Advice Needed

[getwozzy]

Or maybe they can do something fun together like target or trick training? Something to strengthen the bond between them....?

 

[MikeyTN]

All of my birds are flighted! But they never try to fly as they prefer staying with me or fly back and fourth between my partner and I. If you could train Parker to stay that would help with the situation. Other animals should always be put up or contained. All it takes is one accident. Better to be safe then sorry! Flighted bird doesn't make them safer when there's other animals in the house. I own dogs that catch birds in flight.

 

[ParkersMom]

I try to tell him that Parker likes him...he lets hubby give him pets and sratches through the cage and even asks for them from him by mashing his head against the bars and fluffing up his head feathers...He just doesnt want to get bit...I told him that was part of deing a parront

 

[MikeyTN]

He can't help it he's scared of birds...

 

[getwozzy]

He can't help it he's scared of birds...

True- some people are just terrified of birds...I worked with a lady who couldn't handle being around them and freaked when someone brought their fid in!

 

[ParkersMom]

Its not the birds he is nervous about...its the beak...lol

 

[jugoya]

I do a partial clipping, cutting some the primary's on the inner wing and that allows for SOME flight but only short distances.

Porter thinks twice about flying... but he CAN fly.


Basically I leave the first four primaries and then cut the rest at the normal recommended cut.

It slows Porter down; but in emergencies such as if he got out of the house he CAN fly. We had a problem with him flying to me constantly when I went to faraway from the cage... even when I was cooking and as the kitchen is attached to the living room.. it can be a hazard.

 

[MikeyTN]

I don't blame him really. Their beaks can be intimidating! Lola have my fingers in her mouth all the time and it don't bother me cause she doesn't break skin or bite hard. She likes to lick my fingers and such. That probably bother some people looking at it....lol

 

[getwozzy]

Its not the birds he is nervous about...its the beak...lol

Ahh! Totally understandable! Lol. Does Parker bite a lot? Does he give physical/visual warnings before he bites?

 

[ParkersMom]

Parker is very mouthy and He will bite...he like most zons will give plenty of warning most of the time...but I usually depending on how excited/agitated he is ignore it...of course I usually get bit...but even then he has hardly ever broken skin...my husband see this and understandably it makes him nervous...being that he is not sure with how to read a bird.
I try to tell him that when Parker is swinging on the boing towards people he is not looking to bite, but having a larger bird coming toward you that you are not comfortable with can of course be scary...

 

[ParkersMom]

I think we will start with seeing how Parker reacts to gloves

 

[getwozzy]

Yeah, I can see why he would be nervous.

Any time my husband would get close, Jackie would start being aggressive but he made it VERY clear what his intentions were and that hubs needed to back off...and hubs knew Jackie was going to bite him.

Try the gloves and see what his reaction is... Another trick I did with Jackie was I wrapped my arm with an ace bandage and then put a sweatshirt on- that way if Jackie tried to bite my arm it wouldn't hurt.

 

[getwozzy]

Any updates on Parker?

 

[SoCalWendy]

Rio hasn't gotten her flight feathers in just yet. I'm glad the weather is getting cooler, fans will be going off (that's my one worry) so I'm sure by next season she will have molted out her flight feathers. Kiwi already has her's, and she can be a bit annoying flying to me all the time, or flying to her arch enemy Rio and picking a fight in a split second. But she can also get away from Rio as well. So we will see. My biggest priority is keeping "all"my animals safe, not just from the hazards in the home, it from each other as well.

 

[ParkersMom]

We decided to go ahead and clip so hubby can start working with him... maybe by next molt they will have formed a better relationship and we can work on training more as well...he is only 1.5 so we still have plenty of time

 

[Birdman666]

Good decision.

They are easier to work with when clipped.

Some amazons do better stepping down, (backwards onto a finger instead of fingers in front) and it's a little thing that some birds are just adamant about. Zons in particular.

They are stubborn birds, (so are CAGS!) Some times you just have to butt heads with them. But they are also huge personality goofballs...

My most bonded bird EVER was a BFA!

 

[ParkersMom]

I can do almost anything to him but my husband is very apprehensive about dealing with Parker outside the cage

 

[Birdman666]

I can do almost anything to him but my husband is very apprehensive about dealing with Parker outside the cage

Amazons are pair bond birds. Favorite people get preferential treatment. All others handle at your own risk... That's number one.

Number two, THESE BIRDS AND MACAWS ARE ESPECIALLY EMPATHIC!!! If you are apprehensive around them, they will be apprehensive around you...

My educated guess is he's causing some of this himself, because the bird is reacting to him. The less apprehensive he is, the more relaxed the bird will be around him.

 

[Birdman666]

And as to your original question.

I had five birds that I recalled, and kept flighted, and used to free fly.

After a series of accidents we discontinued the free flighted experiment.

My red lored amazon got stuck at the top of a 30+ foot tree one day. She landed near a crows nest, and they massed and attacked her. She huddled way back in the branches... guess who had to climb up there and get her down?

THEN my Red Fronted Macaw flew to the top of a three story building and was afraid to come down. It took about two hours to get her to work up the courage to take off from there. (The entire time she sat there with one foot up in the air - no, you come pick me up!)

THEN worst of all, my conure flew low across a parking lot coming back to me. He received a glancing blow from a car, and was almost killed... it was like watching your kid run into traffic after a ball... seeing it coming, but unable to prevent it from happening.

THEN, a few days later, we had a red tailed hawk land on a bird tree on our balcony. Even though the doors were closed, my two amazons immediately FREAKED and flew off in the opposite direction, faceplanting into a window hard enough to crack it, and knock themselves silly in the process...

I am firmly in the "keep them clipped" camp now.

I keep all my birds long clipped, and semi-flighted. Their psychological state is fine. And they are much, much, much safer.

Q. What do you call a bird who flies into a ceiling fan?
A. Shredded Tweet!

 

[Marcy]

I agree with Kalidasa! A light clip wouldn't be committing to a full clip, which you can't go back on. It will make her use his muscles harder and he will strengthen them! She could still fly away from another pet, and give you time to teach her.