Flight Training

[dlindstromjr]

Within the next few months I plan on purchasing my dream bird - a sun conure.

I would love to be able to train the bird to fly to me on command (yes I know fully flighted birds are controversial). Has anyone been able to train the bird to fly to them on command and fly back to their cage on command? To me it just seems like an addition to the 'step-up' command. If one could simply get the bird to first jump to the finger -provide a treat- and then over time move the finger slowly back until the bird has to fly to the hand to get the treat...etc, all the while saying the same command as the bird flies "come, here, etc." The tough part may be training the bird to fly back to the cage on command.

Have any of your birds mastered such?

[chucky]

Of course their are Some out there,But just reading that you want your bird to fly away and come back just cause im sure you think "it's cool" doesnt mean a Noob to bird should go tryin things out on animals that need us and im sure you dont even know %200 of what a bird needs daily and your here worrying about making ur bird do tricks!!Kids with mommy and daddys money are sick sorry if offend anyone but im tired of people getting birds for tricks,cause their cool,or cause "my friend has one" then end up 1 year later in rehab homes cause the kid couldnt make it free fly or do his own little tricks!I trully hate kids who want pets they do it for the OPPOSITE reasons BYE!!!

[svolk]

That's absolutely possible to do - and it really helps in building a bond with your bird in addition to getting good exercise.

A question first though:

How old will your bird be when you get him/her? If he/she is still a baby, or even an adult who is not used to navigating out of the cage, it can take time to develop flight skills. I would first make sure that your new sun conure can navigate well - and that can take days or weeks or months. So my first suggestion would be to provide a safe flight environment for them to learn their new environment and begin to navigate before you start on recall training (I started my birds out in a small room, well lit, windows / mirrors covered at first - until they know the room layout well). But like you mentioned, start with the step up training.

After they've settled in and can navigate well, Positive reinforcement is a great way to teach recall flighting. You can use a clicker to help (I've never used a clicker, but many people have). What I do with my budgie is have a treat hidden in my hand. Have a key word/words that you use consistently when trying to teach recall - I use "Come here!" and I also extend my hand, index finger out as a perch, and then slightly gesture my hand and give it a slight wave/flick towards me. I'm not really consistent in training this, but even now without being consistent I can use the words and the gesture and he'll come and I don't even need the treat anymore. At first my biggest thing that I had to be skilled at was being QUICK with the treat. Treat them AS SOON as they do the desired task - I had to get some practice to get my coordination skills and quickness down pat (along with having a hidden treat in my hand most all the time LOL).

You're right to start out with a short distance when you move to recall training and gradually take it further away. And eventually you can have them recall from another room entirely - but as I said earlier, flight skills like turning corners and things like that can take awhile. It's like a baby starting to walk, just because they have legs doesn't mean they can use them well right away - same with wings ;)

There are some who have trained their birds to fly back to their cages on command. I don't even need this because my budgie flies back to his cage when he's tired anyways. And no one puts up a fuss even when I want them to return. But it can be done.

[Ponyfeathers]

i dont think dlindstromjr meant they were buying the bird just so they had a bird to fly to them on command. I thought it was a valid question anyways.

I havent worked with my sun conure on flying yet, but your plan sounds like a good start. If I leave Seiko up on his cage and im sitting on my bed, he will fly down to me. Maybe if you can do that with yours, you can reward him for flying to you with praise and a treat. And then start vocalizing a command for that as he is flying to you and eventually say the command earlier and earlier in his flight until you are saying it right at the beggining. After that, only reinforce your bird if you say the command and he flies to you.

Maybe someone else with experience will jump in too

[2horse]

To fly to you is easy. I am always wearing suns as head or shoulder ornaments. It is not so easy to get them to fly to the cage but I have not tried to hard. My birds are partially flighted. They can fly but not gain altitude. I am sure it is possible. I can launch them in the direction of the cage but I have no idea how to reward for going away from me. They do go back to the cage and pack themselves away for the night. They are out all day, someone is always home.

[dlindstromjr]

Thanks for the constructive replies...

Chucky- please relax a bit. I'm a fifth year college student majoring in biology and my interests in avian life probably out-streaches most on this forum; however, I am relatively new to the pet bird world.

In addition, in my mind it seems that the birds that have human companions that are willing to take the time to teach them 'cool tricks' are probably the best-off birds of all!

I'm simply trying to find a way to let the bird be flighted while still maintaining some control of the bird to keep them out of danger as much as possible.

[svolk]

Originally Posted by dlindstromjr

In addition, in my mind it seems that the birds that have human companions that are willing to take the time to teach them 'cool tricks' are probably the best-off birds of all!

I'm simply trying to find a way to let the bird be flighted while still maintaining some control of the bird to keep them out of danger as much as possible.

I agree that teaching things such as recall are enrichment activities - they allow you to bond with the bird and the bird is thinking and motivated.

A lot of us believe that flighted birds are in less dangerous situations when the parront is responsible (ie. no outside doors being open all the time when the bird is out, no windows open, etc.). Flighted birds can navigate and control their flight away from possible dangers. Birds who cannot fly properly can crash into walls, land in very dangerous situations, etc.

[ROYJOY]

i made sure my sun would come on comand, so i could take him outside without him flying to a tree and waiting up there for me to come get him.

i started by standing a little too far away for a step up, then offering my finger, as with a step up, so he had to jump the distance, then gradualy, standing farther away, so he had to fly. (come tiki!) now its a conditioned reflex, he doesnt even think about it, just comes at once.

ive never tried to teach him to go the other way. just wanted him to come. you might ask the, return to cage, question on the discusion forum, a falconer, called falconerwa, hangs out there some times .