First Time Outside....AND In Aviator Harness!

[ToMang07]

Not so much a fan of EITHER, lol

Pretty much just kept trying to climb back onto my arm... so when I tucked my arms under my body.... just stood there, lol

I'm sure she'll get more curious and daring the more times I take her out. More practice getting into and out of (out being harder due to how long her Umbrella feathers are) the harness will be good for both of us as well!

 

[Kiwibird]

Awww... good for Willow! The more you get her out, the better. I don't see as many too's getting out as I do other species, and they're the ones who would probably benefit most.

P.S. She looks like "what the heck, this dirty grass is going to defile my pristine white plumage!". Kiwi feels the same way about sitting in trees.

 

[ToMang07]

She LOVES trees....particularly destroying them, lol

I need to make her an "outside" perch.

I'll be taking her outside whenever I can. I'm just usually "doing stuff" when I'm out. But when it's beer-thirty porch time, she'll be out there with me!

 

[ToMang07]

Oh, and she did just get a shower a couple hours earlier....so you could be right on the money, lol

 

[Scott]

Willow looks so happy on the grass and enjoying the great outdoors!

 

[Mariar]

I got sissy out twice..she was less nervous today..she just kept saying 'im ok,im ok'what a beautiful thing this aviator harness is! Btw willow looks great!!

 

[ToMang07]

I've worked the last 2 days, (no outside time since I'm gone 8am-10pm) but assuming the weather is good Willow will get some more outside time tomorrow. I'm going to make her an "outside" perch as well tomorrow, something she can chew on and destroy while we're outside. And maybe something to take a shower on, if I can convince her to let me spray her with the hose, lol

 

[Mimsy01]

So awesome!!! I keep thinking of trying this with Foo. Not sure how it will go, but I'm almost convinced to get one.

Willow and Sissy are both gorgeous and an inspiration.

 

[SoCalWendy]

Aww that's great! Personally I think breeders should harness train all their babies before they sell them. But probably too time consuming with hand feeding, etc. I just bought a parrotlet sized one. One made especially for plets. I have the other one (flight suit) she swims in it. So this new one should arrive soon. I can't wait to put it on her. She is flying up a storm, even navigating corners now to come find me. so if I want to take her outside she will need to be in a harness from now on.

By the way I do have a flight suit for a Senegal, never been used, if anyone is interested.

 

[Birdman666]

The last time I used a harness was to recall Sweepea... that was about a dozen or more years ago. Mine generally behave well enough in the tree that I trust them without it, despite the occasional mishap.

I have three that go out and about. Tusk and Lila go out about as far as the tree in the front yard. After that they start getting nervous... IT'S OUTSIDE MY COMFORT ZONE. So, they stay home for the most part.

THE OTHER THREE... PRETTY MUCH ALWAYS WANT TO COME.

THE BIG REDHEAD WANTS TO COME MOST OF ALL...

Getting them outside, especially tree time, is just such a psychologically positive thing to do, I think. They're birds. Deep down, they need that tree time.



This is still one of my favorite pictures of Sally. Look how happy she looks!



And the only thing Tusk has ever plucked is LEAVES!





THEY WERE NEVER MEANT TO SIT INSIDE IN CAGES ALL DAY...

 

[ToMang07]

Great pics, Birdman.

Luckily Willow gets LOTS of "outside the cage" time. Outside however, is a different story. She's not "flight trained" although she CAN fly, very well. I'm primarily worried about 2 things....Predators, (specifically if she got away) and her getting scared/startled and taking off in fear of something.

I have a Peregrine Falcon that nests about 125-150 yards from my porch just inside the wood line, as well as a red-tail hawk for regular residents, and ocassionally larger raptors such as Eagles around. This pic was literally 4 days ago right after my brother and I finished our chicken coop.... the bold pest landed just 30 feet from where I was standing.

 

[Mariar]

Those pictures are my inspiration mark..I love having sissy outside it seems natural.

 

[Birdman666]

Great pics, Birdman.

I have a Peregrine Falcon that nests about 125-150 yards from my porch just inside the wood line, as well as a red-tail hawk for regular residents, and ocassionally larger raptors such as Eagles around. This pic was literally 4 days ago right after my brother and I finished our chicken coop.... the ballsy pest landed just 30 feet from where I was standing.

That nest would be too close for my comfort... I'd definitely take every precaution with that sucker around. He's not exactly terrified of humans, though I don't think he'd venture onto your porch if you were out there. I certainly wouldn't leave a cage outside!

And your chicken coop is probably a target of opportunity.

We have one that nests at the school down the street. Every once in awhile you see him in our neighborhood, but he generally feeds in the woods that are in the other direction from our house.

 

[Birdman666]

Those pictures are my inspiration mark..I love having sissy outside it seems natural.

I notice a HUGE difference in behavior when they don't get their tree time. They get very restless, and have shorter tempers.

When they come in after tree time they are just the happiest birds alive! (Well the macaws spend more time on my lap than in the tree, but... that's their thing anyway.)

 

[ToMang07]

That nest would be too close for my comfort... I'd definitely take every precaution with that sucker around. He's not exactly terrified of humans, though I don't think he'd venture onto your porch if you were out there. I certainly wouldn't leave a cage outside!

And your chicken coop is probably a target of opportunity.

We have one that nests at the school down the street. Every once in awhile you see him in our neighborhood, but he generally feeds in the woods that are in the other direction from our house.

So far *knocks on wood* the raptors have not bothered our chickens. The Falcon and the Red Tail both have an abundance of vermin to eat, (18 acres of field between my and my neighbor's fields) and so far prefer moles, voles, mice, and snakes. Hopefully it stays that way. I've never seen them go after anything bigger than a dove. Either way I plan to be very close by when Willow is outside. Besides, I don't have many trees under 30', most are in excess of 50-100' tall, so "letting her loose" wouldn't really be an option, anyway. My Lilacs are about the only short trees I have, even they are 10-15' tall.

 

[Birdman666]

Having had to climb a 50 foot tree to recover my red lored amazon, back in her "free flighted" days... I don't blame you one bit!

I have an oak tree in my front yard, and my birds are recalled. I just call them down, and they come.

Except the macaws. They're usually already on my lap at that point.

If they've got full stomachs they won't risk encounters with people. IT'S WHEN THEY ARE HUNGRY OR HAVE CHICKS TO FEED...

My neighbor had a small dog taken from her back yard by a red tail. Picked it up by the neck, took it a few hundred feet up, then dropped it on the concrete. Then went back and carried it off...

THOSE BIRDS DO NOT MESS AROUND!

 

[Mariar]

Before I moved into this house there wAs a cat that was taken by a hawk and dropped 20 or so feet..skin ripped from back.. Today her name is pumpkin and she's mine...I don't trust wild birds with my loved ones....today I had my hedge hog out,..a hawk appeared...she balled up and I grabbed her.

 

[ToMang07]

Well it's always on my mind, to be honest. there is plenty of wildlife (prey) around so hopefully they are well fed already. And so far the Falcon is the only one who isn't that scared of us, but to be fair, we are very close neighbors, lol

I think where the PF hasn't bothered the chicks yet, (and there is 29 of them, so no lack of opportunities) I don't think it will bother Willow, since she's about the same size as the Falcon.

Not betting on it, however.

 

[ToMang07]

Large seems to work much better, much less stress getting it on and off.

 

[Taw5106]

We have Hawks around here, but this weekend I saw our flock of Quakers, five of them and it looks like they were rather randy, lol. I've set up feeders hoping to lure them here, but given they are flourishing, I'm hoping the Hawks are happy elsewhere. I take Venus out, most times without her harness, her bad clip still won't let her catch air. For those that don't know, when I got Venus, all of her wing feathers except the tips were cut. Horrible clip job by the previous owner. I love taking her out and about.