Aussie Finch Forum

And I don't mean wild birds.

What is the best way to catch birds in your aviary when you need to?

In my small cage I had success with a net, but even this stressed the birds (and me).

If you use the search option in the top right hand you'll find a number of older posts that cover this. Traps as feeding stations are IMO the least stressful method

trust me, I've been giving the search function a floggin since I've joined last week, and like most forums the search function brings up a broad range of posts.

For example typing "catching birds" into the search function brings up 61 pages of posts. I'm been spending a couple of hours a day reading stuff on this site when time permits (wife at work, kids at school), but no way could I get through 61 pages of posts on just one of the many subjects I am interested in learning more about.

thanks for your reply, the old guy over my back fence has a trap (which I suspect he used for more devious uses in his youth). I'll give that a try.

I have 2 bird traps with automatic trap doors that i use; i leave them in the aviary for about an hour, they usually catch about a dozen birds each and i sort through what i want, then net catch the others after hanging/pegging sheets up to divide the aviary into smaller sections. I do find the traps catch up mostly juveniles- the older more wise seem to know to stay away - but generally that's what i am trying to catch anyway. I also have a stringed sliding trap door on my feeding station for when i need to catch a particular bird but you have to be patient ☺

I find using the safety door area to shoo the birds I want to catch into can work. Mind you some of them are devious and avoid going out there when I am catching, and we all wind up puffing.
LML

I realise the answer is probably a pineapple, but just how fragile are these birds when it comes to disturbing them, particularly with a net in hand.
Obviously the idea is too limit the amount of time you spend in the cage, but I am about to transfer some birds between cages and would hate to have one "fall off the perch" because I've stressed them too much.
On a completely different topic, good luck to anyone having a punt in the cup.

They can be fragile but over quite a few years of catching with a net I have only lost 2 - both were Cubans. Others will pant from fright/exertion but seem to recover quickly. It's always a good idea to put some foam padding around your net wired edge for a bit of insurance. And, good luck to you

I send the missus in there with a net and yell at her. Me and my daughter watch with a cup of coffee and she has a milo. We don't let the missus out of the cage until the job is done. By then she's pretty shitty.
I'm gonna have to build a trap. Some birds are too hardcore for this method.

If the cage is no bigger than about 15msq and not heavily planted then you shouldn't have to much hassle with a net. If the birds start to pant and look stressed just go away and let them regain their composure before continuing. A simple improvised trap is using a small wire cage and propping the door open with a small stick or price of dowel. Put some bait inside the cage (live food, favored treats or seed) and tie some fishing line to the stick. Then it's just a waiting game. It can help to remove feeders while trapping to increase the chances of the birds entering the trap just don't leave them without food for too long.

sam davis uses a trap which he views with a remote camera and has an auto latch from a central locking plunger.
heres a link to the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8wDZzjWmUM
and heres a link to his post in the diy section https://www.aussiefinchforum.net/viewto ... 98#p139498