Bonding and birds that fly away.

[kingsnake]

I understand these birds are intelligent and also are not domesticated however I hear their bond to a person (s) is very strong. I'm curious why they fly away...? You can let a cat, dog and Pigeons out and for the most part they have intelligence to come back. Is it that Greys really don't belong in our homes and should be left in the wild? Kind of reminds me of the attitude, you have me as your prisoner now but if I ever get the chance to escape, I will. I'm not trying to start an argument, just trying to understand. It seems Greys are very smart but still so dumb? I mean heck, Rats that get loose usually stay around the area where their cage has been. I use to breed mice and rats for my snakes and a few rats have escaped but would live under the shed or in the shed walls, they had every chance to run into the woods behind my house but would live around the shed for months at times till I finally could catch them. Of course other animals like snakes, mice or whatever will take off if they escape but I wouldn't say these animals are smarter than a Grey.

[danmcq]

The birds that accidently escape do want to be with their "Flock", namely you and household. The problem is, once they fly away, they do not know their way back and they are now in a very scary and strange world that holds dangerous threats everywhere they go. Thus searching for them, calling to them and leaving thier cage outside the house in the lafrgest possible view is what gets these birds back home.

 

It has nothing to do with intelligence and most birds except pigeons do not having the auto-home button that guides them.

[judygram]

Dan is right, birds are wild animals and when they fly away they are only following their natural instinct which is to avoid predators and even though your bird may be bonded to you if they escape they are trying to elude the enemies, thats why you should never take your bird outside without being either on a harness or in some kind of enclosure like a travel cage.

[Luvparrots]

My Ana Grey I believe is very bonded to me but she always looks longingly at the outdoors. Whenever I take her out in her harness she always, and yes always tries to fly off. Just once is all she tries, I believe in hopes that I did not tighten the harness enough to hold her. She loves to fly and flies all over the house and makes beautiful turns into the different rooms. She will sit at the door on a plant stand I have at the window when I am outside and turns her head to see if she can get through. I don't kid myself for one moment that she would not fly out the door the first chance she got. She would fly and fly and when she got her fill she would land and look around and wonder where Mommy is and why she doesn't come get her because she is tired and wants her dinner. Where are you Mommy????? I'm hunger and tired???? My worst fear........

[kingsnake]

Curious, those reading ths, how many of you had your African Grey escape or get away for whatever reason and was able to find them (Did the bird fly back to you while you walked around the neighborhood or what?) or has anyone had thier bird show back up in the yard later on? Just curious and would love to hear these personal stories of people finding their birds again after they flew away.

[Luvparrots]

We do have members who parrots have been found and returned. I have my grey micro-chipped to help her return if the finder just takes her to a vet and asks them to scan her. Unfortunately, not every finder will look for the true owner.

[judygram]

Most of the birds that members here have lost were found by someone other than themselves, they did not return to their home and it was the kindness of others that they got their bird back, sometimes the owner when out looking for it spotted their bird but it took off out of sight before they could catch up with it.

I have never lost a bird but I have found one.

[louie]

One time, many years ago, I brought Sierra out on the deck. We had clipped her wings (which I know is a whole different conversation!) and I foolishly thought that would keep her from flying off. I was ignorant. Something startled her and at that moment the wind picked up and she rode the wind for quite a distance, landing out of our sight as there are many trees around. We live out in the country. I called all my neighbors and we formed a search line and for 3 hours walked from one end of our property to the other, making sweeps in a line, calling her. I called my husband who came home from work. He stood on the deck, observed the wind, and walked in a direction and for a distance that he figured she could have glided. He basically walked right up to her. She was sitting in the tall grass of the field, at least 100 yards from the deck. She must have sat there the whole time, and she never made any noise. I imagine she was completely freaked out. We were very bonded, and I'm sure her silence and stillness were due to fear. I'm ashamed of this story and rarely tell it, but want people to know what can happen. I learned to never bring her outside without her harness or in a cage.

[kingsnake]

Thanks for your story Louie; I hope others follow your lead as stories like this do help. To be honest, until today I really thought if a birds wings were clipped they could only go maybe 15 feet or so. I thought this because when I was a kid my Stepmom had 3 cockatiels and all their wings were clipped. At times they would try to fly or get around but wouldn't get far before landing on the ground, of course they were indoors and I never really thought about them being out in the wind.