How does one flight train a parrot who has never flown more than a few feet before?
Posted on 30. Jul, 2010 by Toy Expert in Deluxe train set
My Amazon parrot loves to eat (that is an understatement, as us amazon people can attest) and is getting a bit pudgy. Her playtime consists of sitting around chewing on wooden toys and paper. She doesn’t seem to relish attacking bells and romping around like the other birds. I would like for her to get some good exercise as well as build muscle mass, for both her physical and mental well-being, but I am not quite sure how to start.
She is almost in perfect feather from her last trimming and is now able to fly a few feet, but will only do so when she is frightened. Our home is quite roomy, so I am hoping to be able to train her to fly short distances indoors. The birds have their own room that has been set up with their safety in mind, so no need for worry about flying hazards.
Does anyone have any knowledge or experience on flight training that they could share?
I have tried the wing-flapping exercise. She simply doesn’t enjoy it. She will try to get away and off of my hand if I start doing that to her. I don’t want exercising to be something that she dreads, I want it to be fun and enjoyabe for her, and at the same time beneficial.
Xanthi M
30. Jul, 2010
I learned this method at a Natural Encounters seminar. They used it to flight train an eclectus parrot at the National Aviary that had been clipped its whole life. You’ll need two T-stand perches, and you might want to wrap the perches with vetwrap/etc. for a soft, grippable surface.
1.) Put the T-stands very close together (perches almost touching). Place your Amazon on one perch and have her step to the other perch by luring her with a favorite treat. Bridge (click on a clicker or a verbal "good") when she steps to the second perch, then give her the treat. Repeat this a few times in a few separate sessions, fading the luring into a cue like pointing to the second perch, until she steps to the second perch immediately when you point to it.
2.) Start moving the perches farther apart. Move the perches apart in small increments, and use the new distance until the bird moves to the second perch without hesitation. Each time the bird moves to the second perch, bridge and treat. From the bird’s perspective, make the distances a long step, then leaning to grab the perch with it’s beak, then just barely within reach of the bird when leaning. At this last step, the bird should begin to flap its wings for balance as it’s moving to the next perch.
3.) Move the perches far enough apart that the second perch is just out of reach, and cue the bird to the second perch. When you move to this step, make sure the bird is motivated – early afternoon, a favorite treat for reinforcers, no distractions, and a little hungry. The bird will hesitate, lean, and offer other behaviors. When she doesn’t move to the second perch on command, pause for a few seconds, then ask again. Eventually, the bird should hop to the second perch with a little flapping.
4.) Continue as above, moving the perches farther and farther apart, until the bird is flying from one perch to another.
Flighted birds pose a different set of husbandry challenges than clipped birds. All of my birds (except my one-winged cockatiel) are flighted, and I feel that it improves their health and quality of life tremendously. However, escape becomes a real danger, and I keep my birds caged when I have non-bird saavy guests, for the safety of all. In addition to parrot-proofing your bird room, you might want to microchip all of your flighted birds and train them for recall, so you have some chance of getting your birds back safely if there is an escape.
Good luck!
Micah E
30. Jul, 2010
try putting her alone in a corner on a perch and see if she flies back to her cage/play area…
or you can put her just a few feet from you (with a treat in hand) and call her…. see if she flies to you, once you get that down you can gradually start backing her up farther away!
hope this works!
MamaSmurf
30. Jul, 2010
I’m sorry, I have helped our vet treat too many injured birds that were allowed to fly in the house, no matter how roomy. Too many of them die from broken necks. If you guys only knew how many people think that a bird won’t get injured, or get into trouble when they have free flight…I wish you could see for yourself. Trim her wings again, hold her on your hand and sort of make you hand go quickly upward. Don’t do it hard enough to toss her off your hand, just enough to get her to flap her wings. If she is getting fat, you need to alter her diet. It is not normal for a bird to "over eat" It’s his diet. Allow her to be out side the cage when you are home so she can play on the out side of the cage. Put some toys out for her to play with.