Any bird rescue experts?

[PamNY]

I posted in the "what wildlife" thread about a lovebird I've seen hanging out with feral monk parakeets. I'd like to find out if there's any way to rescue the lovebird, but I have no bird rescue contacts and no expertise at all.

I know we have birders here, and animal-loving people, so I thought it was worth asking for advice or contacts. I know it would be difficult, and I suspect impossible, to capture a bird who is quite at home on a nest in a tall tree. But I've become attached to the little fellow, and I know he can't survive the winter.

I've sent emails to local bird rescue groups and haven't heard back.

[Aquila]

Hey PamNY, I'm no expert, sorry.

But, are folks feeding these birds? If so, if they feed through the winter (and if there's a solid feral population, that's probably happening), then the lovebird may well okay. I've been told by real birders that the problem for most migratory birds isn't the cold but the lack of food.

I can't think of a way to trap just one bird; I'd be hesitant to try to mistnet a bunch for just one bird. (And it may be illegal without a special permit or something where you are.)

If you want, you might want to contact the local animal shelter and see if they know folks who do bird rescue.

Good luck.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Put out a bird cage, sized for parakeets or cockatiels (garage sale find?), and fill some dishes in it with lovebird seed mix and a dish of water. tie the door open with a twist tie, and put the cage in your yard where you can see it from your window. Toss a bit of seed every couple of days around the cage to get birds to come investigate.

Assuming he was previously owned, the lovebird won't be as fearful of entering the cage as true wild birds are, and if you see him in there, walk outside quickly and calmly, talking soothingly, and block the door with your hand as you undo the twist tie and close the door. Hopefully you will do this quietly and quickly and he won't know enough to flee out the little door before you can close it.

[bambu101]

Lisa has some good advice. One other suggestion is to put a small hand mirror inside a cage so that the bird comes inside to check out the "other bird" .

You can also try to report the bird on 911 parrot Alert:
http://www.911parrotalert.com/FoundBirdReport.html

Also check Craig's List, the local vets office, etc to see if anyone has reported the missing bird. As a bird owner, there is nothing worse than to have one of them fly away, never to be found again. Of course, there are idiots who think that a domesticated parrot can survive in the wild, and set them free to meet a violent death or starvation.

This lovebird might be OK for awhile, but chances are not good that it would survive any cold weather. Feral quakers have adapted over time to the climate in New York and other cold-weather cities.

Good luck!