Missing in action

[gulfstreamVI]

I've been giving Crusso a lot of daily outside time. I carry his cage onto the deck and he perches on top of it all day enjoying the outdoors. Yesterday he suddenly took flight and it took me an hour to home in on his location as he squawked. I really want him to be able to spend lots of time outside, but now I feel I can't trust him. I don't want to have to clip his wings. My question is, how likely is he to find his way home?

 

[TessieB]

He might find his way home if a cat or a hawk does not get him, or a car, or another person.

 

[riddick07]

Have you tried to harness train him? Or you could just leave him in his cage while it is outside.

 

[veimar]

I'm sorry, but I think it's crazy to let the bird outside without clipping her wings. Unclipped wings is one of the most common causes of our feathered friends deaths, even indoors. I would never risk to let them fly unclipped. Clipped wings would still let your bird fly, but just not too far or too high. And they actually develop better flight muscles with clipped wings. You could use a harness outside as well.

 

[jenphilly]

Let's play nice with this thread, from the reaction the last post just caused in my home, I am expecting some heated words to begin... as my first moderator duty for a clip/not clip thread - play nice everyone!!!

 

[jenphilly]

Now as my post not as moderator duty. Not sure why anyone would think clipping encourages better chest muscles. That is strictly one person's opinions, any new bird owners out there, please do not take that post as fact or based on science or any avian medical statistics.

 

[riddick07]

Chest muscles are developed by flying.... not gliding to the floor...

Most of the time a bird with clipped wings will have underdeveloped chest muscles.... Monkey my gcc had this problem. After she started flying she at least doubled her amount of chest muscles. Also, my gcc Monster is starting to fly again... you kind of feel bad for him because he is so under developed for flying that he has to go a million miles a minute with his wings to get anywhere. Monkey was the same way as him at first.

This isn't pro or con for clipping just on the muscle development.... I have both clipped and unclipped in the house.

For the main poster if you were specifically concerned about clipping or not there are a bunch of threads on this if you search.

 

[NandayMom]

I doubt he would ever find his way home.

My baby means too much to me to ever risk watching helplessly as they fly away. I don't think it is fair to them to put them in danger, and having a bird unclipped and unharnessed outside, is putting them in danger.

 

[MonicaMc]

I recall having one budgie. He was an acrobat in the air! And that was the exact reason I purchased him! But I was stupid. I clipped his wings. I wasn't thinking straight, let alone right, and thought he might starve to death shortly after getting him.

Well, he lost muscle mass. He could no longer fly (he could still land without hurting himself! just couldn't fly) and when he finally got his flights back in, he still couldn't make it more than 4-6" off the ground, *AT BEST*.

I had to "teach" him how to fly again by tossing him onto a bed at least 2-3 times a day for around two weeks. After this time period, he was able to fly again, but he was no longer that graceful, acrobatic bird that I had purchased.




Gulfstream, Crusso may be able to find his way home *IF* he is familiar with the outside of your home and it's surroundings. However, like others, I do not recommend taking him outside unrestrained! Please, either keep him in a cage or harness train him!



If you refuse to do this, then I strongly urge you to take Chris Biro's Skype class! It's a minimum of $100 for up to 90 minutes of talking with him, or $300 for the class which is 5 sessions long. (I recommend the class, btw)

Avian Training and Flight Instruction | Register For a Class | LibertyWings.com



If you don't do any of that, then you may very well lose Crusso!

 

[gulfstreamVI]

Hey, thanks everyone! I will keep him in his cage outside. I just wish I could build a huge aviary and let him fly all day!

Cheers.

 

[pacoparrot]

My dear friend, an eclectus parrot, was always clipped. I took her outside all the time and it only took one scare for her to take off and get hit by a car. It was heart breaking, and worse...All my fault. If anything, don't let Echo have died in vein. Protect your bird from the dangers of the outdoors. Train him to a harness if he really enjoys being outside.

 

[jenphilly]

My dear friend, an eclectus parrot, was always clipped. I took her outside all the time and it only took one scare for her to take off and get hit by a car. It was heart breaking, and worse...All my fault. If anything, don't let Echo have died in vein. Protect your bird from the dangers of the outdoors. Train him to a harness if he really enjoys being outside.

I am so sorry to read your post. Thank you so much for sharing your experience to help prevent anyone else from suffering thru your loss. I am so so sorry about Echo....

 

[Sterling1113]

My dear friend, an eclectus parrot, was always clipped. I took her outside all the time and it only took one scare for her to take off and get hit by a car. It was heart breaking, and worse...All my fault. If anything, don't let Echo have died in vein. Protect your bird from the dangers of the outdoors. Train him to a harness if he really enjoys being outside.

Oh no. I'm so sorry to hear of the tragic(and early) loss of your friend.
That is my biggest fear. Even with clipped birds, like Loki, he stays clutched in my hand until we are far away from any roads that the wind may carry him toward.
I second Jen's comment, thank you for sharing your experience, hopefully it will bring some insight to anyone reading of the dangers of bringing birds, flighted or not, outside without a harness.

 

[EnglishMuffin]

My dear friend, an eclectus parrot, was always clipped. I took her outside all the time and it only took one scare for her to take off and get hit by a car. It was heart breaking, and worse...All my fault. If anything, don't let Echo have died in vein. Protect your bird from the dangers of the outdoors. Train him to a harness if he really enjoys being outside.

This is a heartbreaking story and a very valid point. Since Sootie's escape attempt last week, her wings have been clipped and I've taken her out a couple of times on my shoulder to the 7/11 or just to run short errands. She loved coming out but one scare and attempted flight could put her straight into the path of a car (my flight harness arrived yesterday and we are starting (successful) harness training!).

I am sorry to be blunt but the fact is this: if you take your fully fllighted bird outside with no restraint, it will take off and it will end in disaster. These birds have lifespans of 30 years. All it takes is for one of those days in that 30 years that a hawk is flying past and it's game over. It's so not worth the risk!

I'm not advocating clipped wings, and I'm not condoning it. Since her wings got clipped Sootie has been better at playing with her toys, she concentrates better in our training sessions, she is less nippy and a lot more cuddly and affectionate. She is also quieter and more content to be in her cage on her own with us in the house.

But she also gets visibly frustrated when she can't fly to my brother when he walks in the house, or when she can't fly to me in the kitchen when I'm cooking. She gets upset when she tries and she ends up on the floor. And her muscles are wasting (I haven't researched it but having studied physics my common sense says that birds with full wings develop better musles: full wings= greater surface area contact with the air= greater air resistance= stronger downwards thrust required to gain momentum= more energy spent= more muscle development).

If your conure is good at being handled then consider the flight harness! just don't take him out unrestrained

 

[veimar]

So did he come home? I was just really worried…
BTW I didn't express my own opinion about the chest muscles - I did a lot of research online. And parrots are not likely to find the way home if they fly away - that's not my opinion, but the statistics. However, when I had a raven he would fly around a lot and always came home to eat and to hang out, so it depends on the kind of bird.
And I dunno if my Parry's wings are not clipped "enough", but he can fly fairly well, 10-15 ft easily. He used to "glide" when he was a baby, and he still lands on the floor occasionally, but usually he reaches his goal pretty well. He flies from his cage to his play stand, from the kitchen to the bedroom, etc.. He even flew to the top of the curtain rod once. I'm sure his muscles are developing because I see a steady progress in his flying and maneuvering. He is flying like a city sparrow. He loves to fly, and I always encourage that without fearing that he would fly away or injure himself. So probably it just depends how the birds are clipped and if they were clipped from beginning. It probably would feel just awful for an adult free flying bird to suddenly just being not able to fly anymore.
Anyway, let us know if you bird is back safely.

 

[veimar]

It's really strange - I didn't see about 5-6 replies before posting and they appeared before my reply. We were probably all commenting at the same time.
So sorry for your lost electus…. I'm ordering a harness for Parry just to be safe, but I foresee a BIG struggle with wearing it… :/ I'm also paranoid about eagles and falcons that fly over my backyard once in a while.

 

[riddick07]

veimar I want to try harness training my cockatoo Folger... I think this might be what finally gets me bit.... once his scabs heal from the recent mutilation I shall start with the crazy one Nice and slow!

The only thing I'm truly afraid of when I take Folger out is anyone coming right up to me.... bye bye random persons face or fingers...and if you try to hit my bird because you are an idiot I may go a tiny bit crazy on you:54:


EDIT: Just thought of an idea! I just need to get him a shirt that says....Psychotic Bird! Will bite just to hear you scream like a little girl!

 

[jenphilly]

veimar I want to try harness training my cockatoo Folger... I think this might be what finally gets me bit.... once his scabs heal from the recent mutilation I shall start with the crazy one Nice and slow!

The only thing I'm truly afraid of when I take Folger out is anyone coming right up to me.... bye bye random persons face or fingers...and if you try to hit my bird because you are an idiot I may go a tiny bit crazy on you:54:


EDIT: Just thought of an idea! I just need to get him a shirt that says....Psychotic Bird! Will bite just to hear you scream like a little girl!

Can I get one of those shirts??