Found a Pet Bird in Brandon? Who to Call and What to Do

Found Bird Brandon: Your First Steps

Spotting an unfamiliar bird on a fence, hydro line, or your backyard feeder in Brandon is exciting, but it can also be confusing. Is it someone's escaped pet? A wild bird passing through the Assiniboine Valley? Knowing what to do in the first hour matters more than almost anything else you'll do afterward, because a scared bird that flies off again is much harder to recover the second time.

This guide walks through how to identify what you're dealing with, how to keep the bird safe while you sort things out, and who to actually contact in and around Brandon.

Step 1: Is It a Pet or a Wild Bird?

Manitoba is home to plenty of native species that can look "unusual" to someone who isn't a birder — blue jays, northern flickers, and even the occasional escaped falconry bird. But most commonly, a found pet bird in Brandon is a budgie, cockatiel, conure, lovebird, or similar parrot species that got loose from an open window, a torn cage screen, or a moment of inattention during a trip outside.

A few reliable signs you're looking at an escaped pet rather than a wild bird:

- Bright, unusual colouring — most Manitoba wild birds are camouflaged; a lime-green, yellow, or turquoise bird is almost always a pet.
- It's not afraid of people — pet birds will often land on shoulders, windowsills, or approach humans directly, especially if they're hungry or cold.
- It's making unusual sounds — whistling specific tunes, saying words, or making sounds that don't match any local bird call is a strong pet indicator.
- Leg band — many pet birds, especially those from breeders, wear a small metal or plastic band around one leg.
- It's a species that doesn't naturally live here — cockatiels, budgies, and conures are not native to Manitoba under any circumstances.

If instead you've found an injured hawk, owl, songbird, or waterfowl, that's a wildlife matter rather than a lost-pet matter — see our wild bird guide for what to do next.

Step 2: Keep the Bird Safe Without Chasing It

Parrots and other companion birds are flock animals, which means they instinctively call out to locate others — this is often called contact-calling. If the bird is perched somewhere high and calling repeatedly, it's likely trying to find its owner or flock, not you specifically. Chasing it will almost always push it higher or further away.

Instead:

Stay calm and quiet. Loud noises and sudden movement will send it flying.
Offer food, not your hands. A small dish of seed, millet, or fruit placed nearby (not directly under it) can encourage the bird to come down on its own terms.
Set up a "lure station." Its own open cage, with the door propped and a mirror or its favourite treat inside, placed where the bird was seen, is one of the most effective ways to recover a pet bird without stress.
Watch dawn and dusk. Birds are most active and most likely to come down to feed in the early morning and just before sunset — those are your best windows to observe and approach.
If it comes to you or you can safely contain it, a towel draped gently over a small pet carrier or box works better than trying to grab it by hand.

Step 3: Who to Call in Brandon

There's no single Brandon hotline dedicated to lost pet birds, so the right approach is to cover several channels at once:

- Local veterinary clinics and animal hospitals in Brandon — search for those nearest you and call to ask if anyone has reported a missing bird matching what you found, and let them know you have a found bird in case the owner calls them first.
- Wildlife rehabilitation centres serving southwestern Manitoba — worth a call if you're at all unsure whether the bird is a pet or a native species, since they can help you tell the difference.
- Local Facebook lost-and-found pet groups for Brandon and the Westman region — these move fast and are often where an owner posts within hours of losing a bird.
- This portal — post the bird you found so owners searching for a missing pet in the Brandon area can find your listing directly.

Post the Bird You Found

The single most effective thing you can do is create a found bird listing with a clear photo, the exact location and date, and any distinguishing details like colouring or a leg band. Owners actively searching will check this portal, and a listing lets you use radius search to see if anyone has already reported a matching bird missing nearby.

If you'd rather report what you saw without taking the bird in (for example, if it's still flying free), you can log a sighting instead — this helps owners piece together where their bird has been moving through Brandon.

Step 4: If You're the One Who Lost the Bird

If you're reading this because your own bird escaped somewhere in Brandon, the same principles apply in reverse: set out a lure station with the cage and familiar food, walk the immediate area at dawn and dusk listening for contact calls, and get a lost bird report up as quickly as possible. Our guide on what to do when you lose a bird in Canada covers the full recovery process, and our flyer guide can help you get the word out around your neighbourhood.

Reuniting Birds With Their Owners

Whether you've found a bird or lost one, speed and the right information matter most. A clear photo, an exact location, and a posted listing give an owner the best chance of finding their way back to their bird — and give you the best chance of finding out this bird already has someone looking for it.

Ready to help reunite this bird with its owner? Submit your report now and let owners searching the Brandon area find you.