Help!! There's a bird in my house!

[helptheresabird]

I've name changed because this might put me to anyone I tell about this incident!

There is currently a bird in my house that I want to remove. It's about the size of a blackbird but brown (female blackbird?) and I have no idea how it got in as the windows and doors are all shut. We had heard some scratching noises in the walls yesterday on the top floor so thought they might be nesting on the roof/in the loft space, but as far as I can tell there is no way for them to get through to the house from there!

Anyway, how do I catch it and get it out? It has got stuck between a window and the blinds which are down but opened, so it is getting tangled in the slats. This is the only window in that bedroom so there isn't another I can try to let it out of. I've shut the bedroom door to contain it but can just hear this constant flapping against the blinds and I'm afraid to go back in! Do I need some sort of net to catch it with?

Blackbirds can get really tame - we had a pair nesting in the garden for years, they'd come in if the back door was open, have a look around, and then leave.

Tippexy RTFT - the OP has opened the window, and she's called the landlord because there's another bird trapped in the wall.

Don't exaggerate tippexy she wasn't being deliberately cruel. She was obviously afraid of birds and all the people going "ooh, it'll peck you" and talking about feeling sick at the thought of touching it can't have helped.

@Tippexy I've opened the window now, and the landlord needs to figure out how it got in because all the windows are shut and I don't want it to happen again!

You'll never guess what though - either it was hiding when I went back to check it has gone, or the one stuck in the wall has now found its way out, because there's another one loose upstairs I wish I was joking. It's just flapping about at random so I've opened all the upstairs windows and am hiding in the kitchen, praying no more come in as there are loads of them in the garden and on the roof!

I'm reminded of the time I was in the bath and a cat jumped in the tiny open window! No clue how it got in as I was on the third floor and only the top bit of the very tall window was open. It was terrified as it couldn't escape, I was terrified, naked and dripping water everywhere trying to catch it without it running into another room... My partner had to catch it in a towel and carry it down to the front doorstep.

Get Stath round

m.facebook.com/watch/?v=10155374493592330&_rdr

@babyburrito1 that's both hilarious and terrifying!

I know 2 people who are terrified of birds. I had to go rescue a bird from a conservatory because the person was terrified.
The other lady was with me at a wildlife rescue, a magpie that was fairly tame, had a thing for shoelaces. I had to stand in front of her so only my shoes were pecked.
A phobia is not rational, it's not fun, it just is. Anyone who doesnt understand this needs their empathy looked at.

Did your LL find out where the birds were coming from @helptheresabird and did you manage to get them all out? 🦅

@PickwickThePlockingDodo yes landlord has just been over this morning sealing up holes - looks like there was a gap between the timber of the roof and the bricks so they had got into the loft, and then there is another gap behind the toilet in the bathroom on that floor, so they must have come up through there to get into the house, as the loft hatch was shut. It's an old house so I guess it's more likely to have holes in, but they have apparently been filled so hopefully no more birds in future!

Oh glad to hear it

Oh bravo! Hopefully less draughty now too. I’m glad your landlord took it seriously enough to quickly sort it out.

Did the bird(s) survive/escape ok?

@PixieRabbit yes luckily the landlord lives locally and he's very responsive. The birds both escaped and I presume they are OK, but there are so many in the garden I don't know which ones they are!

Well if they don’t appear to be holding any funerals then I think we can assume a reasonable outcome.

I’m glad you got it all sorted out.

Lucky you have such a lovely landlord!!

This reminds me of SmallShips(?) thread. Hers was green though.

Is there are loads of them they might be starlings. Blackbirds are normally in pairs. I love birds but not inside!