What do you do if you don't clip?

[jmfleish]

Echo sure is a cutie and you're going about it all in exactly the right manner! I do the same thing with Tuchis TAG who is now five and will generally come to me when called IF I have food he wants!;) That recall training is really important and getting them used to being outside and knowing the outside of your house and what it looks like is also very important, on a leash or in a carrier of course. I'm not a proponent of free flight (flying outside without a restraint). I think it's incredible for those who can accomplish it but I think it takes incredible training and I do think there's definitely a danger to it. I do think that indoor flight for our birds is very doable though. There are lots of Yahoo groups out there for training and free flight and such but nothing for the real basics. I'm wondering if there would be enough interest for a laid back group just to discuss living with fully flighted birds and to help those who are considering letting their birds flights grow out who have questions.

Ashley, I'm pretty sure, by looking at your Rosie's parents, that you have the darker colored sub-species. The one that is not as prevalent in the US. They certainly don't look as washed out in the picture! So beautiful!

For all you down under who get to see the black cockies...once again, I'm so jealous and all I can say is GET PICTURES! How about some pics of the little Gang Gangs?!?!?!?!? Those little guys are my absolute favorites!:)

[svolk]

Originally Posted by jmfleish

There are lots of Yahoo groups out there for training and free flight and such but nothing for the real basics. I'm wondering if there would be enough interest for a laid back group just to discuss living with fully flighted birds and to help those who are considering letting their birds flights grow out who have questions.

I've thought about this too - how there are a few well known free-flight groups but no groups devoted to indoor flighted birds. I do think there would be interest in a group to discuss how to handle indoor fully flighted birds (I know I would be interested).

[SDavid]

"He is also paper trained and knows where he is allowed to poop and not. So he doesn't poop all over my house either.. "

my-africangrey-echo, how did you accomplish that?

The parent galah's in that picture are beautifull. The older galah's that Marc Morrone of POTW has (local popular bird store) look just like those.

[jmfleish]

Ok, I went ahead and set up a group on Yahoo specifically for talking about living with flighted birds. Anyone who is interested is more than welcome to join. I did set it up so that you have to be a member of the group just to keep spam from coming in to the group.

Here is the group page. If you are unfamiliar with Yahoo groups and need some assistance, just give me a hollar.

LivingWithFlight : Living with Flight

[Muchi]

Originally Posted by anbrownucsd

Muchi,
I do not know what variant he is, I did not even think to ask the breeder! Maybe you can tell me. Here is a picture of the beautiful breeding parents, I think you'll be able to tell the coloration from this:
Let me know what variant of Galah they are, I would be really interested!
Thanks,
Ashley

First, they all look beautiful and healthy and the parents are very handsome! Incredible colours!
As for variant - doesn't matter much, just a slight variation. From the pictures, it looks to me like they're eastern variant - so you should expect a lovely bright raspberry-pink/red baby boy after the first moult :} Generally this means the crest will look more like this one (http://kookaburra.typepad.com/photos/snaps/galah.jpg) than this one (http://charlieandpeggy.com/galah.jpg).
Eastern galahs tend to have a crest that has a distinct 'split' or gap between the main crest feathers and the head, while western galahs seem to have a mohawk going straight back evenly.
That said, both those birds (in the links I posted) are a brighter pink than Luen, and it's possible they're both easterns and that the second just doesn't have the crest as erect. It's hard to show the difference in the crests without having two birds in front of me XD

For reference, Luen is a little lighter than this: http://content.answers.com/main/cont...eicapillus.jpg

[Ashling]

I get the eastern varient around here. I think I like them best, but I've grown up with them, so it's what I'm used to I guess!
Oh, the sulpher cresteds are SO LOUD! They fly over calling to each other and they're so big. I saw some today at 7:30 in the morning... weirdly enough, I was at a friends house in the outer city suburbs! They go into the city too, and have been destroying the lights that light up the art centre, so they have built an aviary there with a peregrine falcon and wedge-tailed eagle to scare them off. I think it's worked so far... but if my memory served me, they destroyed up to $20,000 worth previously! The Little corellas, gang gangs, yellow tail blacks, galahs and sulphurs are all a delight to see... I wish they would let you go up and pet them though! They look so friendly and social together... it's tempting! In relation to this post though, I clipped my tiels and budgie, and nearly cried doing so. I'm doing it because I found that I hadn't been taking them out as often, or as long as I should, and when I did, they would just sit on the curtains by themselves. I had them out-clipped- today for 5 hours, as opposed to the usual 1! They even came into me and Ashling's room and played on her cage, and her playbranch. We shred apple and broccoli and preened and Peanut let me scritch his head for the first time in a year! Even the budgie let me scritch her head, and she is usually afraid of my hand! The next few months will be full of vigourous re-hand taming for the tiels, so they (crosses fingers) learn recall! Ash has it down pat, Peanut usued to follow me everywhere when it was just us two, but now he has his mate! And his mate Indi couldn't care less about where I am, or what I am doing, as long as I don't come near.
Regardless, I must say there is no greater sight than watching the large wild parrots unfurl their full wingspan and take off unrestrained into the sky, calling to each nother and feeding wherever they please.

[shanlung]

Tinkerbell Legacy is written specifically as to how you live with a flighted parrot in your house. How you birdproof your common space as well as to the practicalities that you can either read about or you find out the hard way like I did.

Tinkerbell Legacy


Warmest regards

Shanlung

http://www.geocities.com/shanlung9/

[abnmojo]

I have been owned by Ruby, my RB2 for 3 years now. I got her when she was about 7 months old.

I have noticed quite a few things about this bird's ability to fly - even with extreme wing clips.

Ruby somehow got herself into a glue-trap that was under a dresser, about a month after the vet had cliped her wings. She flicked her wing under it, got a feather stuck, snatched the trap out and promptly stuck it all to her wing. Not a good situation. After an EXTREME clip to remove the glue, she could still gain lift and fly - with month old cliped wings on one side, and almost nothing on the other.

This bird can gain lift and fly about 3 weeks after any good wing clip. Faster for a not-so-good clip. Once her flight feathers all grow in, she can hover like a helicopter, navigate hallways with 90 degree turns with her head 2 inches from the ceiling, and never bump into a wall. The raw ability these birds have to just fly is... amazing.

The raw ability of this bird to get into trouble while flying is also amazing. I would recomend that you clip your RB2s wings - and learn how to do it yourself because you will go broke paying for it.

[Sashagirl]

Ashley

Congratulation on your RB2.I so wanted one so bad but I learned years ago that due to my asthma I can't have anything in the Too family not even a Cockatiel.I did try though.All 27 of my parrots are fully flighted and are kept safe.I wish you well with your new baby.

Marcia