In general, it is illegal to catch a bird, but there are certain situations that you need to do it. A trapped bird inside your house needs to be captured for it to be released in the wild. With this situation in mind, this article will tackle how to catch a bird in your house to help them back in the cage or the wild.
What You Will Need:
- Towel
- Box (To hold the bird)
Step 1: Finding the Location of the Bird
The moment you learn that a bird is inside your house, the initial thing to do is pinpoint where exactly the bird is located. It can be tough to find the bird with its small size, especially if he is hiding somewhere.
Their ability to fly can also make it difficult for you to locate your unauthorized visitor immediately. Finding the bird will need you to do extensive searching, but your advantage is the familiarity you have with your house.
Start by looking in dangerous places to birds such as doorways, bathrooms, water glasses, windows, stoves, and sofas. You can also do your research on difficult to locate hideouts such as boxes, baskets, and drawers.
Step 2: Always Stay Calm and Keep your Cool
A bird making an unauthorized entry into your house is not an emergency. So, you need to calm down before making any drastic moves that will make the birds uneasy. Please remember that birds understand human body language. So, any unnecessary movements like screaming can make them anxious.
Please avoid chasing or even yelling at the bird. It will only make them afraid and challenging to catch. You do not need the bird to be stressed, and neither do you. What you do is ease their nerves by moving softly and moving at your regular pace.
Step 3: Remove Any Immediate Dangers from the Room
Before catching the bird, it is a must for you to make your house safe for them. This step will prevent any accident that will hurt or even kill the bird. For example, if you have a ceiling fan, it is advised to turn it off immediately.
If you have pets inside your house, such as dogs, cats, or any other animals, you can let them transfer temporarily in a safe location, specifically outside your home. You also need to make your kitchen safe by turning off the flames or covering in hot pots if there are any. You can also remove any food or water sources that will attract the bird in the kitchen.
Step 4: Give the Bird the Chance to Free Himself
After everything in the house is ready, it will be better to give the bird the chance to free himself. This situation can be done by turning all the lights off and opening the windows. Leave the bird alone and be patient while waiting for the bird to find its way outside.
If it happens in the evening, be patient and consider waiting overnight for the birds to see the light. Since it is normal for the birds to follow the light on the outside, you can consider opening the windows early in the morning.
Step 5: Preparing to Capture the Bird
If the plan of letting the bird free on its own will not materialize, the next best move is to catch the bird yourself. This step is more straightforward said than done but doable if you know what you are doing. You will need to prepare yourself first by washing your hands even if you do not plan to touch the bird.
This step is to make the birds safe because any contamination to the feathers will have a negative impact on the bird’s feathers. Always remember that a damaged feather will make the bird unfit for release in the wild. Also, prepare the towel and the box before trying to capture the bird.
Step 6: Capturing and Chasing the Bird the Right Way
In catching the bird, you will need to hold up the towel to block the bird from flying farther away inside your house. Then, try to chase the bird slowly and calmly. The key is to keep chasing until the bird will be tired of you to quickly catch it. Once the bird is exhausted, it will stop flying and just rest in a selected perch.
The next step is to turn the box on its side while positioning it beside the bird. Hold the box beside the bird and push the cute animal inside the box using the towel. Once it is inside the box, you can now close it to prevent the bird from escaping again.
Step 7: Letting the Birds Free in the Wild
If the bird only escapes from the cage, you can now carefully return it to its natural location. If a bird is accidentally trapped inside your house, then it will be proper to let it free and go back to the wild.
You can bring the box slowly to the outside. Be very careful and avoid hurting the bird once it is inside. Once you are outside, you can let the birds recover first before letting it fly.
Conclusion
Learning how to catch a bird in your house is a must should you accidentally see a bird entering unknowingly. The most important thing is not to hurt the bird but helping it to return safely to its natural habitat.