Tips Needed

[mandy]

Hi! something totally unexpected happened today. In the house where i keep Lilly and Larry Bird, a stray peachface suddenly appears. It is a normal green. The owners of the house manage to capture it and i went there to check it out. The bird seems well fed and rather calm considering what it might have gone through. so the bird is under observation now. i tried feeling the pelvic bone and it seems to be a she... so what i wanted to ask is... what signs do i look for now in terms of her health? Any tips how i can find the owner? :confused: Thanks to all for the usual support!

[Janie]

Mandy, my guess would be that the stray peachie heard your birds and that is why it was hanging around. As far as the sex, DNA is the only way that I know of to be sure. I would keep this bird totally separate from your two and especially since it's been living in the wild for who knows how long. To find the owners you can place signs in the area where the bird was found and also call around to local vet offices (and take flyers there, too) in case the owners have called the area vets looking for their bird. If you have local human society's, that is another place you can call to let them know you've found a lost bird. Good luck!

[Kathryn]

Janie gave good tips on locating the owners.

Tips for health could include observing how the bird eats and drinks...is it normal amounts?
What about poopins...do those look okay? Watery can mean something is wrong.
Do the feathers appear in good shape and shiney? Is the bird preening itself?
The activity level is also an indicator...active or on the floor in a corner.

Definitely keep the bird in isolation/quarantine for now.

Good thing the bird was attracted to your birds and found someone who cares about it's fate.

[mandy]

so far the bird seems to be ok... actually, i think she is a bit on the heavy side. She seems to be calm when handled. Thanks for all the tips. Will keep you posted on what has been happening.

[Eliza]

Whoa -- a stray peachie found his or her way to you? Craziness, I tell you!

I've read a few accounts of people finding their pet lovies that way. A stray lovie ended up at the feeder (or something along those lines) and when no owner turns up, they've kept it as a pet.

Keep the week bird seperate from your flock for now for safety's sake, of course.

As for finding the owner? You can post a "found bird" message on-line on different bird forums (birdboard.com has a bird lost & found thread) or even places like Craigslist. I wouldn't necessarily say "wild-type peachface" but would simply mention finding a lovebird in the XXXXX (zip code) area.

Best wishes!

-e-