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Lost African Grey--Flew Away---Stupid, Stupid Mistake

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Lost African Grey--Flew Away---Stupid, Stupid Mistake

Postby Karma » Thu Aug 30, 2012 8:49 am

I am so sick. I delayed trimming my African Grey's wings (was getting ready to do it last night) but wanted her to have some ability to fly. I made the horrible, stupid mistake of taking her outside last night. With the wind, she picked up momentum and flew away. She is 14 weeks old and I am so worried for her. We have been up all night trying to recover her.

I will NEVER again allow a pet parrot to have wings for free flight.... or, I will never have another parrot. This is just too much heartache and I am so worried for her safety. It was my stupidity.. (just one more time outside),,,dumb, dumb, dumb. Dear Lord, please let Suzie be okay.
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Re: Lost African Grey--Flew Away---Stupid, Stupid Mistake

Postby Natacha » Thu Aug 30, 2012 9:26 am

A clipped bird can take off as well.
A parrot should not be brought outside without being restrained, either in a harness or a cage.

Have you begun searching for your Grey? Knocking on neighbour's doors? Putting flyers up?
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Re: Lost African Grey--Flew Away---Stupid, Stupid Mistake

Postby GlassOnion » Thu Aug 30, 2012 9:36 am

Woah, woah!! Who takes a flighted bird outside without a carrier or a harness? You can't blame your bird's natural structure for something that could have been prevented easily. NO bird should be carried outside without a carrier or a harness EVEN if he's clipped!! I see clipped birds lost all the time on my local ads.

I'm a member on another forum, and the majority of us keep our birds flighted. They're happy, get lots of exercise the way they were built, and we still take them out for sunshine. This has nothing to do with clipping, it has to do with YOUR lack of responsibility for taking out a bird unrestrained.

(ps- why did you clip a baby so young... Babies are still learning to navigate and think, by learning to fly. Do you not realize that a human toddler learning to walk, is a HUGE milestone for brain and physical development? It's the same for birds- they shouldn't even be clipped until they've mastered flying... Clipping too early = psychological damage. )

This is just sad. Your poor baby is lost because of you, and your blame goes straight to flight.

Please look around for your bird with flyers, contacting neighbors and rescues,etc. Hopefully you can recover your bird.
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Re: Lost African Grey--Flew Away---Stupid, Stupid Mistake

Postby liz » Thu Aug 30, 2012 9:48 am

Put it's cage outside and call it.

If it does not come back today - call in the night. It probably won't fly at night but will get your direction. Go out and start calling before dawn. If it can hear you it will fly at dawn.

Night and early morning are the quietest. Make sure you call during the day, night and before dawn then dawn.
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Re: Lost African Grey--Flew Away---Stupid, Stupid Mistake

Postby marie83 » Thu Aug 30, 2012 9:52 am

Contact John Hayward, he runs a nationwide parrot lost and found register.
Get flyers up, radio ads, newspaper ads about, tell everyone you see to keep their eyes peeled.

Please dont take your bird outside again even if she is clipped. Clipping is false security. Much better to allow the bird to fly and train her to wear a harness, failing that take her in a travel cage.
Don't punish your bird by clipping her for something that wasn't her fault.
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Re: Lost African Grey--Flew Away---Stupid, Stupid Mistake

Postby marie83 » Thu Aug 30, 2012 9:57 am

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Re: Lost African Grey--Flew Away---Stupid, Stupid Mistake

Postby Karma » Thu Aug 30, 2012 2:13 pm

Thank you for everyone's reply, advise, support, and "chewing out." We have fliers out, have contacted John Hayward, posted on Facebook, contacted neighbors, search for 24 hours, and have her cage sitting outside. It is raining now, with high winds. I don't know what to expect. Fortunately, my boss is understanding enough to have let me have time off to try to find her.



My family and I are devastated by this loss. We are praying for her safety!!
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Re: Lost African Grey--Flew Away---Stupid, Stupid Mistake

Postby marie83 » Thu Aug 30, 2012 2:36 pm

Don't forget to call the police and animal rescues :)
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Re: Lost African Grey--Flew Away---Stupid, Stupid Mistake

Postby Karma » Fri Aug 31, 2012 7:32 pm

What would you do if you think someone in your neighborhood had your parrot? We have been hearing our lost African Grey's "beep", "beep" over the last hour or so. another neighbor is confirming what we are hearing. While we were outside listening and close to a house 2 doors down from us, our neighbor opened his front door and the "beep" "beep" got very audible, coming from inside of his house. We asked if he had a parrot and he said no. We don't want to start trouble but what should we do?
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Re: Lost African Grey--Flew Away---Stupid, Stupid Mistake

Postby Michael » Fri Aug 31, 2012 7:50 pm

I'm sorry but you're not stupid for not clipping the wings but for taking the parrot outside without adequate precautions.

I sincerely hope you can get the bird back but not clip its wings and condemn it to cage imprisonment or clipping for life. The bird did nothing wrong and clipping its wings for your mistake is about the most inhumane and terrible retaliation you could possibly do. Please either solve the problems and make sure you are capable of caring for a flighted parrot from here on out or else find it a different home that will. Neither I nor your bird will forgive you if you clip its wings for your own mistake. No hard feelings, please find the bird and do the right thing.
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