Bird in the loft

Welshwoofs

martinsurrey wrote: »

there are thousands of these in Surrey/London, and to a city type a 16 inch bird flapping around your face is BIG!

Oh come now - it's not a ruddy tiger, it's a bird! It's a trapped, frightened bird and the only way you'll get it out is to throw something over it.

I lived in London for years and I honestly can't remember city dwellers being this wet about wildlife. Grow a pair!

Fire_Fox

Don't stress the bird out with amateur techniques, just call in a wildlife rescue to net it.

purple12

Other thing you might try (and I have no idea if they would respond but worth trying) is the local authority animal warden.

I work for a LA and sometimes have to call them out to help deal with animals in properties (long story.. ) and they are very helpful and have lots of interesting (humane - obviously) trap-type devices at their disposal. I'm not sure if they would just do it on request though (when I've asked it's been related to my work).

embob74

We once had a seagull trapped in our chimney breast and RSPCA were reluctant to come out. They advised leaving smelly fish (tuna/ salmon) on the ground to entice it down but it didn't work.
In the end we called them back and they did come out. Might be worth another call to them to say you have tried but unable to catch it.

As it turned out the RSPCA woman was there 2 minutes. She put her glove on, stuck her arm up the chimney and grabbed the birds legs and out it came. If I'd known it was that easy I would have done it myself!

As a kid our chimney was closed off and we used to get birds fall down and get stuck behind the plastic plate. I had to unscrew the plate and the birds would fly towards the light. After the first one dived into the window I learnt to close the curtains and open the living room door and the front door so all the bird could see was light leading to outside.

00ec25

embob74 wrote: »

As it turned out the RSPCA woman was there 2 minutes. She put her glove on, stuck her arm up the chimney and grabbed the birds legs and out it came. If I'd known it was that easy I would have done it myself!

I hope you gave them a big cash donation
yes it is that easy which is kind of the point of this thread - DIY is perfectly possible and does not need calling out someone else

Helsieboo

For what it's worth and perhaps I should have made it more clear, but I was wanting to know who was liable if it did cause damage. I googled "parakeets in loft" and there have been reports of them causing damage near where I live.

Anyway, it got down under the eves (eaves?) where we couldn't get at it anyway. RSPCA etc not interested, letting agent said to leave it (which for what it's worth, I didn't actually want to do) and yes, we did try going out for a day and leaving hatch open with food to entice it and windows open (although not big enough when they have their wings spanned, although I suppose it could wiggle out).

Came back and now we have loft damage where it pecked a route out and several parakeets flying in and out. Can't fault the parakeet, I'd have done the same if I was a bird with a tough beak, but we really couldn't catch it despite trying and now damage has been caused which was my fear as I'm now concerned that we'll be liable for it.

Thanks to those of you who tried to be helpful, the rest of you calling me a wet blanket etc, sod off, I came asking for advice not judgement.

Won't be bothering with MSE again, I have noticed several posters asking advice in the past and being belittled, but guess it's easy to be insulting behind a computer screen.