Need advice about found budgie (cockatiels, parrots, cage, parakeet)

[amberamour]

Sorry in advance if this topic has been dealt with. We've been away from the forums awhile.

Yesterday I spotted a beautiful yellow budgie in our wooded backyard. It seems obvious it's someone's pet who escaped.

We saw it again today, foraging in the grass. It seems healthy and not afraid of us, but also not coming to us.

We're in the Upstate of SC. Is this pet bird going to be able to survive here in the wild, getting enough food and dealing with the cold? Will it migrate?

We have a bird feeder but it's not interested in the sunflowers. A quick look online said these birds eat grains such as oatmeal, corn, and greens.

Any info you can offer is appreciated. I have no idea how to catch a budgie but would be willing to try taking it to the humane society if we could.

Thanks!

[OwlKaMyst]

Do you want to try and catch it? If you have access to a bird cage, get a stalk of Millet. They LOVE millet. The bird may not care about the cage aspect if there is Millet inside and it is accoustom to a cage anyway.
Now, getting the door closed or at least securing the bird inside. Maybe you will be able to get close enough while its eating to close the cage, if not, could approach from the side that the has the door and throw a blanket over it, then reach under and close the door.

[swagger]

Originally Posted by OwlKaMyst

Now, getting the door closed or at least securing the bird inside. Maybe you will be able to get close enough while its eating to close the cage, if not, could approach from the side that the has the door and throw a blanket over it, then reach under and close the door.

Or bend a paper clip into a "C" shape and use it to prop the door open. Tie a piece of fishing line or string to it and when the bird is inside, pull the string.

[amberamour]

Thanks for replying. I haven't seen the little sweetie today. Hope he's ok. We have several stray cats in this neighborhood a couple of whom have been observed bird-napping our wild birds even though someone around here feeds them. Poor budgie is very vulnerable as he forages on the ground seemingly oblivious to any dangers.

I'm keeping an eye out.

[brokencrayola]

I hope that you find and catch him and he is ok.

[amberamour]

Thank you. No sign of him (or her?) since. My next door neighbor saw it too for the same two days I did. She said he sat on her fence a long time enjoying being admired. Not sure I would have been able to catch him but would try if he stayed around long enough.

Hope he's safe.

[dober1]

No idea where you are located but a Coopers or Sharpshined Hawk might have got it. Bright colored non-native birds usually don't last long.

[TheDragonslayer]

I had the same thing happen to me two years ago, one morning a bright blue budgerigar was in my front yard and we are in far northern California and have hawks around. He was there the second and third day still and on the third day I took one of my rabbit cages and took the bottom off, propped it up with a stick, put some cockatiel seed inside with a string attached to the stick that lead all the way into the house, when the parakeet landed and starting eating seed, I pulled the string. But the first time I pulled too hard and flipped the cage, the second time I caught the bird, but missed the four inch hole in the side of the cage for a feeder. I repaired the hole and started over and caught the parakeet on the third try and still have him with 12 other parakeets I adopted off of Craigs list for his company all in an enclosed 50 square foot aviary with 8 foot height on my front porch. I also have two parrots and 9 cockatiels, but before that blue parakeet, only had one parrot and one cockatiel that is now hitting 21 years old.