Is Your Bird an Outdoor Flier? June 7, 2008

 Photo by Dave
Location: Lacey, Washington
Racing with: Congo African Grey “Cressi”

 

It’s amazing to see how many people are getting more and more into outdoor flying with their pet parrots as the days progress forward. I, for one, am happy to see so many people making the effort to learn what’s needed for them and their birds to do it safely and successfully.

 

I’m so proud to be one of those people whose birds can fly freely outside and really enjoy what it means for them to be a bird. To know their bodies are completely constructed around flight just makes the purpose right. They really are supposed to be flying (whether it’s indoors or outdoors).

 

I have read, seen and heard that people from everywhere around the world are flying their pet parrots outside freely! From Saudi Arabia to Mexico, from the Netherlands to Taiwan, China and the Philippines and especially in Australia, Brazil and the USA. My African Grey alone has flown in Washington, Idaho, Florida, Nevada and Utah to date and she is just over seven months old (all links will take you to a video of her flying in each state). People fly their birds in not only the above states mentioned but in Colorado and Georgia among others. It’s truly amazing to see how wide-spread it really is. More and more breeding facilities are offering their birds space to fly outdoors, too. One such example is Tropical Bird Land and their free flying birds.

 

There is also much more information about it out there for people to read and the information is actually starting to get to people now (even though some has been offered for years on end before). And I have seen a broad variety of freestyle flying parrots out there from lovebirds to macaws, cockatoos to African Greys and even different types of conures among others.

 

You can go on You Tube and find tons of videos in one search of various people flying their birds outside. There are groups such as the Colorado Fly Week that get together and fly their birds, there are Yahoo! Groups where you can go and join to speak to people who are interested in it or doing it currently and learn what is involved before getting your feet wet (such as freeflight, recall training and active fliers). And people like Dave, who document everything about how they went about doing it, too. So that outsiders can really see the step-by-step process that goes into all this (not everyone always uses the same methods).

 

If you search hard enough, you can find various individuals offering to teach it to you and your bird such as this person here. Even offering free consultations to see if you’re suited for outdoor flight with your bird at all.

 

It truly is a fantastic and eye opening experience to share with your pet parrot - and it’s addicting, so watch out! This is one band wagon I hope every parrot owner jumps on!

 

Rose Breasted Cockatoos: 2 Months Old June 6, 2008

 Photo by Jamieleigh
Location: Orlando, Florida
Of: Rose Breasted Cockatoos/Galahs “Bandit” and “Ace”

 

This picture was taken on my phone (hence the quality) of our two newest baby cockatoos named Bandit (ours) and Ace (a friend’s). We picked up Ace and delivered him for our friends. Ace is in the forefront of his photo while Bandit is the one behind (Bandit has more grey).

 

Bandit and Ace are from the same breeder we got Bondi from (same place, different parents).

 

Here is a short video clip of them flying in our house:

 

Wing Clipping: Animal Cruelty? May 25, 2008

 

This blog isn’t for me to force my opinions on anyone; it’s to bring up topics for you to actually think about that you may have not given any thought before. Wing clipping is such a serious topic for bird owners or soon-to-be bird owners. I don’t think people quite grasp how essential and important flight is to our feathered friends.

 

Fledging is essential - do your own research on it and read about how it is from various sites. You will see for yourself without me needing to provide you with any helpful links on it. I haven’t seen a single site yet that says otherwise.

 

An amazing article I came across was published by the New York Bird Club;

 

New York Bird Club
“God loved the Birds and Invented Trees. Man loved the Birds and Invented Cages.”

 

At the present time, there are strongly held views on whether to clip the wings of your companion bird or leave him flighted.

Proponents of wing clipping claim that birds in captivity do not need to fly since they have no enemies to escape from, do not have to migrate or obtain food, and that flying puts the bird at risk since he can escape from his home.

Others consider wing clipping cruel and a form of abuse, destroying the essence and spirit of a bird,
and rendering him helpless and handicapped. A bird whose wings have been altered has limited ability to destroy your property and is easy to control, however, wing clipping is done for your convenience only, and has nothing to do with the well being of your bird, but robs him of his identity and independence.

And the conclusion of the article;

 

Why should you deprive your bird the joy of flight and punish him because you do not want to take responsibility for his safety. If you will not accept the responsibility of having a bird in your home, perhaps you should consider not having a companion bird or getting another type of companion.

Birds are creatures designed around the act of flight. It is part of their genetic makeup and crucial to their life experience. It is no wonder millions of people are awed by these magnificent creatures and their abilities. Human beings have spent hundreds of years trying to emulate flight. Why? Because it is a fantastic and exhilarating gift and experience. Don’t deny your birds their birthright — their inherent right to fly.

 

However, I HIGHLY recommend you read the article in its entirety here, and make your own decision.

Freeflight Candidate: Toucans May 20, 2008

Photo by www.villatoucan.com
Of: Keel Billed Toucan

 

Fiji is my three year old Swainson Toucan and ever since learning and really just diving into the world of freeflight, I’ve wanted to convert my entire flock over to it! Especially after having much success with my Congo African Grey, Cressi.

 

I have been considering long and hard if I should give it a try with my toucan, Fiji. She has never been too keen on flying nor has she been that great or graceful at it in the past. She has always preferred to hop from point A to B instead of fly. She had bad luck growing up and somehow always managed to break her tail feathers every which way so she was always wrongfully balanced which made it hard to flight train her.

 

I assumed it was just her personality to want to hop instead of fly, thinking it had to do with her many broken feathers in the past making it too frustrating of an experience. When I mentioned her behavior to my friend Susan Hilliard, she looked into toucans more as candidates for freeflight. I had considered buying a new baby toucan to do it with so that maybe that would help ease Fiji into it.

 

Susan wrote me a few weeks later saying that she had talked to a specialist in the toucan area who said it was natural for toucans to prefer to hop and that because of it, they are not the best candidates for freeflight. Merely because, well, they don’t really like to fly unless they have to.

 

I wanted to do my own research and make sure since a freeflighted toucan seemed so fun and different. Plus, I really wanted to give this life of freedom to Fiji.

 

I came across one website that told me how flight with toucans is only used to go from tree top to tree top for various fruits and to raid other birds’ nests. They seemed like cautious fliers that weren’t all that willing to follow the leader all the time. The website also mentioned how toucans are not skilled like parrots or pigeons with their flocking abilities and various manuevers for predator avoidance such as jinking.

 

Admittedly, I still wasn’t convinced. I just kept thinking that they would look intimidating enough to other birds and predators that they would be safe, right?

 

Wrong. I then came across another website with even more information on toucan flight.

 

“Naturalists have long puzzled over the significance of the toucan’s large bill. Originally, observers suggested that the bill was a weapon used to defend the nest cavity. This is not so; when toucans sense danger, they come out of the cavity entrance in a hurry, threatening the enemy only out in the open, if at all. Instead, a long bill enables these rather heavy birds to pluck berries from the tips of branches without leaving a stable perch. A thin, dark-colored bill would, however, be just as useful for this purpose. Possibly the toucan’s bill plays a role in pair formation and in the social life of the group. According to E. Thomas Gilliard, it acts as a signal. However, toucans can also use their bills to threaten those birds whose nests they plunder. Tyrant flycatchers and even small raptors are frightened by the giant bill, which is even more effective because of its lively colors, and they fly about helplessly while the toucans devour their young or eggs. Other birds will attack a toucan only while it is in flight, because it is then unable to defend itself with its bill.”

 

Basically, toucans are scary to these large predator birds but are made to be very vulnerable and defenseless in the air while in flight making them a bad candidate for freeflight.

Freeflight: 3 Year Old Properly Fledged Cockatoo May 7, 2008

Photo by Dave
Location: Orlando, Florida
Flying: Galah “Bondi”

 

Bondi is a rose breasted cockatoo also commonly known as a galah in Australia. She is three years old and was bought from her breeder fully flighted and was properly fledged by Dave Womach and I using target training. She is not only an avid flyer but a very skilled flyer. Dave used her in his illusion show for years while headlining on world tours, top of the line cruise ships, and his own dinner theater in Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands. All the parts in the show that she performed in, involved flying. It is her favorite thing to do next to trick training and a way to let out all that energy of hers.

 

Galahs are known for getting “fatty tumors” and their diets have to be strictly watched to where they do not receive seed or other fatty foods as part of their normal diet or as their entire diet. Seeds should only be given as rewards and treats so not to “over do it” with these birds. The fact that we keep Bondi full flighted also helps her obtain the proper exercise she needs to also diminish the effect of getting any fatty tumors.

 

When we first picked Bondi up in Oregon, she was only a few months old and she was still being hand fed. We fledged her while on the road in various hotels, theaters, etc. She naturally began to dart and dash around during flight (like all birds) and did what is referred to as “jinking” which are predator-avoidence manuevers.

 

She loved skimming the heads of the audience just to get a reaction and easily learned to do more than one “boomerang” flight in the shows. We were constantly having to change up her flight patterns in the show so she would still have fun with it - she had a need (and still does) to want to be challenged.

 

When I first learned about outdoor freeflight I was amazed and blown away at the very thought of it. It never occurred to me that you could take your pet bird outside without a restraint of any kind. And you can’t - without the proper training.

 

I was so intrigued and saddened at the same time. I felt like a horrible pet owner for never considering it before. Dave learned with Cressi, a Congo African Grey, exactly how to train a new baby bird to freefly outdoors. I was there through the process, picking up on everything he did and discovered. When I saw how happy Cressi was and how attached she was to Dave, it made me want the same thing for Bondi. But she was already 3 years old and I thought… “it’s too late for her, right?”

 

Well, it isn’t too late for her or any bird, I learned. The process just becomes different. I was desperate to take Bondi outside. She’s the type of bird that is very social but gets depressed being on a harness and it just broke my heart. However, I wanted her to be outside more than anything so I put the harness on her anyway and made do - thinking it was the best I could offer her.

 

Not knowing it, I had trained Bondi everything Cressi learned as a baby. And really, Bondi is even more talented at flying than Cressi as of right now. Bondi already knows jinking manuevers and can fly well in small, enclosed areas. Her turns are sharp and controlled and her landings are skilled to perfection. She even knew how to work and fly well in the natural wind outside which took me by surprise.

 

One day while on a drive looking for new places to freefly Cressi, we found a batting cage on the property of a church. Dave immediately knew it was a great idea and a perfect way to introduce real life elements to Bondi without the fear of losing her outside due to rushing into outdoor freeflight with her. We began bringing Bondi on all the trips with Cressi so she could watch and learn from Cressi. We even flew Bondi on her harness making sure she had enough slack in case wind picked up or something spooked her. She did amazingly well with A to B flights between Dave and me. I was so excited with how it didn’t feel any different from flying her inside that I immediately wanted to take the leash off. I’m always overwhelmed by how much I know the bird will love it that sometimes the dangers and precautions get swept away by the emotional part that comes into play.

 

Of course, Dave knew better and always keeps me in check, keeping the dangers real and the logic in the forefront. We worked Bondi on a harness for a few days before moving into the batting cage with no harness at all. It was exactly the same except Bondi had more freedom in the batting cage. She could do boomerang flights as well as simple A to B and she had the ability to jink as well. It was so fun to watch her zoom by. It’s like watching a child pick up a toy for the first time - their eyes get wide with amazement and they start having the time of their life. That’s what it was like for Bondi and experiencing that moment with her was breathtaking. The more we took her out and worked with her, the more I wanted it for her. And it’s so hard not to be over-confident in your bird and just want to toss her outside with you. It was essential for me to be learning from Dave and watching his every move. Even to be there to witness how his mind works was beneficial for me.

 

You don’t really think of the difference it can make for your bird until you watch your bird experience it first-hand. You think, “My bird is happy enough… it loves its toys, me, and it eats well and gets lots of interaction.” but is your bird really being a bird? I have to admit, I thought Bondi was as happy as could be. She is well socialized and entertained, she flys in the house and learns something new all the time. She doesn’t have any issues so I know there’s nothing “wrong” with the way I am raising her… but then this happened and my entire perspective changed. I’ve never seen her so happy! I mean, I thought her life was good… but now… it’s fantastic. And the bond it creates between you and your bird is like none other. It’s not comparable to any other type of training in my mind. And really, there is no other way to make your bird happier than outdoor freeflight. I don’t say that from a trainer perspective of “I’ve seen all, I know all” I say this from an owner, a “parront” perspective of actually witnessing the happiness first hand.

You think your bird is happy, wait until you meet a freeflighted outdoor bird. Then you be the judge.

Flight Suits, Birdie Harnesses, Feather Tethers… April 2, 2008

Photo by Jamieleigh
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
Featured: Solid White Parakeet “Lexi”

 

There is some what of a misconception about flight suits. I’ve noticed a lot of people think they will keep your bird from flying off – but isn’t saying that all relative? It feels like they forget they have to actually hold the leash. And, it doesn’t restrict your bird from actually flying… they could still fly off, if you weren’t holding onto the leash. 

 

We flight train all of our birds starting indoors. And since I believe a bird is happiest when it can go outdoors, we like to introduce that element too. A harness is a popular way to do it if your bird is not free flight trained. I was constantly taking my birds with me on small trips to the park or the beach while on a harness before I knew about freeflight.

 

It’s nice to be able to walk around with our birds and show our birds off. I also love how much more friendly people can be when you’ve got a cute pink parrot on your shoulder! I love hearing about what types of birds other owners have and how they wish now they would have brought theirs out with them, too. Not to mention how great it can be for the bird when properly executed. This means taking every precaution possible to ensure your bird is as safe as can be.

 

We bought a long extending leash (for dogs) for our military macaw so that we could fly him outside on his harness. He’s a very skilled flier indoors in a theater environment but the outdoor elements throw him off every once in a while. I would not recommend doing this with your bird unless your bird is already pre-flight trained to perform successful A to B flights. This can prove to be very dangerous if your bird easily spooks and tries to fly at full speed away. More than likely, you will end up either losing the leash or tugging on it so hard that it may seriously injur your bird. Some birds can be held back so hard it tightens around their crop and forces them to puke up their food. It’s important you enable lee-way for your bird if he does do this and guide him down rather than just pull the leash tight.

 

 

Anytime our macaw comes out, he is either set to perch on something or kept on our hand. Our cockatoo is a bit more manageable and desensitized and she will stay on our hand or shoulder. She’s also more social and enjoys being out longer than our macaw. Every bird is different; it’s just about adjusting to your bird and its needs. Some birds can stay out all day while others are good with a solid ten minutes outside with you before they start getting antsy.

 

It’s best to introduce your parrot to a flight suit early on so they get used to being in one. Every bird will react differently. For example, my macaw will merely sit there while I put his harness on him and he’s very comfortable wearing it. My cockatoo, however, hates the harness process and is uncomfortable flying in it so she’s less enthusiastic. My toucan is a complete nightmare with harnesses – last time I put her in a harness she got so scared she broke all her tail feathers. That’s when we resulted to anklets/jesses for her. You cannot use these on parrots! Parrots’ legs are not as strong as the birds these are actually meant for. If you were to treat them so, you would break your parrot’s legs. Do not try to use these on any type of parrot. 

 

There are different types of harnesses for your bird. And harnesses are only made for birds larger than your common English parakeet or budgie.

 

• Feather Tether: This is a harness that goes around your bird’s body and wings that attaches to a leash. This is what Cash has on in the video above except we have attached a much longer leash as explained.
• Birdie Harness: The exact same thing as a Feather Tether.
• Flight suit: These are bird diapers to catch the droppings from your bird so it doesn’t get on you while you have your bird out. These are made for even small birds like the English parakeet. You can buy accessories for these flight suits in order to be able to take your bird outside with you and not have it dispose on you.  
• Kaylor Collar Bird Harness: Many owners find this harness easier to put on their birds.

If you’re having a hard time getting your bird to go into his harness, you can start by targeting your bird around the harness to let him know it’s okay and safe. This is also the process you would use for any type of glove training. Once you have your bird walking on and around the harness, begin letting them lift it up or play with it, gently pick it up and target around it, lay it in your hand, etc. Slowly work your way to actually putting it on your bird at your birds own pace. Don’t ever become overconfident in your bird and step way ahead in training – it doesn’t work that way and you can end up reworking your entire training process from the beginning if you do this.

 

Flight suits can also be very dangerous for your pet birds. If you have an accident and aren’t holding onto the leash and your bird flies away, it can easily get caught in a tree or other harmful area. This can prove fatal when a leash is still connected and can cause them to get tied up and caught up within it. If your parrot spooks easily, it could have a tendency to fly higher and higher and therefore land in a very high tree top that you simply cannot climb up to, to retrieve your bird.

 

So with everything, there are risks that need to be taken into account and assessed. A lot of people are against flight suits for this reason alone and I don’t blame them. It’s not guaranteed that you will always be on your game and always alert enough for your bird’s needs when wearing a harness outside.

 

It’s important to realize that we do strictly only A to B flights this way (as demonstrated with Cash in the above video). And since experiementing with freeflight, we no longer perform these flights with our birds. We still continue to take our non-freeflighted birds out via harness for day trips to the park or to the beach.

 

One of the tricks we do is to put a weight of some sort on the other end of the leash in case we were to let go of it at anytime. This helps limit how far your bird would be able to go if it got away.

 

I’m not advocating the use of harnesses and I’m not against them. Obviously, I have used them safely and effectively in the past. I believe they’re a great idea but can be so dangerous for your bird based off of the risk of losing control of the leash. Really, it’s up to the owner to determine if the risk is worth the adventure. To each his own on this one!