The bird hunting season is not always open (with the exception of some species). There are, however, some situations where it is correct (or even necessary) to steer a bird in the right direction. Domesticated birds should be encouraged to re-enter their cages every day. The wild ones, on the other hand, need a push to leave a home they have invaded.
Steps
Method 1 of 6: Return Your Bird to its Cage
Step 1. Look up and down
It can be difficult to find a bird, as many birds are small enough to hide under many objects in the house, or fly out of sight. For this, you need to do some thorough research. Start by making sure your pet is not in dangerous places.
- Dangerous hiding places include glass tumblers, bathrooms, doors, windows, stoves, and sofas.
- The hiding places where a bird is most difficult to find are curtain strings, plants, lamps, shelves, ceiling fans, frames and under furniture. You should also look inside items such as laundry baskets, boxes and drawers.
Step 2. Stay calm
Birds can read human body language, so screaming and moving with agitation will make them feel anxious. To calm their nerves, you should speak in a low voice and move at a normal pace.
Step 3. Make the cage inviting
If your bird likes its own cage, it will be more likely to reenter it. Place it where people congregate so the animal is always interested, but keep it away from windows, through which birds can glimpse dangers. Fill it with many different toys to make it a fun environment. Finally, treat your little bird to a special treat every time he enters the cage.
- Don't give your bird the same tidbit when it's not back in its cage, or this action will lose its unique connotation.
- Never use the cage as a punishment for the animal; this would create a negative association in his mind.
Step 4. Don't make the outside environment too inviting
Feeding your baby bird out of the cage is a bad idea, as it encourages him to believe that there is no need to return to a confined space. For the same reason, keep the pet's favorite toys inside the cage. Finally, do not make the bird believe that it can always remain free. Instead of letting him go free for hours once a week, try letting him out of the cage for the same amount of time each day to manage his expectations.
- You shouldn't make the outdoor space too inviting for your little bird. Make sure, however, that she gets enough physical activity outside the cage. Its health will improve and a tired pet is easier to put back in the cage.
- It may be useful to combine the time that the animal spends free with fixed times for its rest. This means that you should put the bird back in the cage before going to bed. By turning down the lights, he will understand that it is time to sleep.
Method 2 of 6: Catching a Little Bird That Escaped Outdoors
Step 1. Call your little bird as it flies away
If you are there when your pet runs away, call him in a calm but audible tone of voice. If he understands that he is in nature and does not like the situation, he may immediately return home following the sound of your voice. Seeing its cage, the bird may decide to fly directly towards you, approaching the only familiar object in a completely unknown world.
Step 2. Keep an eye on your bird
In most cases, your pet won't fly very far, as caged animals are rarely able to fly. Don't lose sight of it while you can. Pay attention to the height at which he flies and how tired he seems to you; these clues can tell you where the animal landed, out of your field of vision.
Step 3. Reach the last spot where you saw the bird fly
Ask friends and family to accompany you, as a research group is much more effective than a single person. Once you get to the area where you lost sight of the animal, split up and search.
Step 4. Bring another pet bird with you
If you have another bird that the escaped bird gets along with, take it with you in its cage. Place the cage where you can see it. The animal inside will likely start calling you and could convince the lost bird to do the same. Pay attention and try to hear her call.
Step 5. Call your little bird
If you don't have another pet bird, you should try calling the escaped specimen with your voice. Use the words and lines your little bird knows or imitates to let him know that you are calling him. He could respond to the call if he were in the area.
Step 6. In the beginning, focus your searches within a 1.5km radius
Pet birds rarely leave the house after fleeing. Search trees, lawns, and bushes. Note that when searching, your pet may see you before you see him. Some specimens stop making noises when their master is nearby because they feel more comfortable.
Step 7. Take your bird's cage to the area where you found it
The vision of his "home" should draw him towards you. Don't try to grab your pet, however happy you may be to see it. You have to keep calm, or you could make him run away again.
Step 8. Take your little bird's favorite toys with you
To lure him into the cage, bring toys and food. If the pet is particularly attached to a person, ask them to be there. All of this will help you attract the bird towards you.
Step 9. Call your little bird
If you have trained the animal to climb onto your index finger, shout the order loudly, to draw it towards you.
Step 10. Capture the bird
If you have a water pump available, lightly wet the animal - this will make it so heavy that it will not be able to take flight. Grasp it firmly with your hands, but without applying too strong pressure; birds are delicate. If neither you nor your friends have experience of holding a bird, try catching it with a pillow case.
- It is important not to be too gentle with the water. If you do not wet the animal enough, you will only frighten it and make it fly away.
- Ask your friends to spread out, to see which way the bird is heading, in case it escapes. If they could reach an elevated point, it would be even better.
- The best time to catch a bird can be at night. Often these animals are tired after sunset. Also, if you blinded him with a high-powered flashlight, you could blind him long enough for another person to catch him.
Step 11. Hold the bird gently so as not to injure it
If the animal resists being caught, cover it with a pillowcase to prevent it from flying. When you have it in your hands, keep your head, legs and wings still, without pushing them into unnatural positions and without hindering the bird's breathing.
A towel can help you hold the bird in place without applying too much pressure. Furthermore, by covering its face, the animal will not be able to see any threats that can cause it stress. Make sure, however, that the fabric is breathable, so as not to hinder his breathing
Method 3 of 6: Take Action After the First 24 Hours
Step 1. Place other bird cages you own near an open window
Specimens that don't spend much time outdoors often fail to recognize their home. Your pet, however, may be drawn to the call of its companions. You can also try to leave his cage, full of feed, in front of the door of the house or in the garden. Your little bird may be drawn to the familiar image of his little house (and his favorite food).
Step 2. Place a trap
If you have the chance, buy a trap from a pet shop and place it outdoors, armed with a lure. You could attract the escaped bird. Alternatively, you can try putting a cage full of feed on the roof and try to call back the stray bird in that way. Either way, place the trap or cage as high as possible, as birds love to be in the air.
- Check the trap often, as your little bird will panic once it is caught.
- You have to use a "non-lethal trap", which catches the bird without hurting it. Generally, these types of traps are cage-like and capture any animals that enter them.
Step 3. Take your bird to the vet after retrieving it
It is very likely that a domesticated animal, left in the wild for a long period, has contracted diseases or is undernourished. Take your bird to a vet as soon as possible to resolve any problems.
Don't be discouraged if your little bird doesn't reappear right away. Some specimens can survive for years in the wild
Method 4 of 6: Catching a Wild Bird at Home
Step 1. Stay calm
It is important to remember that while having a bird in your home may upset you, the animal is probably terrified. The worst thing you can do is start screaming and throwing objects at the bird; this would only send him into a panic and make him fly non-stop all over the house. Stay calm and remember that the bird is much more scared than you.
Step 2. Remove your pets from the bird
If a bird enters your home, you should confine all the animals to one room and close the door, to avoid possible contact with each other. Cats, in particular, love to hunt birds.
Step 3. Close all doors leading to other rooms
Control the bird's movements, forcing it to stay in a room. To do this, you should close all the doors leading to other rooms, so as to limit the escape routes.
If the entrances leading into the room have no doors, you can hang towels or blankets to temporarily block them. Use pins to hold these "makeshift doors" in place
Step 4. Close the blinds and turn off the lights
By darkening the windows, you will reduce the chances of the bird accidentally colliding with a closed window thinking it is an exit. Also, if you take out all but the lights that come from a single window, the bird will be lured in that direction and will eventually fly out of the house.
Step 5. Open a window
If you leave a window open and eliminate all other light sources, the bird will, in most cases, be drawn in that direction. Stay calm, or you will be the one to draw the bird's attention. Give the pet about 30 minutes before trying an alternative solution.
Step 6. Use a sheet to encourage the bird to fly out of the house
Take a large sheet and hold it up with your hands, trying to cover your person. Walk towards the animal by shaking the fabric to scare it and push it towards the window.
Be careful not to touch the bird too hard. They are delicate animals and you could injure them even with light contact
Step 7. Hire a professional
Some birds will stay in your home despite all your attempts to get them out, and some large predatory specimens are too dangerous to deal with. If you have any problems, do some research on the internet and call a professional who can help you.
Method 5 of 6: Get Rid of Annoying Birds
Step 1. Contact the provincial police or the local wildlife management body
The laws severely limit the actions you can take against an annoying bird. However, if birds destroy your property, if their droppings pose a health hazard, or if they clog up gutters, you can take precautions. Provincial police may give you special permission to trap birds, or give you advice on how to get rid of them.
Remember, migratory birds will only bother you temporarily; the best solution might be to wait for them to leave
Step 2. Use bird repellents
You can legally use several devices to chase away birds. These are devices that emit sounds that can scare them when they approach. Products like Prowler Owl are designed to make birds believe that predators are present. You can also apply chemical polybutylene repellents to surfaces that attract birds.
- Before adopting these devices, you should get rid of excrement from surfaces.
- Devices that emit ultrasound have not proved effective. Additionally, devices designed to scare birds with loud noises and bright images are less effective in urban areas, where birds have become accustomed to these distractions.
Step 3. Build Physical Obstacles
If you know where birds like to nest, you can build obstacles that prevent them from making a burrow there. To keep birds away, you can install a wooden block on the ledges at a 45 ° angle, or apply metal nets to the outside surfaces.
Method 6 of 6: Prevent Your Bird Escape
Step 1. Train your bird
You should train him to get on your index finger. Put your finger in front of the animal, order "Up" and reward it with food every time it successfully obeys. Try the command even when you don't put it back in the cage, so that you don't associate training with returning to a confined space. In fact, in some cases you should put him in a cage and let him out shortly after, so as not to let him know for sure that returning to the cage means being locked up for long periods of time.
- You can try to get the bird to climb on objects other than your fingers. Ladder training can be especially helpful, as birds naturally enjoy climbing steps. By training your pet in this way, you will get him used to re-entering the cage.
- Since birds love to move upwards, your pet will appreciate this training if you begin to slowly lift your finger after picking it up.
- Some people recommend following this procedure every time you put your bird back in the cage. The idea is that, by allowing the animal to fly in the cage on its own, it may believe that it is independently deciding how much time to spend outdoors.
Step 2. Hold your bird so it can't fly away
When it is on your index finger, you will have to hold it so that it cannot escape, but without making it feel uncomfortable. One way to do this is to lightly press your thumb against your index finger, trapping the paws between your fingers. Alternatively, you can gently hold a hand on his back so he can't spread his wings.
You should try these gestures during normal training so your bird gets used to them and doesn't associate them with returning to the cage. Also, if you get into this habit, you won't risk letting him escape in any situation
Step 3. Ask your vet about cutting the wings
If you have a hard time controlling your bird, you can have its wings cut off, to prevent it from flying long distances. This procedure, however, can be counterproductive, as your bird will not tire out of the cage and may have even less desire to re-enter it.
