To owners with FLIGHTED BIRDS...PLEASE READ **UPDATED**

[gbird]

I have been reading quite a few threads about people who have flighted birds, and even some with clipped birds, that have been lost because they have flown out open doors, windows, or just slipping thru the slightest opening.

It breaks my heart to hear about the owners who have lost their birds, but even more, it breaks my heart to hear about these birds out there, alone, scared, hungry, cold, and not knowing how to find their way home.

These situations can be so easily avoided. If you have a flighted bird, or even a clipped bird, here are some simple steps and precautions you should always be aware of:

1) Never assume your bird won't fly away from you. You can have the most velcro bird in the world....but going outside with a flighted bird, no matter how bonded you are to each other is just asking for trouble. Birds can spook so easily. They see things we don't see, they sense things we don't sense, and the tinyest sound can set them off to their fight or flight mode. The slightest updraft can catch them and send them into flight. Poof, your bird is off your shoulder and into the wild blue yonder where everything is scary.

**Please don't assume, and take your bird outside, or get him trained with a harness if possible, if you have to take him outside, it's not worth loosing your bird over**

2) If your bird is flighted and you go in and out a particular door or any door, or have family members that go in & out, or have people going in & out, make sure everyone in the house, including guests know to make sure you have your bird secure before opening a door. This goes for even opening the door if someone knocks or rings the bell. Just yell thru the door, just a minute, and go put your bird in his cage, or a secure room. It only takes a second and a small opening for your bird to spook and take flight and be gone.

**Put sticky notes on doors that lead outside to make sure bird is secure before opening door** (Thanx to Valo's Moirana for that idea)

3) If you have a clipped bird, depending on the extent of the clip, all it takes is a good wind to give them enough lift to get some good air time. Again, never assume because your bird is clipped it can't fly. It only takes a couple of flight feathers to give a bird enough lift in the wind to take off.

**This may be a good time to start harness training**

Bottom line, and the reason for this post is to make sure there are no more lost, lonely, hungry, scared birds out there just wanting to go home, but don't know how to get there.

PLEASE, PLEASE BE CAREFULL AND AWARE OF EVERYTHING IN YOUR HOME IF YOU HAVE A FLIGHTED BIRD...CEILING FANS, WINDOWS, DOORS, PEOPLE COMING & GOING, EVEN IF IT'S A DOOR THATS DOWNSTAIRS.

WE ALL JUST WANT THE BEST FOR OUR BIRDS.....AND THIS THREAD IS NOT A DEBATE ABOUT CLIPPED -VS- UNCLIPPED....IT'S ABOUT KEEPING OUR BELOVED BIRDS SAFE AT HOME WITH US.

Thanx,
Gayla


(If anyone or Mods who would like to add suggestions to this, please do....If this thread becomes a flaming war, or personal against anyone, or a debate on clipped -vs- unclipped it will be locked .....thanx)

I WANTED TO ADD THIS FACT....

TAKING YOUR BIRD FOR A WALK FLIGHTED WITH OR WITHOUT HARNESS, OR CLIPPED ....BE EXTREMLY CAREFULL IF YOU LIVE WHERE THERE ARE HAWKS. HAWKS HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO PICK A BIRD OF A SHOULDER WITHOUT MAKING ANY SOUND. THEY CAN SWOOP DOWN AND PLUCK YOUR BIRD OFF YOUR SHOULDER WITHOUT YOU EVEN HEARING THEM. THEY HAVE BACK PACK TYPE BIRD CARRIES, AND STROLLER TYPE CARRIERS IF YOU LIKE TO WALK WITH YOUR BIRD.

ALSO, WHEN LEAVING YOUR BIRD OUTSIDE IN AN AVIARY OR A CAGE, BE AWARE OF ANY HAWKS. THEY HAVE ALSO BEEN KNOWN TO TRY TO GET AT BIRDS BY PUTTING THEIR TALONS INSIDE CAGES OR AVIARIES. EVEN THOUGH THEY MAY NOT ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO FLY OFF WITH YOUR BIRDS, THOSE TALONS CAN DO SOME SERIOUS DAMAGE. BE AWARE ALSO OF SQUIRELS, POSSOMS, RACOONS, CATS, ETC ETC FOR THE SAME REASONS.

Again, this thread is to keep our beloved fids safe, but also be able to allow them to enjoy some outside time, SAFELY.

thanx again

[ThreeX]

All good sound advice!
Personally i would never clip a bird unless it's a male amazon doing aerial attacks (been there, done that) I feel (beside the basic fact that when choosin a bird for a pet you ought to be aware of the fact that they fly) that a bird is better suited to handle the potential dangers in a home if it is a good flyer.
So my reasons for having fully flighted birds are both emotional and practical.
I also don't seek flaming wars and merely make *my* point (of view)

[NotEnoughTime]

I would always recommend recall training in addition to your advice above. Recall training does not *ensure* your bird will return should he or she fly away, but it will give you a fighting chance to have your bird return.

I am pretty careful and have had four birds over thirty years. All of them have flown out a door when someone comes in expectedly, out a window when the screen fell out, or for some other reason.

All have come back.

This doesn't mean that I'm lucky (although some luck was involved) but all of my kids were trained to come when called.

That helped.

[girly]

This thread is so important-I lost a bird this way.

[ThreeX]

This might be coincidental - but everyone i know/of has had accidents/problems with clipped birds because of over confidence in the fact they are clipped. There has also been tragic accidents which wouldn't had happened if the birds involved could fly properly.
I know you can turn that 180 dgrees and claim loads of incidents and accidents with flighted birds, but i am still a firm believer that if you don't want a flying animal - get one without wings!
Harshly and bluntly put, but with no offense, just IMHO

[loyallyroyal]

I put a sign on my front door that says Dewey Airlines is currently in flight, so noone comes in or out. Create some safety regulations to follow, like making sure all ceiling fans and windows are shut. Make them routine everyday before you let the bird out. Also come out with an emergency plan in case the worst should happen and they get out.

[gbird]

Thanx for all your input.

Please remember this IS NOT a thread about clipping -vs- flighted. Please lets keep this thread on track and just offer input on how to keep our flighted or non flighted birds safe.

We all know the pros & cons of clipping -vs- flighted and these threads often turn ugly. It's a huge issue with some, and that IS NOT what this thread is about.

I will be watching this thread very carefully, and if I feel it is turning into a debate I will lock it.

Thanx again.

[gbird]

Originally Posted by NotEnoughTime

I would always recommend recall training in addition to your advice above. Recall training does not *ensure* your bird will return should he or she fly away, but it will give you a fighting chance to have your bird return.

I am pretty careful and have had four birds over thirty years. All of them have flown out a door when someone comes in expectedly, out a window when the screen fell out, or for some other reason.

All have come back.

This doesn't mean that I'm lucky (although some luck was involved) but all of my kids were trained to come when called.

That helped.

Recall training is good as well, but not everyone can or will do that. Plus I personally think you have been lucky. Lucky to have your bird recall trained, and lucky that so far it has worked for you.

Just remember, it just takes one incident to frighten your bird enough that he may not come back.

I put a sign on my front door that says Dewey Airlines is currently in flight, so noone comes in or out. Create some safety regulations to follow, like making sure all ceiling fans and windows are shut. Make them routine everyday before you let the bird out. Also come out with an emergency plan in case the worst should happen and they get out.

Excellent....thank you. We have emergency plans for our children, and should for our fids, they after all are our feathered children.

[jenseits]

I'd also like to point out that just because your bird recalls semi-consistently indoors does not mean it's safe to take outside unrestrained. Even 95% indoor recall is not sufficient training for free flight; it helps, but does not guarantee a bird will recall outside.

Raz did a new post on what it takes to free fly that I thought was instructive for anyone considering it: Freeflight for Companion Parrots: Beyond the “How To” | Carly Lu's Flight Blog

[Chief's Mom]

Like Royal, I have a sign by all my doors that says, "This house has gone to the birds! Please keep this door closed at all times!" It's cute, so it always catches everyone's attention. We have both clipped and unclipped birds, some can fly, some can't...they all have their reasons, but I am deathly afraid of any of them getting outside without some sort of restraint. I always cringe a little when I see pictures of folks out with their unharnessed birds, or people ask why I need a 'leash' for my bird if they're clipped. Precaution, precaution, precaution