FINCHforum

My two Javan sparrows Henry and Michael slipped through a loose corner in their cage today and escaped outdoors and I'm devastated. Last I saw them they were doing loops in the yard being mobbed by house sparrows. They took off in opposite directions, with the white one initially going and perching upon the roof and the gray one taking off for several blocks way past some tall apartments and across the highway into the heart of the city. I didn't see him again. The white one stuck around on the roof and in nearby trees all day but never returned to his cage or ate or drank as far as I saw, and he too flew off as evening approached. He never let me approach him.

I believe the sparrows broke out through a 2 inch gap in one corner resulting from the clip holding two sides together breaking and me not noticing and bringing them outdoors anyway as I do on some sunny days for some fresh air and vitamin D. They were very used to free-flight indoors in the bird room and had no qualms about leaving their cage at first opportunity. I believe that left to their own devices they would have explored the porch, maybe the yard, and then gone back in, but they were apparently attacked by a mob of wild birds and spooked high into the air into the open, becoming disoriented and panicked. I've left the cage outside open with seed and water, but have very low expectations on my fids returning after so long out in the open with predators and no survival skills. They don't even have each other because they flew in opposite directions. This is all just not what I needed. I should have just left them indoors.

I'm so sorry this happened to you! I had it happen to one of my finches when my husband opened the downstairs door and air pressure opened another door and it escaped. I did put his mates cage out and her cries made him come back and perch on top of her cage a day or so later but my husband's work schedule got switched. I'm not well and can't do the stairs carrying the cage outside to do it and we've had family drama...and so we have not gotten him back. Don't give up. Put the cage outside with birds. I would...if possible, play a tape of finches loudly so they can hear them and come toward them. They may still find each other because they know each other's chirp/cries. Also, keep an eye open on craigslist and places like that. Also put and ad. I cannot believe how many people recently have found birds show up in their yard and have inherited a new bird in the last two weeks. I know of 5. One was a finch, the other 4 were parakeets. Someone may catch your bird. Be ready though for it to have mites or something it picked up from being out in the wild.

Oh no!
I'm so sorry to hear this.
They usually don't go too far. So I'd keep hope and keep the cage out there and keep putting food out for them.

That's the one disadvantage of birds who get lots of free fly time. Their wings are strong and they can go further.

So sorry to hear about your javas escaping Praying for their safe return

I'm sorry,hope they can find their way back,

No return as of today. : (

Oh Dylan...

Don't give up! Keep looking to see if someone found them...just in case...and leave a cage out, door opened with seed and water out for them.

Sheather
Any news?
Can you put posters out, in case someone finds them? I would leave food out, just in case.

Also check with animal shelters, notify vets, post on pet store bulletin boards if you can. If there are people in your area that raise birds or have aviairies, let them know. They might be attracted to familiar sounds of finches or anything they were used to at your house. Keep their cage outside with millet & a bath. Notify everyone you can think in case they are found. Put an ad in the paper. It might help if you had another Java that they could hear. They are likely to go to other Javas if there are any in your area.

I'm sorry your Javas escaped I hope they come back very soon!