Flight training

[ROYJOY]

at 100%, kenobi is ready for true flight, take the plunge.

ruby will start her outdoor training when i get home today. it will be 60' and sunny. we have made a few trips out side, the last couple days, to get her used to the distractions of traffic and dogs barking. she is still clipped but we will start with stepping, then short hops from a t-stand to my arm, all in early preparation for outdoors, while shes still clipped. there is still alot of indoor practice ahead while her flight feathers are growing in, but when we go out for true flight, she will have all the preliminary stuff behind her in her memory from a younger age. never too early too start. i just wish i would have had her earlier, but she is still going through her fledging exersizes, so this is prime time.

[Irish]

Kenobi comes to me 100% of the time from anywhere in the house when I tap my arm and say "come" because he loves me, not because I've done any real training with him. None whatsoever. Just crazy-happy "GOOOOD BOY!!!" when he flies to me, and lots of snuggles. Treats do nada for him. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be comfortable flying him outdoors (except in his aviary) with no real training at all. Even the most loving bird could get spooked or blown by the wind, and not know how to come back. Kenobi is my darling boy, and I won't take a chance of losing him outdoors. Indoors, I know he's safe, so we're both comfortable just as it is :-).

[LoveMyBeak]

Hey I live in Georgia and I don't know if this has ever been addressed- if you train your bird to fly around outside isn't there a danger of other predatory birds? I own 14 acres and When I get my blue and gold I am sort of pondering flight training her but I am afraid that she might get pounced on by a hawk or something, I know shes a big bird and she can take care of herself, but MAN! have you ever seen a hawk strike something in midair? it is a site to see, I wonder if a Macaw could see it coming or even defend itself if something like that should happen.

[ROYJOY]

i heard, on a documentry "the real macaw", that the only preditory bird, large enough, to concern the large macaws is the harpy (SP?) eagle. not native to GA.

[LoveMyBeak]

I imagine with the 360 degree sight that a bird has must really help out a Macaw while he flies around thus enabling them take defensive action in case an attack should occur, but then again what do I know this is my first Macaw lol.........LMB