Newbie

[Pappy41]

I just had a wild parrot pick me as its guardian. It was flying wild and stayed in my back yard for 4 days. I eventually put a cage out with water and food and it flew right in and settled. I don't know what it is. It has a bone colored beak that is kind of flat like a parakeet or cockatiel, as opposed to a sharper strong curved beak. The head and half down its breast is vivid red with a white splash under the beak/chin, the body is very yellow on the lower breast with green/grey colors on the back, wings and tail. Its about 10-12 inches long. It's big for a conjure I think and I'm guessing its a mature bird because of its size.
I looked up conjures thinking sun conjure but they have black beaks. Cherry headed conjures seem smaller and mostly green, my guy is definitely yellow with only greenish/greyish highlights.
I'm thinking it might be a hybrid but I don't know much so am looking for help. It won't let me touch it but is not aggressive. I'm trying to be very patient and let it acclimate to its new surroundings. I did bring it inside, it's a little chilly here lately. It has a metal band on one leg. I have no idea what that means.
Can anyone help me identify what this is?
Thx

 

[Kiwibird]

Hi and welcome to the forum. If the bird you found has a leg band, it isn't wild, it is someones lost pet and it would be my *suggestion* you try to locate it's owner, as someone is probably missing their feathered baby very much. Naturally, if no one claims it, you have a new little friend If you can post some pictures we can help identify what kind of parrot it is.

 

[Pappy41]

Thank you, Kiwibird.
Can you tell me how I find out who the owner might be by the tag? Where do people call when they lose a bird? The pet store told me not to call the SPCA cause they would probably euthanize the bird. I certainly don't want to keep the bird if it is someone's pet. It is not well socialized I don't think and it could have survived here in So.Cal outside for quite a long time. I know of flocks of parrots in the San Fernando Valley that are completely feral. Any sage advice and direction you can offer is much appreciated. Pappy...

 

[LokiLove]

Welcome to the forum! Sounds like it could be an Eastern Rosella maybe? Sometimes they have ID bands but most of the time the bands are usually just for breeder records so not helpful in finding the lost birds home. If you are able to post pics of the bird and the band someone here may be blue to tell you how to read the band. You can also post it on this site Bird HotLine — World Wide Bird Lost and Found I know a lot of people use it when they lose a bird or have found a lost bird. You can also post it in this forum in the lost and found section. If you can't locate the owners then congrats you got yourself a new feathered friend!

 

[Kiwibird]

You could try local vet offices (especially avian vets), avian shelters/sanctuaries and craigslist or the local newspaper (though you would only want to put "found lost parrot, call with description" or else someone who is not the owner may lie). The band was put on by the breeder and holds no relevance to who owns the bird. If an owner has not claimed the bird after a month, assume he or she is yours. Being you do live in an area with feral parrots, it is possible this bird was a pet at one point, but has been living in the wild for some time and no one is still looking for it. DO NOT SURRENDER THE BIRD TO ANYONE WHO CANNOT ACCURATELY DESCRIBE THE BIRDS UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS, AS THEY ARE NOT THE RIGHTFUL OWNER. THAT WOULD INCLUDE A VET OR SHELTER/SANCTUARY. Politely leave your contact information and that a potential owner can contact you directly if they have lost a parrot so they can describe the bird to you.

Without a picture, it is hard to say what kind of bird it is, but it sounds like possibly one of the larger conures or smaller amazon species. The bird should be kept indoors, fed fresh fruit and vegetables every day (along with high quality seed mix or pellets) and be provided some toys for mental stimulation. IF the bird is friendly and will 'step up' (get on your hand/arm) it is never a bad thing to let a parrot out of it's cage every day. Be sure all doors/windows are closed, toilet lids are down and no cooking is occurring when a bird is out (all common household hazards). If no one claims the bird and you decide to keep it, then there is a lot more to know about their long-term care that you will need to research, but for now, that would cover the 'basics'

 

[Pappy41]

Thanks everyone, I'm on a quest. I'll try and find the owner and let everyone know my progress. Thanks again for being so helpful.... ;O)

 

[Pappy41]

I'm a little confused but guess I can't send a private reply until I send posts to the senior members?
In any event, I want to thank LokiLove for correctly identifying the bird I found as a Eastern Rosella. I checked them out online and this one looks exact except his color is not quite as vivid as the pictures. I think his nutrition might not have been great. I'm working on finding the owners. Thanks again