How to train flight in the gust of wind?

[parrot14]

I have freeflighted my conures for one year now and I am preparing my CAG to follow suit.

What is worrying me is that all the conures seem naturally catch the all skills in flight: hovering, turning, braking, descent, etc but CAG seems need to learn how to cope with the gust of the wind. Once I practice in front of my home, a strong wind blow from his rear and he get stranded up in a tree. I have to use ladder to bring him down.

Do you guys have any advice in this?

 

[Featheredsamurai]

African grays are one of the harder birds to teach free flight too. Start with a very small breeze and work on building the muscle he'll need to fly in stronger winds.

 

[parrot14]

Oooh I see, this probably true. I am working on this. Zidane flight skill is just getting better each day. I noticed this last night when he came to me for a treat, he flew easily and take off much easier with the stronger flaps.

I train him outside early in the morning when there is no strong wind. Do I need to give him a taste of wind blows? Probably, just put him in a harness when the wind get stronger and fly him person to person? It is more like a gentle wind anyway... just to acclimate him

 

[MaraWentz]

My advice is to train against the wing. It makes the wings stronger, and creates a harder resistance, but doesn't blow them away or off course. Then eventually train with light winds, them facing backs to the gust the wind. I've never trained ERin yet back to the wind, but she has experienced it 2 weeks ago down by the like, it came out of nowhere, knocked her up and off direction, but she leveled out and overcame it and made a fast and quick landing. Its kinda scary the first time seeing it becasue you don't know whether they will fight it or go into shock and get blown down or lost, becasue they're so tiny. Thankfully Erin fought it.