Taming a possible wild keet

Question
I live in southeastern Michigan where our winters can get quite cold. Yesterday, we caught a vey young parakeet flying between several backyards. We dont know if it escaped from someone's home or if it is wild. Either way, we're pretty sure it wouldn't make it through the winter due to its young age and time of year. Is it possible to tame her so that she can be handled similarly to a domestically raised 'keet? We talk to her and hold her several times a day (she fights and bits) although just in 24 hours she seems "somewhat" more receptive. I am thinking of clipping her wings just for the safety point of view and making it a bit easier to handle her. What should we doing, or not doing, and is our goal possible with her? Thank You.

Answer
Hi Jim,

Welcome to the world of parrots! I will include in the bottom links where I discuss training. Since all parrots are by nature wild animals that are being kept as pets, your budgie is no different than one that lives in a home. Domestication (like cats and dogs) takes thousands of years. Budgies have been bred for a couple of decades, they are still very much wild animals that we have chosen to share our homes with.

Since you are starting out well with her I will answer the what you 'should be doing' part of your question.

1. Go to the website http://www.911parrotalert.com/ and list your found bird. She may have an owner looking and this is the most comprehensive listing of birds lost and found world wide. Also list your bird in the local paper and on craigslist.org.

2. Your next step in an avian veterinarian exam. This website will help you locate one. http://www.aav.org/activemembers.html

This is a very important first step. If you don't know her health status then you cannot begin to provide her with a healthy home. Your avian vet can clip her wings, something you shouldn't do unless you've been trained. Your avian vet should be able to show you how.

3. The most important thing you can do is to care for your budgie is to learn all you can about bird care and never stop this learning. Bird care (even for "just a budgie") is very specialized and requires special knowledge. For example a healthy daily diet consists of pellets, fresh fruits and veggies, and a limited amount of seed. A minimum cage size would be 24"x24"x24" and made of power coated material or stainless steel.

Here is a good budgie website;

http://budgietalk.com/

And here are the training links I mentioned:

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Parrots-1638/PLEASE-HELP-2.htm

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Birds-General-2349/Biting-3.htm


Enjoy your new friend!

Jennifer
www.feathersandscales.com