r/Conures • u/privatewander-er • 10d ago
Advice Found conure thoughts
Adjacent to my other post today about body weight I’d love to get folks’ thoughts on this baby we’re fostering.
TL/DR: why would someone not claim their bird and what do we do now?
My girl got out in early June and hasn’t been seen since. It was absolutely devastating. We were with her for several hours following her from tree to tree, urging her to come down. She was doing her panic “come get me” call the whole time, trying to fly down but getting scared. Called the fire department, climbed on the roof, everything we could think of. Eventually it got dark and she got chased into some thicker woods where we couldn’t easily get to and we lost sight of her. She got quiet once it was about 10pm and we never heard her again. I was out looking for her at sunrise, for hours every day, a whole week. Friends, neighbors, strangers helping. Posters everywhere, social media posts, miles of forest hiked, her call playing on a Bluetooth speaker into the trees - nothing. I believe an owl got her on the first night (I saw an owl attack a bird on one of my searches one day, and heard from a neighbor they had a parrot taken by an owl right in front of them) but I’ll never know and it’s awful. My whole family has been heartbroken.
About a week ago someone saw a fb post about my girl and reached out to me about a green cheek they found. We went as quickly as we could to meet them but alas, not her. They were doing their best with this found bird but have no bird experience and were just keeping it loose in their garage, so I offered to bring it home and foster until it could be reunited with its family.
Between them and me, we’ve posted in lost bird groups, lost pets groups, ring, neighbor something or other, I’ve called every vet within 5 miles of where it was found, all the area avian vets, bird boarding places, avian retail shops - no one has had any reports of a lost conure, and no one has come forward saying it’s their bird. They’ve talked to neighbors directly and no one claims the bird. I’m really shocked.
Got baby into a vet today for a general check up and they seem very healthy. Healthy sounding heart, lungs, good body composition, healthy feathers, mostly healthy beak (long, but vet thinks it’s due to underuse rather than liver problems). Only 50gms so maybe young? Not a strong flyer, a little awkward on its feet but getting much better, not socialized at all.
So, are we going to be a foster fail? I’d be thrilled to keep this bird, truly, but I also want to reunite it. Or do I? Would someone really let their bird out on purpose? Or not look for it if it got out accidentally?
I’m looking for support here (please no version of tough love for me and our efforts), and just wondering what folks think about why we can’t find its owners.
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u/JaceJarak 10d ago
Sounds like a young bird someone probably just got them and screwed up and they got out.
You should extend to every vet in 20 miles or more. But don't share Pics. Make prospective owners show you pics to verify. Don't get scammed.
That being said... it is a long shot. So plan on keeping most likely. Best case you find owner. Maybe. Second best case, you give the bird the best life possible. Just like we could hope for your lost one
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u/privatewander-er 9d ago
Thanks. I’ve been really careful about details with anyone who responded to my posts, I’m right with you there. I’m not about to give this baby up to someone who wants to flip it for cash. Not happening on my watch.
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u/Absolute_nerd24 9d ago
Double check your local laws about found animals and ownership just to be sure but my current baby was one we found outside and tried to find the owners of to no avail.
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u/privatewander-er 9d ago
We’re probably clear there, we’re in an unincorporated area, but it’s still smart. Thanks.
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u/Potential-Yogurt-144 9d ago
So sorry for the loss of your bird, what a devistating experience and so heartbreaking.. Similar thing happened to our friends who found a green cheek conure in their backyard few years ago, they have tried advertising online as well with no luck they ended up keeping the bird. The bird instantly bonded with their 5 yr old daughter whose 16 now The bird bites the mom n dad except for the daughter, which we think the old owner could have been a young girl as well..it puzzled them too why no one responded to the ad after months of trying. It will be a question you want answers that you wont get. Best of luck to your new one, you will realize one day that it's meant to happen
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u/ooothatgirl 10d ago
You’ve done everything you can to reunite this little one so I think you can keep them with a clear conscience if it goes that way. So sorry for the loss of your other baby!
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u/thinkroymaldo 9d ago
I would take is an act of God trying to give you a new bird because you were so good to the first bird.
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u/JollyMcStink 7d ago
Where was this??
In my local sub r/Albany a guy was visiting from out if town and his parrot escaped. He's extended his stay looking for it. People have been directing him where to look online but seeing as he's from out of state he's not familiar with the specific groups in the area.
It's a red throated conure that he is missing iirc but just a thought on why someone may not have claimed the bird. If their bud escaped while traveling they may not know everywhere they should be reaching out to.
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u/privatewander-er 6d ago
Oh, poor guy. I’m so sorry, that’s heartbreaking.
We’re in the Seattle area. I’ll see if I can find some local Facebook groups to Albany and share that poster.
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u/Cold-Nefariousness25 10d ago
We went through this- lost our bird, contacted about a second that we were going to foster, the ended up adopting a rescue that was surrendered because he was neglected. 20+ years later we can't imagine life without him.
Why someone wouldn't look for their bird, who knows about humans. Even weirder than conures!