Question about free flying

[Sherry]

I have noticed on a lot of posts that macaw owners take their fids out and free fly more than other bird owners. Don't you worry that they will fly away? They seem like such awesome flyers.

 

[MaraWentz]

They're amazing flyers and the pay off of watching them fly and seeing their happiness and pride is amazing. You're not supposed to free flight them until they are fully trained in every aspect. That way you can be sure of their reaction and know they won't fly away. I made the mistake of flying mine too soon. I thought- hey she's a great flier, never strays far, can hover, fly backwards, great at landing, flies on command, etc. So I took her to our usual park and she did lovely in the bright sun flying huge circles above the 1.5 mile lake and came back to land when a wind swept her away. Took 3 days of 40-50 degree temperature and rain storms to retrieve her. I had naively not trained her enough. I missed the most obvious- flying down from great heights (she got swept in the tree tops from 50 ft to 200 ft high). Then there was training her to fly in the rain and against or with winds, fly when there's thunder, and fly when there are predators. She wasn't fully trained and won't be for at least a year or two, because to train her I will have to fly her in all the conditions more than once so I can see her reaction and provide a solution for her to learn. Until then she won't be out free flighting. My experience was scary. I'm not giving up on free flight because she loves it and excells, and I love to watch her squawking and flying so proud, as do many of the on lookers. I just have to prepare her and myself for anything and everything, because anything and everything can happen.

 

[Eloy]

I remember that MaraWentz. But it all ended up VERY happy.
I hope you someday will be out on a free flight again.

If they are right/professional trained I think the risk is minimal. But I'm not willing to take that risk, so I just love to see other peoples bird free flight. (thank god for YT )

 

[JerseyWendy]

Ditto, Eloy.

I am WAY too chicken to let my fids fly free outside. Not to mention they are NOT trained to do it either. But even if they were I wouldn't have the guts to try it out.

 

[Sherry]

I am going to go visit my new little fid on Wednesday! This little blue/gold is only 7-8 weeks old so they are keeping it until the end of December. I can't wait to see the little one. Needless to say I have been reading everything I can get my hands on and watching every utube video. I keep seeing people with their macaws outdoors with no harness or anything on. I can't help but wonder about this. I don't have any experience with macaws so this may just be my ignorance as to these birds and their behaviors. I do have an CAG and wouldn't consider taking him out with some precaution. I have seen too many posts and videos of these guys disappearing forever and I just wouldn't be able to handle that. He has become such a huge part of my life I just wouldn't be able to live with myself.

 

[MaraWentz]

The key is training for every situation- predators, rain, thunder, cars, wind- pretty much what ever can spook your bird or distract him. No one trains in all aspects as I know. It takes time and the perfect occasion- waiting for thunder, waiting for rain, waiting for a windy day to take them flying in. Most people don't train birds in scary or unfavorable situation s because they are scary or unfavorable, but they happen. You hear about the birds who got spooked cuz of a sudden storm, or car, or predator, or blew off in the window, or got stuck up in a high treeand were gone for ever. Had they been trained it wouldn't have happened. Had I trained Erin she would had never gotten lost, but we don't expect bad things like a storm, or hawk, or wind to happen. We check the weather and look for predators and when we assume it's safe we take them out, but surprises do occur. And also many people dont jump right to the outdoors free flight, lots let them fly freely indoors first, some only let them fly indoors and never take them out.

 

[JerseyWendy]

Well, I've got a PERFECT example for an unforeseen "incident" as it just happened today - and there is honestly NO way to train for that one.

I'm upstairs, playing a silly game on the computer (Solitaire..go ahead and laugh ). Out of the blue both Hunter AND Niko let out this blood-curling scream downstairs, simultaneously, I should add. I fly down the stairs, dogs in tow. There was a Cooper's Hawk RIGHT by the window in an evergreen bush. He apparently was determined to get himself some lunch, as there were dozens of sparrows hiding in said bush. Well, the hawk succeeded. Niko was shaking like a leaf on his highest perch, while Hunter stood on her perch like a Spartan ready for battle. :11:

Had this been in the summer, and my birds had been outside, there is NO doubt in my mind that they would have taken off like a bat out of hell - recall training or not.

 

[MaraWentz]

We've trained Erin with hawks flying over head as wehad no choice because they are abundant in MD where were from. There have always been 2-5 hawks. At first, she would just stare unmoving but we kept at it and she learned to ignore them. If she does get spooked she climbs as close to my face as she can, but there has to be multiple hawks closing in on US for her to spook so she's trained to hawks, but like any prey cannot be trained how to break free from ones grasps if ever snatched from the air or our shoulders. That's a risk that is always there as long as hawks are. It's weird though the hawks don't ever go for her or eye her down, it's like they dont see her. She blends so well with her green and red, perhaps that's why? However she is deathly afraid of cranes... don't know how I will train her for that as they're in the area but rare.

 

[Mare Miller]

I have a free flying U2. Mara this is the first I've read about Erin taking off like that! I'm so happy you got her back!! For sure scary, huh?

We've had hawks stalking Amigo around here. They are always a threat but during migration time it's even scarier. Amigo will come close to me and home, when he sees one in the area.

 

[gemini84]

a friend of mine free flues all his birds every day macaws, amazons, alex's, cockatoos, ekkies etc, the list is too long.
it is such a beautiful site sitting on your back porch and having this beautiful array of exotic birds coming for a visit.
i'm not sure of the extent you free fly your birds but my friend sets his free everyday and they just roam around the small town all day untill they are called home.
one thing no one mentioned is stranger danger. we all teach our kids avout that but how do you teach a bird. if you have a social bird, how is it that you can train them not to go to people when in free flight. macaws are a very sought after bird, much like a lot of parrots and arent cheap to purchase so you may find if some one finds him/her flying around you may lose your bird. my friend lost 2 of his macaws this way, but thanks to our tight nit community and microchipping he got them back.
1 other little thing, i had a free flying alex ( i didnt train her, she did it herself) after about 6months of free flight she didnt come home one day. it turned out that she fiund a mate within my friends flick and moved there. so be cautious if there are other free flight birds in your area around mating season.

please dont take any of this the wrong way as i am all for free flying birds and would love to one day allow my new baby to free fly. just keep other outside factors that are difficult to train for in mind