# One of my babies flew away!



## herno1 (Apr 4, 2009)

I HATE MYSELF!!!!
Although my wife told me a thousand times to clip my babies wings, I didn't do it because I liked when they fly around the house, or when they fly to me when I call them. Last Saturday my birds were out of their cages, and my wife and me opened the back door, and in that second Leeloo flew out.
We tried calling her, showing her her food, brining Korbin (the male) so he can call her, nothing. She was on top of a weak tree looking us like saying I like it here!!! After a while she flew away.
I'm still depressed about it. I got her since she was 2 weeks.
Hopefully, she's fine and she will be happy free.


----------



## VA Joey (Feb 19, 2009)

That is so sad, I'm sorry for your loss.


----------



## AngelsMom (Jul 27, 2008)

Oh no! im so sorry =(


----------



## Vivi (Jul 25, 2008)

i knw how it feels to lose a love one like that. My heart goes out to you.


----------



## xxxSpikexxx (Jul 30, 2007)

Oh no  I would call local pet stores and humane societies. And put a bunch of flyers out. I hope she comes home.


----------



## sweetrsue (Jul 8, 2008)

At least you live in a warm climate where she stands a chance! If she were clipped and got out (that happens too) she would be at a big disadvantage.


----------



## gforce (Jun 28, 2008)

Hopefully someone will find her, I would do what spike has suggested.
Good luck

gforce


----------



## Cheryl (Dec 27, 2008)

Also try places such as craigslist and petfinder.com . Sometimes people can be selfish and keep a bird they found, which is just horrible. A reward may work as well if you are willing to go that far. I do hope you find your bird!
That must be so distressing. These things happen to everyone and we just need to learn from our mistakes.


----------



## Tony's Tiels (May 21, 2009)

Yes, good idea Cheryl... Posters that state "Reward for Safe Return"
& as posting on any local websites possible.
Hopefully she will return home one way or another....
Very Sad Indeed.


----------



## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

I agree with everyone as far a posters, etc. If the bird was banded that is a plus because someone may take the time to get on the internet and ask how to get info on the bird, and contact the breeder.

Now the following is going to sound _awful _but it does work. And I'm just north of you in Ft. Lauderdale, so the weather is not a problem in doing this. When (or if it does come back) Leeloo was in the tree if you had a garden house with the nozzle set to full blast he could have been sprayed till soaked. They can not fly when soaked and hopefully would have glided down to you. I've done that twice successfully.

Also watch the lost and found in the newspapers. You can also go online at look for the past few days ads. I know anoother lady in Miami that lost a pied baby...not weaned. I beleive a Pearl pied breeder code 24R. In searchingg for yours you may find it or talk to someone that has it and is responding to your inquiries.

Good luck with your search.


----------



## RG Walker (Feb 17, 2009)

Herno1.Not to sound trite,but I share your pain .We lost our first Tiel the same way.My wife and I were heart broken.I personally did'nt sleep for three days.It's been almost a year and I still can't look at her picture without crying.
No.I still will not clip the others.We are just more careful about doors.


----------



## Kerry78 (May 25, 2009)

I think it's cruel to mutilate birds feathers anyway ppl who clip them need to be shot regardless of it :x

when you let your birds roam in your house make sure windows are shut but still do what the others suggest you might get her back that way


----------



## Jordan S. (May 5, 2009)

That must be really sad and frustrating for you  he won't have any idea how to get food and water. Well... lets hope he's finds a flock of birds to copy off of.


----------



## Cheryl (Dec 27, 2008)

Kerry78 said:


> I think it's cruel to mutilate birds feathers anyway ppl who clip them need to be shot regardless of it :x


Clipping your bird's feathers is a VERY big safety precaution that will most likely save its life.
Reasons for doing so was this problem right here. I have experienced this before and so has many other people.
If done right it is COMPLETELY painless and grows back within a couple months if not much sooner.
There is nothing wrong with clipping the flight feathers. Probably about 99% of the members on here have clipped or do clip their birds wings.

I clip my birds feathers. It doesn't hurt them. They can still glide and fly a little, but they won't make it very far.. If you cut them to the point where they can't stay up in the air for some time, or glide.. you cut it too much. Cutting it too short is deadly as well. They make jump from high up and plop straight to the floor injuring themselves.
I also find my birds are much nicer with clipped wings. 

Personally I find being trapped in a cage for your life is much crueler than clipping a couple feathers (which is like clipping your finger nails). I don't think they understand that much. Since I got them their giant cage, most of them don't even want to leave the cage anymore! Being in a cage voids any reason for even having flight feathers, except when your mommy takes you out of your cage and you try to escape. 
I don't always clip mine regularly. Just when they start getting out of hand and it takes forever to get them all back in the cage. The budgies NEED to be clipped. They aren't fully tamed and its a day project getting them back in the cage.


----------



## Renae (Feb 9, 2008)

Kerry78 said:


> I think it's cruel to mutilate birds feathers anyway ppl who clip them need to be shot regardless of it :x
> 
> when you let your birds roam in your house make sure windows are shut but still do what the others suggest you might get her back that way


People that clip wrong are the ones who need to be shot.

With your bird's wings properly clipped, it won't be as apt to fly out an open door or window accidentally. Many pet birds have been lost forever due to being fully flighted. Even clipped wings won't guarantee your pet bird won't be able to fly. With a slight breeze, even a clipped bird has the ability to gain altitude.

*When done properly, clipping wing feathers will not hurt your bird. *Clipping only one can cause the bird harm due to the bird's inability to navigate from the uneven weight distribution. A lot of birds have been injured due to only one wing being clipped when they navigated themselves into a wall or window.


----------



## Kerry78 (May 25, 2009)

Hmm it just seems cruel I don't want to do it to my 2 birds I like them to have a flap around and both love it, people should keep there windows shut when letting there birds roam around there house! 

I understand the risks but tbh it's a case of stupidness if you don't check everything to make sure it's shut first when you let them out!

it may not be cruel to a few people here,
but birds use there wings for other methods, what if a few folks here left the room didn't relise the cat crept in next thing killed there bird? then what?

having fully feathered wings are safe and benefical!


----------



## Cheryl (Dec 27, 2008)

Kerry78 said:


> Hmm it just seems cruel I don't want to do it to my 2 birds I like them to have a flap around and both love it, people should keep there windows shut when letting there birds roam around there house!
> 
> I understand the risks but tbh it's a case of stupidness if you don't check everything to make sure it's shut first when you let them out!
> 
> ...


Anyone who "accidentally" leaves/lets a cat in the room with the bird is an IDIOT. Even if they bird was fully flighted I *guarantee* injury or death (I'm saying this from experience. About 8 years ago when I first got Kisses he was fully flighted and I left him out. My dog entered the room and caught him. Now I'm talking about a big rotty that can barely jump.). Now if the owner is dumb enough to leave the bird out unattended, we can also throw out things like ceiling fans, toilets, sinks, ovens, etc. Now you leave the door slightly open, your cat pushes it open more. So your bird was lucky enough to escape the cat, but it now flies out into the kitchen with the boiling pot of water. Don't forget that cat saliva is poison to the bird. Like I said, if you cut it correctly the bird should be able to fly short distances and glide. The only thing a bird would use its flight feathers for is to fly. 
Being fully flighted can also cause the bird to fly full speed into a window, killing it instantly. So not only making sure everything is closed is a priority but also making sure the bird KNOWS everything is closed. 
Allowing the bird to fly is good for the birds physical health as well. Getting exercise is good for everyone. 
It is pretty much weighing the good and bad. In most people's situations clipping is the better alternative. 

*Clipped or not clipped, NEVER leave your birds out of the cage unattended. Not even for a second. *


----------



## Mythara (Apr 9, 2009)

I love having fully flighted birds, but the layout of our house, and the precautions we take with the birds, keep the risks down. We keep all the doors shut, windows have blinds on them, and so on. I believe it all depends on the individual circumstances, and your own personal choice as to clipping wings or not. I use wing clipping as a training tool. For example, when we first got Lofty, all she wanted to do was sit on the curtain rails. She wasn't afraid of us, exactly, she just wanted to be up high. To be able to form any sort of bond with her, we had to clip her wings, so she couldn't fly so high, and became more dependant on us. Because she was so young when we got her, she had grown her wings back within about four months, and now she swoops around the room and races Kami whenever she feels like it - but she's never had the desire to sit on the curtain rails since she grew her feathers back, and she's always flying over to see what we're doing, because in those four months, we've formed a close bond with her.


----------



## olive juice (Mar 30, 2009)

Kerry78 said:


> Hmm it just seems cruel I don't want to do it to my 2 birds I like them to have a flap around and both love it, people should keep there windows shut when letting there birds roam around there house!
> 
> I understand the risks but tbh it's a case of stupidness if you don't check everything to make sure it's shut first when you let them out!
> 
> ...


If it's plausible for a cat to get into a bird's room, how isn't it equally as plausible someone (maybe someone even from the outside) opens a door and out the bird goes?
Freak accidents DO happen, even if you're careful. What if you're taking the bird to a vet, trip, the cage falls and breaks apart, and your bird flies away?

One way isn't more cruel or more beneficial than the other. Each has its own benefits and drawbacks and quite frankly, it just comes down to personal preference. Clipping a bird's feathers, if done correctly, does not hurt them and is just like clipping a dog's toenails or something like that. 

Sometimes my birds are clipped, and sometimes they're fully-flighted. I enjoy it when they can fly, but I still recognize the dangers. They will occasionally crash into things or land on unsafe surfaces. When they're clipped, I feel more at ease. That's not to say that any bird owner is RIGHT or WRONG by clipping flight feathers...it's a personal decision, and definitely one that no one should be "shot" over.


----------

