Is she just lazy or she does not know how to Fly

[Rani]

My female eclectus (SI) is about 18 months old. I got her in sep 2010 and her wings were clipped at that time. I have not clipped her wings at all.

If i hold her and help her flap her wings then she tries to fly but she has no sense of direction... She will fly across the room and hit something and fall. I am so scared that she will get hurt.

Is there something wrong or she has just never learned to fly? When she spreads her wings to stretch most of them are full grown

I have heard female Ekkies are lazy but this one seems to be lazy beyond i can imagine lol..

Also she sings a lot(i dont understand anything) and makes crazy sounds(sometimes like a cat, or a monkey or just some random chatter). I try and talk to her a lot but she does not seems to pick up any words. What age do ekkies talk? or do they even talk?

I am freaking out a lot since she is so quiet as i used to have a sun conure before that would get yelled at coz he was on your nose day and night...she is the complete opposite of him I just want to make sure she is happy more then anything.

She is so much in love with her cage that no matter where i put her in the house she will walk to the cage....

I just want her to learn how to fly as she is a bird and this is what they suppose to do

any ideas and help is much appreciated
chrisi

 

[darkling]

Hannibal doesn't fly very well either. His wings are sort of clipped. The clipped feathers are coming out as he molts.

Before the storms, he would jump off the top of his cage and flap like crazy and sort of fly but mostly fall. It doesn't seem like laziness though.

I hand raised a blue jay when I was a kid and he did the same thing when he was trying to learn how to fly. I don't know many times he plummeted from some piece of furniture to the floor before he actually learned to fly.

Maybe she's still learning.

 

[suebee]

she's still learning to fly so big room clear of things she can crash into! put something on the windows so she can see its not an open space and thats if she would like to fly, if she runs over to you then make her jump for treat maybe?? that way she will have to flap her wings for lift

nothing wrong with a quiet bird maybe thats how she is

lol she feels safe at her cage, in her mind, her cage, her kingdom

nuts a fab flier! she can stop mid air and change directions, but she's only a small bird

 

[merlinsmom13]

Merlin just started flying on his own, I don't remember any difficulities. When I noticed he was flying more, I took around to the windows & let him tongue them. There are alot of hazards w/a flighted bird. Toilets, other pets, open doors, install door stops to keep doors from slamming on your bird.... I also have to make sure there is nothing breakable on the counter tops, his greatest joy is pushing things to the floor. You also have to be willing to never go to the bathroom alone again. lol He's a jet plane, I've even seen him fly thru half open doors sideways. When she is ready, she will fly, you just have to make it safe for her.

 

[suebee]

lol merlin, nuts the same she like to pick things up an drop them over edge, and if they break she kinda looks all satisfied!! as she waddles off for next object!!! as for toilet?? no place is sacred!!

 

[merlinsmom13]

Yes, Nut reminds me of somebody. Wonder how they get a big devil in such small bodies?? lol

 

[Pedro]

Rani, you must remember she hasn't had to fly in 18 months & her wing muscles are very weak. Not to mention her weight, she would be a bit heavier than if she were fully flighted. It is going to take some time for her to get enough strength to fly in the house. So no i wouldn't regard her as a lazy bird at all she just needs time.

Even though she has had clipped wings she knows how to fly that is something she doesn't have to learn how to do. If she got away outside she would be up & away before you know it.

Don't worry about her being quiet most hens are when they are maturing. But she should be talking. When i teach mine i focus on one little sentence & before you know it they are saying. They kind of talk behind your back at first but as the get older they will copy just about everything said. Some don't talk though, some take awhile to start but once they do start there is no stopping them. My hen is a better talker than my male.

 

[JJones1719]

When you purchased her, did the Breeder, store advise you that she could Fly. If not, then my guess will be that she never learned. I would purchase a harness for her and see if she will let you put it on her. If so, have a friend with you and call out to her to see if she will fly to them or have her favorite treat or toy. With the harness, you will have some control over her but enough to prevent her from hurting herself.
It's true that most Eclectus are pretty quiet. My SI Male Eclectus would rather talk then make noice. Eclectus can be very good talkers 2nd to none to the African Gray.
Getting an Eclectus to talk is very easy. Once your eclectus reaches the age of 1 year old, they should be saying their first word or so. Just keep saying a word or phrase to them over and over, make it entertaining for them, say the word or phrase in both normal voice and excited voice. Try to use words or phrases that have hard sounds like words beginging with bcdgjklpqrstvwyz. They seem to pick up these words pretty easy. Best of luck Joe

 

[mygirl]

our eclectus can fly but not very good, we have re-clipped her wings now because she kept slamming into things and she was going to hurt herself, the talking part she should start talking soon, she's still a baby!

 

[MikeyTN]

It takes time for them to rebuild that wing muscle to learn how to fly again. My girl flies real good, only bird that don't fly is Willie, he's too big to be flying through the house. I wish I could let him fly outside but im too afraid to lose him.... plus he hates going outside...

 

[Rani]

Thank you everyone.

Today's progress is that now she flies a bit and then instead of slamming in the table she sits on the table.

Also she learned how to do high five

I have realized one thing that I will need a lot of patience with her

Chrisi

 

[Rani]

Would it be advisable to get another companion bird for her?