Attack from Above

[BirdieDad]

Hey Guys:

My Scarlet has started flying like mad and she does laps around the living room, lands on top of high furniture, races up and down the hallway, and flies to me at the drop of a dime. She lands mostly on my hand, but occasionally if I turned around she will land on my head, shoulder, or just grab onto my t-shirt for a ride. I have been working with her on landing on specific perches or cages when startled and she does great with this. Anyway I can get her to be a little more predictable with flight? She is still very young at 15 months. The most troublesome is she likes to fly to my CAG's perch across the room and pick a fight or try and eat her veggies. Although there are tons of food and forage bowls on her perches and play cage. Drives my wife crazy. None of this bothers me but I am trying to get her to be as well behaved as possible.

Also, I can get the harness on her and take her outside but she spends the entire time trying to bite the harness. I have tried constantly giving her treats but I think I trained her to bite the harness for treats. Any ideas on this as well, so I can take her outside more and for longer periods? Currently on my second aviator. Thank you for all of your help!

 

[wrench13]

Re the harness: My Amazon used to pick at it all the time too. I redirected his attention to something else - my finger, a twig, a blade of grass, anything but a treat. It took awhile before he just ignored it and now he never gets bothered by it. BUT - we put the harness on at least 3-4 times a week, just putting it on, walking around on the training table, doing a few hand tricks and taking it off. It becomes so routine, it never fazes him and he can enjoy going outside with out wondering 'What is this THING doing on me???".

 

[BirdieDad]

Re the harness: My Amazon used to pick at it all the time too. I redirected his attention to something else - my finger, a twig, a blade of grass, anything but a treat. It took awhile before he just ignored it and now he never gets bothered by it. BUT - we put the harness on at least 3-4 times a week, just putting it on, walking around on the training table, doing a few hand tricks and taking it off. It becomes so routine, it never fazes him and he can enjoy going outside with out wondering 'What is this THING doing on me???".

How long do you leave the harness on during these times?

 

[bocabill]

My boys Scottie and Louie are 7 month old Scarlet Macaw twins and they too love to fly laps around their living room and do all sorts of various aerial maneuvers, acrobatics, and practice their flight patterns. They are like two little jet fighters!

 

[SailBoat]

Short of hiding the other Parrot's food, there is little that can be done as the more attention place on the subject, the more the interest of the Parrot.

Flight is a physical reward for Parrots, the moment in freedom! Assure that you work with providing flight paths and landing zones as it allows more predicable directions he is going or coming from.