Young green cheek conure got out a window

[Wolf]

I am so happy that you got him back safe and sound.
How are you at do it yourself projects? With pictures and measurements, I could probably help you to build good screens for your windows. It does sort of depend on the window casing.

[Pajarita]

Oh, GREAT GREAT news!! And thank you so much for taking the time to let us know!

What you can try to do in the meantime and until you can get yourself some real screens is nail or glue the screen material (or any type of netting that would work out for the purpose) to the outside of the window - this way you could open and close the window from the inside and the birds could not get out.

[liz]

In a pinch you can use a sheer curtain pulled smooth and thumb tacked to the window frame. You would have to untack one side to open and close the window. That is just an emergency solution.

I had been hanging sheer curtains in doorways to keep Myrtle out of certain rooms until she learned to hit the curtain and swing her body into the next room.

[solitaire]

My DIY always looks like a DIY job (i.e. not very good). I did already go through my options. If I fix anything to the outside of the window, I can't open or close it (it opens left to right on a sort of sliding catch and the handle projects a lot). I can't use nails on the actual frame because it is plastic.

We do have a net curtain which makes the outside hazy but it only covers the top 2/3 of the window. Obviously, it put off the parrots to start with as this is the first escape and she's kept parrots for months. Normally they don't go in that part of the room because there's nothing interesting behind their cages. The cages are up high in the room so generally they simply fly on top of the cages and occasionally climb around the outside. I think the conure only ended up going through the net curtain because my sister was trying to catch him at the time. He normally just flies around in circles in whatever room he's in and then lands on things and climbs. Neither of the parrots seemed to consider the net curtain as anything other than a wall.

I once used velcro strips and a type of plastic mosquito netting but found it didn't work as the netting kept coming detached at random intervals and then the velcro strips started peeling off in hot weather.

The only real plan I've come up with would be something like the side of a rabbit run (a conure can't fit through 13mm mesh, can it?), and that has three issues: fixings, the frame and the size. We have a non-standard sized window which doesn't help. I've managed to get wood to make a special-sized lid for a gerbil tank before, although it would be difficult to get the right size for our window. The only idea I've come up with for the fixings is to stick nails/hooks into the left side at top and bottom, into the windowsill, and into the bit above the window, and fix it so it can slide all the way to the right for opening and closing the window. I don't think I have enough clearance because I have the fish-tank stuff on the windowsill and I was actually using the case it's in to block off part of the space under the net curtain.

[Wolf]

Again if you will post pictures of the inside and outside of the windows and measurements I may be able to help you. Otherwise use a set of sheer curtains on the inside. They will need to be a little too wide for the window so that they block the sides and then they should hang down to the floor. You can hold the center closed with clothespins or Velcro.
If you are chasing the birds then the problem is that they don't trust you. Now there could be several reasons that they don't trust you and based on what you have been saying, I am guessing that the reason for this distrust is that they only time you try to get the birds is to put them in their cage. This is a normal problem and it only takes a few treats a couple of different places to put the bird and a little time to change this behavior. You coax the bird to come to you with a favored treat and give it a scratch on the head and a little praise then place it on one of the perches and give it a treat. Ask the bird to step up and place it on top of its cage and then give it a treat, a head scratch and praise. Again ask for the bird to step up and move it to another perch and treat, scratch, praise the bird Ask for the step up and put bird in cage and treat if it is not needed to leave bird in cage leave it open otherwise close the door. Vary the order of perches and cage movement and in a short time you will solve this problem if it is what is going on. I do not have this problem because my birds all want to be on me when out of their cages.
With a little patience and encouragement you can have this as well.