Top Ten Hints and Tips

For Finding Your Lost Bird or Parrot

Losing a pet bird or parrot or having one stolen is a very traumatic event for you and your bird. Here are some helpful guidelines for preparing for this tragedy and for putting a plan into action if it happens to you. Also, don't forget to check out Kibibi's Top Ten Lost Bird Resources and Kibibi's Top Ten Lost Bird Sites

Here are Top Ten Helpful Hints for finding a lost or stolen pet bird or parrot.

1. Canvas the Area - Walk around the neighborhood and call his/her name and listen carefully for the lost bird's contact calls. It is often helpful to listen carefully at dusk and dawn when birds are typically more vocal.
2. Expand your Search Area - Search close to home (<1 mile). They usually stay close to home unless given a reason to leave such as predators, wind or lack of shelter. If the search is prolonged, this area can gradually be increased to cover a larger area.
3. Provide Incentive to Return - Place their open cage outside with food, water, treats and toys inside it. If you have another bird, take them with you on the search. The contact calls between the two birds may help you locate your lost bird.
4. High Priority Contact List - Contact anyone and everyone that you think can be helpful. Your immediate High Priority Contact List should include neighbors, bird breeders, local zoos, local police (non-emergency), SPCA/humane society, local veterinarians and Pet Stores. It's helpful to have a prepared list of people to notify in case of emergency. Keep this list with your bird's Emergency First-Aid kit. Having the list ready will make your job of enlisting the help of someone to make the contacts for you very very easy. Just give them the list, contact info and description and you can get back to canvasing the area while they're making the calls.
5. Get Your Story Out - If the search lasts too long and reaches a deadend, contact local radio and television stations. It is often possible to get exposure as a human interest story to help the media fill slow news days.
6. Reward Offered! - Consider offering a reward. The size of the award isn't very important but any reward adds incentive for people to help. It's also very effective at getting kids involved. You don't need to specify the size of the award but make sure your flier says "Reward Offered".
7. Picture This! - Have a picture available to post fliers in neighborhood. This helps tremendously by helping people identify your lost bird but more importantly it puts a "face" with the lost animal. Who can resist the sweet little picture of a lost bird? Create the fliers and post them in high traffic places (laundrymats, grocery stores, Community Centers, Churchs, Bus Stops, telephone poles and on School Bulletin Boards.
8. Advertise - it's often free! - Post an ad in the local newspaper (often free) or on Craigs List (free) and don't forget to read ads in the paper. Occasionally people will post Found birds in the paper.
9. Low Priority Contact List - People on this Low Priority Contact List should be contacted after your High Priority Contact List has been contacted. This includes the not-so-obvious people that are typically outside during the day and likely to notice a lost bird in the area. This includes postal workers, local delivery people, paper delivery people, neighborhood kids, working crews in the neighborhood, regular joggers and walkers and your neighborhood watch organization.
10. Be Ready and Available - After diligently posting your contact info EVERYWHERE and calling EVERYONE, don't forget to have someone available to answer the call if someone does find your bird and attempts to contact you.

One final parting nugget of advise - Don't forget your safety. Don't meet anyone anywhere alone especially if offering a reward. Also, don't widely distribute your home address as some people make take advantage of this by lurring you away and breaking into your house. Also be alert for scam artists that demand that you give them a reward BEFORE they'll show you or give you the lost pet.