I used be very intolerant of people who allowed their birds to escape. I saw this as the height of irresponsibility.  Then, three years ago, it happened to me.  It was a fluke accident.  My cockatiels were in a bathroom that was off of my bedroom and both doors were shut.  I was in the living room with the sliding glass doors were open.  I went into the bedroom knowing the cockatiels were safe behind the bathroom door.  The vacuum created by opening the bedroom door moved the closed, but unlatched, bathroom door just enough for a startled cockatiel to get through.  Out Cocoa went into the living room and instead of making his typical left turn into the kitchen he turned right and flew out of the door.  I was horrified.  I managed to track him to the edge of the property, calling him, and praying he would fly down to me.  When he saw me from high up in a tree he gave his alarm call, but was chased off by the territorial blue jays also on the property.  It is easy to lose track of a small parrot.  It was the last time I actually laid eyes on him.
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