Things You'll Need
- Towels or blanket
Instructions
Remove pets and ask children and other people to leave the basement. Their presence may further frighten the bird and cause it to hide or fly around wildly trying to escape.
Open all the windows in the basement. Remove any window screens.
Cover up windows that don't open, using a towel or blanket to block out the light. This prevents the bird from trying to fly out of an unopened window and injuring itself.
Open the door to the basement if it leads outside.
Turn off the basement lights. Darkening the room directs the bird's attention to the light from the open windows or outside door.
Leave the room and wait one to three hours for the bird to find its way out through one of the windows or door. Without the distraction of your presence, the bird will calm down and search for a means of escape.
Call the local animal control office if the bird has not left after a few hours.