My duck flew into the neighbor's tree, how do i get her to come back?

[Jenbirdee]

So I guess after she’s down and back in your care, you’re going to clip her wings?

 

[SolarDuck]

So I guess after she’s down and back in your care, you’re going to clip her wings?

The second i get a chance. I normally keep them clipped but she recently molted and they grew back faster than I thought

 

[Jenbirdee]

I hope she comes home soon

 

[SolarDuck]

Well it is now completely dark and she is still up in the tree

I dont think she can find her way home in the dark, she is way too high up in the tree for me to get anywhere near her. I still have the coop door open but am going to have to close it soon raccoon start coming around pretty quick after it gets dark. I don't know what else I can do at this point other than hope she is waiting by the pool when I wake up tomorrow. She has been up in the tree for over 9 hours and hasn't eaten or drank anything in that period.

 

[tlcmurphy]

Well it is now completely dark and she is still up in the tree

I dont think she can find her way home in the dark, she is way too high up in the tree for me to get anywhere near her. I still have the coop door open but am going to have to close it soon raccoon start coming around pretty quick after it gets dark. I don't know what else I can do at this point other than hope she is waiting by the pool when I wake up tomorrow. She has been up in the tree for over 9 hours and hasn't eaten or drank anything in that period.

I’m sorry to hear that, I thought for sure she’d come down at dusk. I hope she is waiting for you tomorrow morning

 

[ruthhope]

That little girl has extended herself beyond her comfort zone. My only escape artist was a female muscovy. They are all such busy little ducks -- much more so than the drakes that are happy just to sit around most of the day. But I think your girl has frightened herself and may not know how to get back down. I know you are worried about her not eating or drinking. But with her standing there and doing nothing, her needs are reduced. Bird experts locally [my home is NE Florida] say that escaped parakeets take 4 days and then come down from where they have flown to. I wonder if escaped muscovy can go for 4 days too?

My escape artist muscovy girl was first clipped by our local bird expert. He is expert on many birds not just ducks: everything from parakeets to eagles, with ducks somewhere in the middle. He taught me how to clip wings. He clips both wings although I know some duck-keepers only clip 1. Mine was clipped because she flew off as soon as she was let out in my back yard after I had had her for a few days. I am pretty certain she was looking to find her old home! I was able to grab her at the front of the house and then arranged to take her to the bird guy. The day after he clipped her wings, she flew up into a tree in my back yard -- fortunately a native plum tree and not one of the tall trees. I was able to grab her and put her back in the duck house until my friend came to help me cut more off her flight feathers!

As your girl is too high to climb and catch her. You must just wait until she is forced to overcome her fear and come down looking for water and food. I hope it is not 4 days as it is with parakeets -- I have a friend in my neighborhood whose parakeet was awol for 4 days and then flew down on to the nearest human's shoulder as his first flight had taken him away from his own street. Some months before that, we had a well-publicized escapee parakeet that led its owner and the local firefighters on a song and dance for 4 days -- the firefighters literally went up on a ladder to try and get it from its tree, but it just flew off to another tall tree, repeatedly. Our local bird expert advises not to try and get parakeets down because they just fly further away. Just to wait until it is forced down at 4 days. I hope that the advice to just wait until the bird is forced down by thirst and hunger works for your muscovy.

 

[SolarDuck]

Bad news. When I woke up this morning she was still in the tree so I tried to entice her down with mealworms for 10 min or so but she was not coming down for me. I went inside and came out about 25 minutes later to check again and she was gone. Not in the tree or anywhere around it, not in my backyard with her sisters. Nowhere. I just spent over an hour sweeping through my entire neighborhood and I can't find her anywhere. I dont know how far she has gone but it's definitely too far for her to find her way back on her own. She actually has lived in the wild for about a year before I found her again, so hopefully she remembers the skills to survive. I think the only chance of me seeing her again is periodically checking the pond she returned to years ago but that one is a couple miles away.