taking conures outside

[StarryEyedGirl]

My black capped is flighted but he stays with me. He's the so spoiled it's ridiculous lol. But I don't take him out all the time. He usually will sit in the window and get his sun/fresh air that way and socialize with the outside birds.

 

[ruffledfeathers]

I would think it probably varies from bird to bird how quickly they take to harnesses. I never tried with my sun conure but I would imagine it would have been a longer process. Gilbert was pretty easy but he is a fairly laid back bird in general. I used the dvd that comes with the harness and was doing the stuff like 'wings' and then hold out the wings, cover the head, etc to get him used to what was going to happen in terms of handling. He let me put the harness on with no problem but in the beginning he squawked and got annoyed when I took it off.
I wish I had known about them when I got my sun conure because she tended to be more fearful in general.....I think the exposure to the outside world on a regular basis could have helped her confidence. I had one of those backpack carriers for her but it's not the same as going out FLYING like a bird.

Starryeyedgirl your bird is so beautiful!! Is he flighted and he goes out without a harness? That would scare me because you're right, even a very tame bird can fly off in a fright (car horn or something flies by quickly and startles them). Gilbert has done this before but the harness helps me keep control.

 

[Xraysrrad]

Thought I would share, Bodhi sitting with me while I had my coffee this morning.

 

[StarryEyedGirl]

Ruffledfeathers, harley is flighted. And we don't use a harness or anything. Usually he will sit in my cleavage (I think it's is comfort zone -_-, he's definitely a boy lol) and watch the other birds fly around. I have bird feeders, suets, and a finch sack outside for my outside birds and woodpeckers. When he starts getting fidgety is when we go inside. I cup my hands over his back and neck and we go inside. He's gotten scared a few times by bigger birds coming down for food(he thought they were going to attack him) so he climbed up and hid in my hair. He's just a hug baby. And thank you! He was one of the silliest, most beautiful birds out of the pick (and most healthy looking) at the pet store.

 

[Olive]

Where did you get the flying apparatus? Is 3 too old to start this? Is it possible to get one for a black capped conure? I'm so excited about this, been wanting to do it since I got her!

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

Well I live in Maine, in the downtown area so I don't take SKittles out free-flighted. I use a 'travel' cage to take him on walks. I will be getting a pak-o-bird at some point.

As for weather, anything over 70 is 'ideal' BUT keep the wind temp in mind too. If it's 70 degrees out but theres a cool wind, that wind temp has to be at least 70 as well.

Also, as you probably know - summers in Maine can be torture - humidity wise. Be careful when taking your bird out on humid days (air quality temp) and also when you leave and come back. If you take your bird outside when it's 90 degrees and humid and then take him indoors where it's 65 degrees cause of the AC, that's asking for trouble.

Sudden temperature changes are more of a threat than gradual. Birds CAN adapt to colder temps BUT it has to be done gradually. Though personally, I suggest keeping temps year round at LEAST 60 degrees. I can't stand the heat, so it's rarely above 65 in my apt and Skittles is fine.

 

[Birdman666]

Papaya was recalled. I generally kept Inca and Demitre clipped.

I didn't use harnesses or cages. Mine were pretty good about staying put, and coming back to me when I called them.

 

[djdancer]

It's never too late to teach a bird anything. I wouldn't take him out without a harness because hawks come down and take your bird. I've heard of people even having their birds taken away with the harness on. I have both harnesses and flight suits.

Flight suit: FlightSuits? Bird Diapers - Avian Fashions

Bird Supplies: Leashes & Flight Suits

Harnesses and carriers : Pet Supplies, Dog Supplies, Cat Supplies, Pet Meds & Pet Products - Search Results for harness for birds

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

I congratulate anyone who has successfully recalled their bird outdoors. But it's not something that I, personally, would feel comfortable doing. While I am almost completely convinced Skittles wouldn't leave my line of site, I can't be sure. He has a tendency to attack anything he sees as a threat. But mostly, my first bird - a budgie named Sandy got loose and flew away. I got him back two weeks later, but those two weeks he was gone were hell. I was only 11 yrs old and the memories are still fresh and I'm almost 40 now.

 

[Birdman666]

I congratulate anyone who has successfully recalled their bird outdoors. But it's not something that I, personally, would feel comfortable doing. While I am almost completely convinced Skittles wouldn't leave my line of site, I can't be sure.

Here is a Papaya story for you.

No Py was out and about trained. He was startle trained. He was free flighted. He was recalled. And he was UBER-BONDED to me.

One night, near the end of our marriage, my ex-wife took him outside, and he flew off on her. I was working two jobs, and she called me at work, knowing I was stuck there and couldn't get home, and couldn't do anything about it. "I'm very sorry but your bird just flew away." And I wanted to just close up, and go look for him, but I couldn't. And it ate me alive until closing time...

Now, this bird used to recognize the sound of my car when it was a block away, and he would start calling, and go to his spot near the front door. When the door opened, he would swoop to my shoulder, and say "Hi Papaya, how's my bird?" (Which was about the only phrase he knew.)

So, I finally get home at 10:30... and when I turned the corner, I could hear him calling to me from the trees. So I slowed down, and there he was, following my car from tree to tree...

As I pulled into the driveway, and got out of the car, he swooped from the tree to my shoulder, and said "Hi Papaya! How's my bird. Then climbed inside my shirt, to his spot..."

THAT'S THE KIND OF BOND I HAD WITH PY...

WITH PY, I ALWAYS JUST KNEW.

What I hadn't counted on was, during one of our DAILY free flying sessions, he flew too low across the parking lot, flying back to me. He didn't see the car, and the car didn't see him...

And that's how I lost him.

IT STILL HURTS!

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

That's it for me. I don't doubt Skittles would fly back to me and stay within my line of sight. It's the outside dangers that worry me. The wind sweeping him away, him landing somewhere and getting hit/hurt or even worse, attacked by a wild bird. We have a LOT of birds in this neighborhood and I don't trust them with Skittles.

I also don't feel the need to take him outdoors free flighted. He's free flighted all day in the apartment, he has the run of the place so he gets PLENTY of exercise. On nice days I only take him out so he can get some sunshine and fresh air. Also, to be honest, I like to show him off.

I find it funny how strangers will stop to see him and want one and when they ask me how much they cost, I tell them and then they say forget that! If you think about it though, if you have a sun that lives to be 30, you're only paying .60 per day for that companionship. Beats .99c a minute LOL

 

[Birdman666]

I free flighted mine without incident for many years.

Then we had incidents. Then I stopped free flighting.

I still occasionally fly Sally when she gets restless.

Maggie can fly, but actually generally refuses to. Ever taken a bird out flying, and had them say "uh-uh?" Just not interested, except occasionally when she insists on coming with. I'll go to open the door, and before I can get outside, she will fly to my shoulder. "NOT WITHOUT ME YOU'RE NOT!"

Sweepea gets carried away sometimes, so I stopped with her. I haven't kept up/reinforced her training in awhile. So I keep her clipped.

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

I can't imagine not having Skittles free-flighted INDOORS. He is so used to it now, if I stopped it WOULD be cruel. But, it's indoors and I live on the second floor, so if he got out of the apartment, he'd go into the outdoor hallway, not actually outdoors.

As it is, on the occasions where he doesn't follow me when I leave his line of sight (usually because he knows where I am going OR he likes where he's at) he will come to me when I call him 99% of the time. I actually find it adorable. Sometimes he will try to come find me and I can here his wings fluttering down the hallway but he can't see me. So I will say "Skitty" and he flies right to me. I can actually be all the way at the other end of the apartment and say to him "Skitty" and he will fly to me.

At some point I want to record his indoor recalling on video but given his temperament to the camera, I don't want to risk scaring him and having him fly into something.

 

[bonita]

Hi there, Just a quick response about outside fun with green cheeks. I take Paddy out daily,70 and above.I was blessed with a large flight cage for free. I have it under an awning he can see the whole back yard. If it gets to 85 I take him in.He wont use a harness. Hope it helps,Bonita

 

[Alembic772]

We have four conures currently, three of which have their flight feathers clipped. I will take those that are clipped out to the mailbox and if I am taking them somewhere I will let them out while I am driving. Our turquoise GCC gets car sick in the cage, so we let him sit on one of us.

The flight conure, my male eclectus, and our younger caique do not go outside the house without being in a cage.


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[mboundy]

Please be careful. We put a large cage on our deck (we live in NH) for our 2 conures to enjoy some outside time with us.

1st time I put them in it, I sat at the table a few feet away, under an open umbrella. Took a picture of them to capture the moment. Within a minute, I didn't see or hear any warnings, a large hawk struck the side of their cage, just missing Poco. Before I could even yell, it hit the next side of their cage. I yelled and jumped up, scaring the hawk away. Conures were terrified. We sold outdoor cage.

If my birds were in a harness, on my shoulder, I fear one would have been killed. The hawk was faster and quieter than I can explain.

Please ne careful and pay attention to their warning sounds.

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[wrench13]

FWIW theres a youtube vid with a guy doing a bird show in Fla somewhere, with a big cockatoo. In the middle of the show a big hawk swoops down and tries to fly off with the the 'too. Didn't but whoah, close call.