THE RISKS OF FREE FLIGHT with Feather Babies

[GoldenDaysAz]

To our “Parront” Kahu community: a teachable moment to share about the risks of free flight. One of the most painful topics of learning in my lifetime with parrots. We all strive to give them their best life in captivity so let’s remember to stay humble and kind when approaching this topic.

 

[GaleriaGila]

Great topic. ANY freedom is risky. As the self-avowed total paranoia around here, I will acknowledge that the Rb has had a sheltered, at times not very enriched life. No flight outside, extreme caution about any new toy, constant paranoia abut an situation/experience that ight be dangerous. I guess it's a choice we all make constantly. The downside has been a limited lifestyle for my old rooster... the upside for me, is that he is now 40 years old.
A very personal and important issue...

 

[GoldenDaysAz]

Great topic. ANY freedom is risky. As the self-avowed total paranoia around here, I will acknowledge that the Rb has had a sheltered, at times not very enriched life. No flight outside, extreme caution about any new toy, constant paranoia abut an situation/experience that ight be dangerous. I guess it's a choice we all make constantly. The downside has been a limited lifestyle for my old rooster... the upside for me, is that he is now 40 years old.
A very personal and important issue...

Absolutely Great points! Thank you for your input.

 

[kme3388]

Great topic! I know my 2 conures are easily spoked by noises, new people, anything out of the ordinary. I do think flight training is great exercise. It wears out my parrots & they are much better behaved. We just stay indoors. I don’t trust my conures outside. My Ekkie I can because he has a broken wing, and unfortunately cannot fly even if he wanted to. My conures are so fast, and can turn on a dime. I am in Minnesota & we have a lot of eagles & hawks here. I feel like my parrots don’t stand a chance if they did get spooked & took off.

 

[MMARC234]

After getting my heart back out of my throat, I had to laugh a bit at getting the ladder out to get to the roof because of my experience.

After a few months when I first got Leo in 2018, I had taken him outside without a harness in calm weather, thinking that he would appreciate the sunshine and stay on my shoulder (and having no clue that harnesses existed at that point). We sat on the swing for about five minutes until the wind started blowing.

Unbeknownst to me, my poor boy was terrified of wind. In less than a moment, he took off, caught a gust, spun 180 degrees, landed on the edge of our roof scared half to death. After some scrambling and panic, I snatched a broom and put the handle against the roof, quietly calling his name and apologizing for scaring him. Thankfully my coaxing worked and he slowly climbed down and clutched my shoulder in a death grip while mumbling to himself.

After going inside, I told him we’d never to that again. And we didn’t until I got his harness a year later, but neither of us were ever truly comfortable afterwards.

I’m still thankful to this day that Leo was brave enough to go to the broom and trust that I’d catch him on the other side.

Learning to always use a harness is a hell of a lesson to learn for everybody.

 

[GoldenDaysAz]

After getting my heart back out of my throat, I had to laugh a bit at getting the ladder out to get to the roof because of my experience.

After a few months when I first got Leo in 2018, I had taken him outside without a harness in calm weather, thinking that he would appreciate the sunshine and stay on my shoulder (and having no clue that harnesses existed at that point). We sat on the swing for about five minutes until the wind started blowing.

Unbeknownst to me, my poor boy was terrified of wind. In less than a moment, he took off, caught a gust, spun 180 degrees, landed on the edge of our roof scared half to death. After some scrambling and panic, I snatched a broom and put the handle against the roof, quietly calling his name and apologizing for scaring him. Thankfully my coaxing worked and he slowly climbed down and clutched my shoulder in a death grip while mumbling to himself.

After going inside, I told him we’d never to that again. And we didn’t until I got his harness a year later, but neither of us were ever truly comfortable afterwards.

I’m still thankful to this day that Leo was brave enough to go to the broom and trust that I’d catch him on the other side.

Learning to always use a harness is a hell of a lesson to learn for everybody.

Thanks for sharing! I love these stories with HAPPY endings. The laughing and crying at the same time, because it’s both beautiful and terrifying. It’s a bonding experience to be sure, but not one I’d wish on anyone. Daisy now hides in my shirt when we go from the aviary back into the house.
I find parrot behavior fascinating.

 

[gutterfalcon]

Thanks for sharing! I love these stories with HAPPY endings. The laughing and crying at the same time, because it’s both beautiful and terrifying. It’s a bonding experience to be sure, but not one I’d wish on anyone. Daisy now hides in my shirt when we go from the aviary back into the house.
I find parrot behavior fascinating.

I once had Parakeets that could Fly , one of them flew out of the room and didn't come back . I walked into the Bathroom and He was in the Toilet . I think He might have wrecked into the Medicine cabinet Mirror or the window and Fell into the Toilet ....He could have Drowned !

 

[wrench13]

I am so glad the OP got his parrot back. That does not happen often. I lost my very first parrot, a red spectacled Amazon, many many decades ago. When knowledge was found in a book, not at the touch of a screen. Back then there was little available to the parront on keeping parrots. And most of that was dead wrong, as the years have proved. I've had other parrots fly away, but thankfully recovered them. These days, with Salty, its either harness or cage, thats how he goes outside.