When my bird is outside....

[JimH]

Is it okay for him to explore on the ground?

My Senegal Bishop only goes outdoors in a cage right now but I would like to eventually get him a harness and take him out for some fun. I was looking at Michael's bird harness, which is probably the one I would buy, and it got me wondering about what I should allow of my bird once he's trained for it. Is roaming (closely watched) on the grass okay? I worry about parasites and foreign toxins, of course. What do you think?

[cml]

I wouldnt worry. Most people here dont think its a bad idea to take your birds outside (in a safe manner, ie travel cage or harness).

I only use their travel cages when going outside with my parrots, so I dont know about roaming around on a grass field . Hopefully someone with harness trained birds will reply.

[William]

I think it's OK but make sure that there are no hawks around.

[janetafloat]

Generally speaking it's highly unnatural for a bird to be in the ground as they're most vulnerable there, and most birds don't voluntarily walk around on the floor though I'm sure there are exceptions amongst very tame pet birds. I used to watch the many videos of parrots walking on the floor on YouTube before I had my own bird but once I'd had personal experience I realised they were clipped birds.

[cml]

Generally speaking it's highly unnatural for a bird to be in the ground as they're most vulnerable there, and most birds don't voluntarily walk around on the floor though I'm sure there are exceptions amongst very tame pet birds. I used to watch the many videos of parrots walking on the floor on YouTube before I had my own bird but once I'd had personal experience I realised they were clipped birds.

Both mine love the floor ! Leroy especially so, and where Leroy goes, Stitch will follow.
Ive had to completely parrot proof the floor level in the living room, no wires, no places for them to creep into etc.

Its hilarious to watch them run around on the wooden floor, playing with toys . Also really funny to see the landings, they can come in from flying around the house, then landing on the floors and gliding to a stop after like 10 inches ^^.

Niether of my birds is clipped (I know you are aware of that, but seems we've had a new influx of members lately ).

[JimH]

Bishop really likes to explore the ground indoors, which is why I was concerned about this. He will fly down from wherever, very deliberately, and walk a whole room looking under furniture or finding things to climb onto/into. I always assumed that was typical. Interesting.

[marie83]

I have tried, unsuccessfully so far, to harness train Ollie. Should we ever get to the point where he is happy enough to wear it and we go outside I wouldn't allow him on the ground/tree branches or make any physical contact with anything wild birds may have been in contact with. That might just be me being overcautious regarding possible disease/parasite transmission though but being a bird kept in a domestic environment I feel he would not have built up any immunity to the types of bacteria, viruses and parasites the wild birds may carry no matter how small the risk.

[Raque]

Generally speaking it's highly unnatural for a bird to be in the ground

From what I have read, many parrots with short tails, like African Greys or Cockatoos, are partial ground feeders in the wild. They do it in flocks with some staying in the tree above to watch for predators.