How to get an Untaimed Parrot back into its Cage

[BlueBudgie]

Hi everyone!

I'm going to get a pair of budgies in the next few days. I've been trying to think of everything that could happen, so that if it does I am prepared.

I'm hoping to target train my birds as early on as I can, so that I hope I can get them back into their cage easily. But, if I have taken one or both of the birds out of their cage and they won't go back in, what should I do? I'm worried that I will have to throw a towel over them and catch them and that will make the experience of being out of their cage a negative one. Has anyone had this problem before, or know how prevent it or handle it? Thanks for any help!

 

[noodles123]

You can try waiting for your bird to get hungry and then dimming the lights.

 

[itzjbean]

You can use a butterfly net or a washcloth to capture them and then return them to their cage.

I just don't have time to 'let birds get hungry' so that they go back into their cage, if you wait for this it will take literal HOURS for them to fly back to their cage.. It's just not ideal or realistic to do that when I need them back in the cage NOW to go do other things or leave the house. If you are home all day, great, but for most of us who work or run errands and need birds to be secured on our schedules, it's important to find a way that's quick and works for you.

You can also clip their wings to keep them from getting lift while flying and just capturing them gently in your hands to transport back into the cage, or you can also clip them and then use your hands to entice them back into their cage while using your hands as barriers to get them to move to where you want them to go (like onto a perch that makes them walk back inside).

Another option that some budgie owners utilize is getting their birds a large flight cage and letting them fly in that rather than out and about in the house. It gives them plenty of space to fly from side to side up and down and get exercise but keeps them contained. You can also consider a small aviary to keep them in.

Good luck!

 

[Laurasea]

Hang millet just inside door. Turn off all lights shut shades. Put a bright light over cage. They will fly to the light

 

[BlueBudgie]

Thanks for the ideas! They will help a lot!

 

[noodles123]

You can use a butterfly net or a washcloth to capture them and then return them to their cage.

I just don't have time to 'let birds get hungry' so that they go back into their cage, if you wait for this it will take literal HOURS for them to fly back to their cage.. It's just not ideal or realistic to do that when I need them back in the cage NOW to go do other things or leave the house. If you are home all day, great, but for most of us who work or run errands and need birds to be secured on our schedules, it's important to find a way that's quick and works for you.

You can also clip their wings to keep them from getting lift while flying and just capturing them gently in your hands to transport back into the cage, or you can also clip them and then use your hands to entice them back into their cage while using your hands as barriers to get them to move to where you want them to go (like onto a perch that makes them walk back inside).

Another option that some budgie owners utilize is getting their birds a large flight cage and letting them fly in that rather than out and about in the house. It gives them plenty of space to fly from side to side up and down and get exercise but keeps them contained. You can also consider a small aviary to keep them in.

Good luck!

Just to clarify---I have always worked and I also went through a period (1-2 months) of not being able to touch my unclipped bird. I also run errands and have to leave the house before it's light out each day. I am not trying to sound snarky-just saying that catching a bird can damage trust and just because you work doesn't mean you can't find alternatives...Also, not saying your way is wrong (it just wasn't for me).

 

[LaManuka]

My budgie Val is not tame. He generally spends most of his day either sitting in his (enormous!) cage because that’s where all his food and toys are, or he’s tagging along pestering Fang. He is a pretty smart little bird and usually pops himself back in his cage come sundown, or he will follow after Fang if I pop him in there like a lure

Val is pretty trustworthy and doesn’t chew stuff so if I do have to leave the house for a short while and he’s out I don’t bother trying to catch him because it stresses both of us out! Very occasionally I do need to manhandle him back into his cage at bedtime. It’s actually quite easy in the dimmer light as budgies don’t have very good night vision so I can just cup both hands around him and cage him with minimal fuss.

Your budgies may tame down beautifully and you may not have these issues but if you don’t make food or water available outside the cage I think you’ll manage them quite well.

 

[Betrisher]

Teach your bird to target (instructions are in our training forums). That way, you can ask your bird to go anywhere and he will!