To prevent your bird from escaping, we propose the following advice:

 

Your parrot should be free but monitored.

1- In the house, when your parrot is out of its cage, windows and doors should be shut.

Close the drapes or blinds on your windows so that your bird will not believe that there is an opening and hurt itself trying to escape.

 

2 – If you allow your bird out in your yard, it should be attached. For example, you can place it on a perch and place it in a harness (sold in many animal shops). Your parrot will be with you but will not be able to fly away if the harness is properly affixed and in good working order (be careful, a bird’s beak is strong enough to cut the harness loose!).

 

While it is true that parrots roam freely in certain parks (like the Arche de Noé on the Ile de Ré or the Loro Parque in the Canary Islands), these are islands and the parrots are in groups. They cannot therefore escape very far and the calls of the group incite them to return.

 

Regardless of the situation, an attached parrot must never be left alone for obvious reasons of security.

 

3 - Even if you leave your bird in total freedom and everything unfolds without incident, it is important to remember that your bird could easily be frightened by a loud noise or a sudden movement. It could panic and unintentionally escape and/or hurt itself. When you are not present to monitor it, it is safest to leave your bird in its cage.

 

4 - Lastly, you can have your bird’s wings regularly clipped by your veterinarian. Under no circumstances should you attempt to clip the wings yourself, since you run the risk of cutting the feathers too short which will cause heavy bleeding and can seriously endanger your bird’s health.

Never forget that a bird is, of course, made for flying…

 

but also for flying away.

 

Also consult the Lost & Found and Alert: Lost Parrot pages on our site.