Regardless of precautions, your budgie is presented with unexpected freedom -- and he hightails it out the door. Your little parakeet is not prepared for the dangers that await him; he can succumb to predators, weather conditions or a lack of food and water if not found quickly.
Step 1
Follow your budgie as long as possible on foot. With clipped or semi-clipped wings, he should not be able to travel far; he eventually should get low enough to be scooped to safety, or tire out and be caught.
Step 2
Play a recording of other budgies talking. Turn up the volume, and then listen to see if your budgie responds. It can help you pinpoint his location if he is close to your yard.
Step 3
Put his cage out in the yard. Leave the door open and place plenty of food and water inside. Take several of his toys and place those around the cage in the yard. If he is viewing your yard from above, he may not recognize his cage. Have a net and towel nearby. If he does fly into the yard, you will have quick access to equipment to catch him.
Step 4
Sit near the cage while it is outside and call for your budgie; listen for any response. Your budgie is lost and may be disoriented; hearing your voice can guide him back to the yard and to the safety of his cage. Create a recording of your voice calling him; leave this on when you have to walk away, if possible.
Step 5
Set up an extra cage in the neighbor's yard - with his permission, of course - if you see or hear your budgie there. An additional cage with food and water within feet of where you know he is hiding may be enough to lure him back down to safety.
Step 6
Use another budgie to lure yours back into the yard for capture. Set a second cage up with a live bird. This is especially helpful if the two are indoor cage mates. Keep a close eye on the live bird to make sure he is not bothered by neighborhood cats or dogs; bring him in before it gets chilly or if the weather changes.
References
Resources
Warnings
- Avoid spraying your budgie with a hose to slow him down; he can easily become chilled when wet or could be injured from a hose spray that is set too high.
Writer Bio
Lori Lapierre holds a Bachelor of Arts and Science in public relations/communications. For 17 years, she worked for a Fortune 500 company before purchasing a business and starting a family. She is a regular freelancer for "Living Light News," an award-winning national publication. Her past writing experience includes school news reporting, church drama, in-house business articles and a self-published mystery, "Duty Free Murder."