kpflynn Posted September 22, 2014 Share Posted September 22, 2014 I've read the warnings on the forums; "even a clipped parrot can fly if it really wants to." I wouldn't happen to me though. Even though I've only had my little girl since January, she loves me very much. She will let me hold her upside down. I handle her for hours every day. She always wants to be next to me. Also, my wife and I just clipped her wings two weeks ago. My parrot is only a year and a half old. She's never flown in her short life. Occasionally she will jump from her cage top and fly for about 7 feet. When she lands she immediately want to be picked up. She is entirely unmotivated and unable to fly. I take her out on our front porch about three or four times a week and let her take a bath in her cake pan. She never wants to fly away. This morning there was no wind blowing. I took her out the front door and she immediately took off and flew across the yard. She gained altitude quickly and kept flying away in the same direction. I frantically ran after her. She was higher than our two-story house. Our property has many tall pine and water oaks. She was above all the trees and flying away quickly. I didn't even think to shout out to her. She crossed the road and finally changed directions. She flew over the neighbor's pond and flushed their geese. She was making a big loop back to our property and I lost her in the sun. It took me a few seconds to find her again. She was very high and making another big loop around the neighborhood. After her third loop she started to descend. She made a landing in back of our property in the grass. All the local wild birds were going crazy. I tried not to run and frighten her. She was sitting in the grass waiting for me to come pick her up. Once I got her in my hands I restrained her and walked back to the house. She would have normally wiggled and complain about being restrained, but she didn't this time. I got her back in the house. We were both very sweaty. She was very quiet for the next four hours. It almost seems like she was faking her inability to fly all this time. It was a pretty good flight for her first time. She really did look beautiful flying overhead with her red tail. My wife always warns me about taking her outside. She's been outside hundereds of times before. I guess I should have been more aggressive with the clipping. We followed directions from a Youtube of an Austrailian vet clipping a cockateil. I think I'll get a harness instead. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRSeedBurners Posted September 22, 2014 Share Posted September 22, 2014 SO lucky. Lesson learned the hard way as most of us have to learn it that way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluedawg Posted September 22, 2014 Share Posted September 22, 2014 Yes, I like the idea of the harness better than a more aggressive clipping. They were meant to fly so I believe they are happier when they learn they can and do it often Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greywings Posted September 22, 2014 Share Posted September 22, 2014 Scary time for you both I think, so happy she is back and intact. Harness-good idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KimKim Posted September 22, 2014 Share Posted September 22, 2014 How scary, I'm glad she came back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neoow Posted September 22, 2014 Share Posted September 22, 2014 Blimey. I'm so glad she managed to come back ok. I've read so many horror stories about clipped birds flying away that when I first started reading I thought this was another one! You both must have been very shocked from the ordeal! I don't clip Alfie's wings. He's a very strong flyer. He had them clipped twice when he was younger but it seemed like so much stress and after he got used to it he could fly just was well anyway. The windows and doors stay shut when he's out of his cage. I don't take any chances. If he goes outside he's in his travel cage. I've been lucky so far- no incidents to date! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kpflynn Posted September 22, 2014 Author Share Posted September 22, 2014 I think back to all the times at the campground where I played with her on the picnic table next to the big lake. If she would have decided to fly she would probably have crashed half way across the lake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kins2321@yahoo.com Posted September 22, 2014 Share Posted September 22, 2014 kpflynn... I was naive also! I've learned... I use to take Sophie outside all the time. She never flew off, but I learned alot from this site. Your bird is at the perfect age to develop chest muscles and learn how to fly! You may change your mind down the road, and want your baby to fly! Unfortunately, it took Sophie a decade to get there.Your bird is running out of time to develop the chest muscles. Let baby learn how to fly, practice with two humans. When you get to the terrible two's, you can always trim back. Everyone can attest to you, I am the number one supporter of trimming feathers. I just don't support the " order it is done!" Nancy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brat Birds Posted September 22, 2014 Share Posted September 22, 2014 I am so glad this had a happy ending! Why do we have to learn it ourselves instead of listening to others is beyond me! You have your baby back and that is the best thing in the world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muse Posted September 23, 2014 Share Posted September 23, 2014 I am so glad it all ended well! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted September 23, 2014 Share Posted September 23, 2014 A harness is a necessity for outdoor visits, glad your story had a happy ending. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kpflynn Posted September 23, 2014 Author Share Posted September 23, 2014 I should be receiving the harness sometime tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acappella Posted September 23, 2014 Share Posted September 23, 2014 So glad things worked out ok. Hope the harness training goes well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MizNonny Posted September 29, 2014 Share Posted September 29, 2014 I cannot TELL you, how frightened I was for you, when reading your post! My hand was clamped over my mouth...and my heart was in my throat; I just KNEW you were about to say, your precious little girl was GONE! Thankfully, that wasn't the case, though...and I know how relieved you must be! When I first got Bindi, last year, she had just been clipped. It was dreadfully hot here, and I'd been watching her, carefully for 3 weeks, and she had never tried to fly. My puppy was also brand new, and needed to be taken out frequently. Bindi would see us going outside, without her, and immediately start "calling" me. I felt terrible about leaving her, even for a few minutes...and wasn't sure how I was going to manage. One day, when it was desperately hot, I finally chanced a trip outside with her. We sat on my covered porch and she seemed to just LOVE it as much, if not more, than I did! So, every evening I sort of made it a ritual, for the three of us. With the sun receding, the cooling air seemed so refreshing after the blistering heat of the long summer day. With my girl on my shoulder...and my exhausted boy beside me, we'd sit on the outdoor love-seat, looking at the colors of the sunset, reflecting off of the snow-covered, Mt. Hood. This summer, Bindi's wings are all grown out...so I didn't dare repeat the folly of last year. After reading your post, I will NEVER attempt such foolishness, again. To think that she could have flown away from me, never to return...? Well, it WILL NOT happen again. I'd love to take her outside, at some point...but she WILL be caged when we do it. Thank-you for the words of warning. Point taken! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chezron Posted September 30, 2014 Share Posted September 30, 2014 Brutus, my guy just got out accidentally, a couple of months ago, and I am glad he knew how to fly! I believe it kept him safe from the hawks and crows that harassed him. Please let your baby fly and use a harness, because as you can see they can still fly even clipped. It makes me so happy and satisfied to see all of the confidence Brutus developed as he mastered flying! He is so proud of himself when he does a difficult landing or maneuver. You can read about it, but clipped African Greys often never develop this confidence and become neurotic feather-pluckers as a result. Get your baby off to a good start! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kins2321@yahoo.com Posted September 30, 2014 Share Posted September 30, 2014 Actually... clipped greys are pretty equal to free flighted birds. Chewing feathers doesn't even enter the equation! If a clipped bird, or free flighted bird is gone... they are both doomed, unless luck is on your side! Nancy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muse Posted October 1, 2014 Share Posted October 1, 2014 I think a skilled flyer would have a better chance - probably with flighted predators, and definitely with ground predators - than a clipped bird. Also, I believe it is easier for a flighted bird to "come down" from a tall height as they have more confidence in their flight. When they know they can fly, they are more apt to do so. I am not sure about the plucking, I'd really like to see a serious study done on this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kins2321@yahoo.com Posted October 1, 2014 Share Posted October 1, 2014 Muse... great idea! My birdstore guy told me the honest truth. A free flighted bird versus a trimmed bird is just a " matter of time!" Kiki was trimmed. but could fly every where! As proven when she removed the cardboard from my airconditioner, and took off! Nancy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kpflynn Posted October 2, 2014 Author Share Posted October 2, 2014 What really lulled me into a false sense of security was her numerous feeble attempts to fly. She would always frantically flap and only fly a few short feet. There wasn't even a wind blowing the day she took off. It's almost like she was faking it until she decided to go. She isn't making a lot of progress with her harness training, but she is making some. I'm trying to walk the line between pushing her enough to make progress and not being so aggressive that she gets frightened of the harness. She's been putting her head through the loop long enough to grab a snack. I thought we would be farther along by this time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acappella Posted October 2, 2014 Share Posted October 2, 2014 From what I leaned from others the harness training can be slow, but members have been successful when they followed the procedure recommended by the harness maker. Did the harness come with an instructional DVD? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kpflynn Posted October 2, 2014 Author Share Posted October 2, 2014 It did come with a DVD. I've also watched everything I could find on Youtube. I think most of them just show the highlites instead of the many hours of training it actually takes. We'll keep on working on it. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muse Posted October 3, 2014 Share Posted October 3, 2014 From what I leaned from others the harness training can be slow, but members have been successful when they followed the procedure recommended by the harness maker. Did the harness come with an instructional DVD? And for anyone that gets a harness without the DVD - I have one I will send them. I didn't need it as Mar just put the harness on. Just like that. He was such a good boy. I have to wonder if he was really an African Grey at all, or just an angel that looked like one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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