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Path: utzoo!linus!security!genrad!grkermit!masscomp!clyde!ihnp4!houxm!houxl!braddy
From: braddy@houxl.UUCP (D.BRADDY)
Newsgroups: net.rec.birds
Subject: Re: How to Capture a Parrot
Message-ID: <141@houxl.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 28-Nov-83 23:40:45 EST
Article-I.D.: houxl.141
Posted: Mon Nov 28 23:40:45 1983
Date-Received: Wed, 30-Nov-83 02:37:47 EST
References: <432@ihuxn.UUCP>
Organization: Bell Labs, Holmdel NJ
Lines: 21

I live with four (4) parrots. They have gotten out of the house a few times,
 and while there is no sure recipe for catching them, here's some ideas.

First, may I suggest wearing gloves --
 parrot bites can range from painful, sometimes bloody (in my experience)
 to missing ends of fingers (I speculate, if bird were real scared/angry.)
I also found it much quicker in the long run to move very slowly
 while approaching them, with my brother singing to them from the other side
 for a distraction, than to supprise them into flying to yet another tree.
They are tame (at least they know me & behave accordingly,
 if they feel like it) and got hungry towards evening, so by
 luring them to me with food (try peanuts, bread, green chewy vegatables),
 I could get close enough to them to offer my finger to perch on,
 and they climbed on.  I then gently held the bird's foot under my thumb
 while I climbed down from the roof where I stood to reach them.

The ones I know are fairly durable beasts, but *do* have hollow bones
 and bodies much smaller than their feathers might lead you to think,
 so before you consider a slingshot, decide what you'd do with a lame parrot.

Good luck,   David Braddy           houxl!braddy