HI, we bought a budgie 2 1/2 weeks ago. Things were going great, by the third day Frankie was already flying around the house and stepping up on our fingers. My two boys ages 8 and 4 totally fell in love with the little guy. He started to fly to us within two weeks. My 4 year old son just simply adored how Frankie would nibble on his nose and ears. We got incredibly attached to the little fellow in such a short amount of time.

Unfortunately, Frankie flew out the door early yesterday morning. My husband was coming in and Frankie flew out like it was rehearsed. We spent about 6 hours looking for him in the rain. Every time we would find him on a tree he flew a little further away. The last tree branch he perched on was low enough for us to get on top of a step ladder and try to get him to come down. We cut some long branches and duck taped them together and clipped some millet spray to the end. He almost got both feet on the branch and for some reason got spooked and flew very far away. My son and I looked for about an hour more and finally gave up. We live in a suburb of Chicago and it's still pretty cold here, and it was raining yesterday.

Out of anger, sadness and just pure selfishness I went out to a pet store that evening and bought another budgie, I geuss to try to replace what we lost. I asked the guy to clip the budgies wings half what they usually clip. I still want the new guy to fly around a little. Does wing cliiping work that way? or do you have to cut the flight feathers all the way? The reason I'm asking is because I didn't really think through before buying the new guy. I am afraid this will happen again because our door to the outside world is very frequently opened and shut, especially during the summer months. I went out this morning to look for Frankie and walked around the neighborhood for about an hour and then in the afternoon, but did not find him.

Edited April 14, 200817 yr by KAZ

If you clip both their wings by half it will make them have to work harder but they will still be able to fly, if you just clip one wing they will fly in circles and tend to run into things because they don't have control. Given your door is open often I would suggest you should clip the wings fully or keep him in a room where there are two doors before he can make it to the outside world. Just my opinion though.

I am so sorry what a horrible thing to happen - brings tears to my eyes

 

I love birds that can fly too. I also have children (2-4 years old) and my back door is nearly always open, which means my 3 inside pet budgies need to have fully clipped wings at all times. It's for their own safety.

 

Personally, I would clip your new budgies wings fully.

I am so sorry what a horrible thing to happen - brings tears to my eyes

 

I love birds that can fly too. I also have children (2-4 years old) and my back door is nearly always open, which means my 3 inside pet budgies need to have fully clipped wings at all times. It's for their own safety.

 

Personally, I would clip your new budgies wings fully.

Thank you, I cried alot and so did my kids, I still have this rotten feeling inside.

Make up a notice and drop it in letterboxes in your neighbourhood. Frankie may have been caught already and be very close by.

Make up a notice and drop it in letterboxes in your neighbourhood. Frankie may have been caught already and be very close by.

 

 

It is also worth notifying local vets, animal rescues and pet shops because people that find a bird and can't look after it often drop it in one of these places.

Make up a notice and drop it in letterboxes in your neighbourhood. Frankie may have been caught already and be very close by.

Thanks for the suggestion. I might even put an add in our local lost and found. How likely is it that a budgie could survive such a temperature change? It must of been around 40 degrees last night.

Make up a notice and drop it in letterboxes in your neighbourhood. Frankie may have been caught already and be very close by.

Thanks for the suggestion. I might even put an add in our local lost and found. How likely is it that a budgie could survive such a temperature change? It must of been around 40 degrees last night.

Frankie may have been caught already and brought insde someones home. Fingers crossed... and do a search. It has been known to happen that lost budgies are found and reunited with their owners. Keep trying

sorry to hear of your loss of frankie, l hope that you are able to find him.