Lovebird Free flight?

[Lovebird]

Do you think that lovies should be free flighted? I kind of do and don't: no because they are small and might run into something that is dangerous, like a stove or window. yes because in the wild they do.

 

[getwozzy]

The forum you posted your question to is for free flight aka flying your birds outside without a harness or other restraint system...so I've moved this thread to the lovebird section.

 

[Lovie]

I, personally, get my lovebird's wings slightly clipped. I live in a place where it would be dangerous to have flight (lots of tall appliances it could perch on, and I wouldn't be able to get it off; windows; many things going on at once; electrical things), but I also want it to be able to fly enough to avoid dropping like a stone.

 

[MonicaMc]

If you want flighted birds, then you should consider training some basic commands to them.

Obedience Training for Flighted Parrots by Greg Glendell
https://theparrotuniversity.com/clipping-and-trimming

 

[MikeyTN]

To allow flight or not is a individual choice! I allow my adult birds to fly but I will clip if I must. That's a decision for you to make!!!! You can find many post from the past within the forum as it is a debatable subject.

 

[Kaya]

If they learn to fly at fledging age its very unlikely they will crash into windows once they have properly figured out what they are. None of my birds have ever been clipped at all and I do often leave them unattended around the house. I haven't ever had any accidents with fully fledged birds. One of my little suns did crash into a window very hard when she was 10weeks old though. She was very dizzy afterwards and couldn't keep her balance for about 10 minutes. The vet said she was fine though, and she was back to herself the next day. This is the only incident I've ever had with them.

To me, the possible results of clipping a bird are much more scary than having a confident flighted one.
Training a bird for flight that has been clipped all its life is a different story though.

 

[peachface]

I had my birds' wings clipped recently, and it was a tough decision. I do believe in birds having flight, but I also believe in safety. Our pets aren't in the wild... they're in cages in our homes.

I felt a LOT of guilt after I brought them home from the vet, and they were upset after their first few attempts at flying. They used to fly around the room, and had a few high places they liked to hang out. They fell a lot their first week, and I felt immediately that I had made a huge mistake.

It only took a few days, but my birds started to attempt longer "trips." They learned through trial and error how far one trip would take them, and were even flying up to land on high objects, which is something clipped birds aren't supposed to be able to do. I called the vet to tell them they didn't clip enough, but she said a clipped bird who wants to fly will find a way.

It has been about a month, and you wouldn't believe how much these two can fly with clipped wings! They can cross the room, fly up to their favorite high places, and turn mid-flight. I would say the only difference is they can't hover mid-air anymore, and they fly shorter distances with a little more effort. They spend more time climbing and running around outside of their cage now, which they didn't do much of before they were clipped, and they're also easier to catch if I need to change cages to bring them somewhere.

When I see how much exercise my birds get, even after being clipped, I feel I made the right decision. I think the age of the bird is important too, as my first lovebird was clipped very young. I got him when he was about 4 months and had been clipped for a few months already. Even as his flight feathers were growing back, he could only fly in a straight line, never up. My birds now were almost 9 months when I had them clipped, and perhaps the growth of certain muscles helps in this situation!?

I would also say that clipping shouldn't be something a bird owner does so they don't have to put in any effort. Taming involves trust, not forcing a bird to like you because it has nowhere else to go.

My final word on the subject is: It's your decision. A clipped bird is better than a dead bird.

 

[Badlooser]

I wouldn't be worried about flying into things.

At times mine do some risky play (for ex hanging by its feets and skydiving straight down just avoiding the floor by 30 cm) but i guess that's just how they learn..

I've heard that lovebird can move their necks at the speed of some insects, they are really well evolved to do fast acrobatic flight maneuvers, and seeing how much she likes to practice (and maybe show off) I would definitely never cut her wings..

For windows just draw something on it with a whiteboard marker, you can gradually remove the drawings..

Put wires and other dangerous things close to the floor, it's maybe not 101% safe but mine is never close to floor without really good reason..