and a vet.
How Long Can a Home Parrot Survive in the Wild?
If it has been more than 24 hours, your parrot will probably not return by itself. Try to look for it in a shelter or at a vet. There is always a possibility that another family has found your bird and adopted it already. A parrot can fly about 30 miles a day. So, it can be already in another neighborhood.
Do not despair. You can wait up to three days. If the weather is harsh, your bird will try harder to return home. Unfortunately, after this period of time, there is a chance that the bright colors of its plumage have attracted a predator, and the worst happened. A home parrot hardly has any survival instincts.
Considering the wide range of parrot food, they may be able to find something to eat in the wild, but it all depends on the surroundings.
How Long Does Your Parrot Live?
How to Prevent a Parrot From Flying Away?
It’s always better to prevent your parrot from flying away in the future than to deal with such a situation again. Anything can happen. So, be careful at all times.
Here are a few things to take care of.
Flight Wings
Be sure to trim your parrot’s fly wings. This is a legitimate technique used by parrot owners. You should start trimming its fly feathers early on! This is a common procedure.
Clipped feathers
Clipping feathers ensures that your parrot cannot fly away from you too high or to long distances.
Cage
When you go out with your parrot, make sure it sits comfortably in a mobile cage. Thus, your visits to a vet will be stress-free. Well, at least the walk itself.
Be persistent!
If your parrot is still somewhere in the wild even after three days, don’t give up. It may be safe somewhere; you’ll just need to find it. Nowadays, social media can make a big difference when looking for lost pets! Connect with everybody possible to bring your bird home.
