FINCHforum

About a week ago I put my new pair of crested societies + a new non-crested society in my outside aviary with the weavers, doves, quail, chicks and tiels.
Yesterday afternoon when I wanted to give the chicks and quail new water the quail(2, absolutly not tame, Bobwhites) spooked and flew up into the tree where the finches sit while I am in the aviary. The Weavers couldn't care less about that big quail sitting beside them but the societies freaked. One(the non-crested) flew against my shoulder, tumbled over it and sat on the floor outside aviary looking very baffled...... as soon as I moved it flew up onto the aviary. I put my hospital cage onto the aviary and put some millet spray in there hoping the finch would go in but that spooked the poor thing even more and it flew away.

I checked the plants that are around the aviary when it got dark, hoping it would have returned but it was no where
I took the hospital cage off of the aviary and onto the bench beside it and went to bed. This morning when I woke up there still was no finch in sight, I thought that was it I have to buy another non-crested.

2 hrs later I wanted to feed the finches and walked past my (still open) hospital cage and just saw movement in the cage in the corner of my eye(dunno why but I freaked as if the boogyman was standing there, never knew my heart could beat so fast) and it was the lil society munching away at the millet in the cage absolutly not worried about me standing beside it........

I didn't think a lil bird like that could worry me sooooooo much(and scare me like that), I am so happy she is back!!!!

I bet if it was one of my Weavers that got out it wouldn't come back.

Luckily it was out for only 24 hrs, we got some very quick sharp shinned hawks here that love to pick the cowbirds and starlings out of the trees, a lil black and white society would have had no chance if one of those came along.


Anyways, I thought I should share my first experience with a finch that made a dash(unplanned tumble) for freedom.

Anna

oh my gosh! I'm glad he came back!
Will you keep the finches outside over the winter or do you need to bring them in? I don't have an outside aviary so I'm just curious.

I'm glad to hear the wandering Society returned!

I had a parakeet that did that. She never came back though. :[

I guess one big factor why the lil guy came back was that we got nothin for her out here, and of course its 2 buddies sitting in the aviary chirping probably brought her back too.

I'll have to bring the finches and tiels in over the winter, the doves do fine outside. I don't think the finches would do to well when the temps drop below -20°C. They are better with our extreme heat(-38°C) then with the extreme cold.

I am so happy for you. I just lost six Goulds. I tied the cage door open, but, sadly, no returns. Many years ago I had a parakeet return after an escape, so I was hopeful. They've been gone for ten days.

I'm so sorry to hear that!

My friend Dennis raises Quaker Parrots. One day he put them outside to get some sunshine and heard all kinds of racket. He looked outside and saw another Quaker sitting outside of the cage. He thought at first that one of his had escaped, but when he went out to see, both of his were in their cage. He put another cage out next to his Quakers with a string attached to the door and sure enough the loose Quaker went right in. He pulled the string and bam! a new Quaker. Then a few days later again the Quakers were outside and he saw another Quaker flying around. He has seen several now and has caught three more.

Quakers have made a home all over Florida, but this is the first time in 25 years of raising birds that he has had them come to him. He is having great success in taming them. After the quarentine period when he new they were free of diseases and bugs, he has started introducing them to his flock.

I didn't realize those nests on top of the trees and telephone poles were Quaker nest, they are so big.