My parrot can fly!

[Hookturn]

So my sun conure was clipped when we got her. Now 7 months later she has all her flight feathers back except 2 on each side. She's been trying to fly since I got her. And now she's good to go. My question is about teaching her to go "home" (her cage). I've been putting her on my finger saying "go home" and then just dropping my finger out. She flies back to her cage almost every time. I click and reward accordingly. Am I doing this right? Is there a better way? I would love your input.

[ParrotsForLife]

I teached Rocko my cockatiel to do that the same way your doing it and now I can stand downstairs and so go to your cage and he will fly all the way through rooms and up the stairs and into my bedroom to his cage.

[Wolf]

Well you have to start some where and that is very similar to what I would have done with Kiki, but I had some help by means of Kookooloo. Kookooloo, runs her off of my shoulder and all that I had to dowas say go home. My issue is getting her to come to me when I call her when Kookooloo is on me, as she has to overcome the fact that Kookooloo chased her away from me.
I would think that your next step would be to dispense with the dropping of your hand out from under her. So I think that you are doing great, keep up the good work.

[Pajarita]

Yep, I agree, the method is right but instead of dropping your hand, just point her in the right directions and make your hand move in a very small but noticeable 'impulse' movement. Mind you, don't expect her to stay there for long because it won't happen every time.

[ParrotsForLife]

Yes I point him in the right direction and drop my hand and now I can just say go to your cage and he will go.

[Hookturn]

Thanks for the input! She's so smart. At this point I just say "go home" and she flies back to her cage. I'm just so stoked my baby can fly now. It seemed like it took forever for her flight feathers to grow back.

[Wolf]

Don't forget to also teach her to come to you when you call for her.

[Hookturn]

Yep Wolf, working on that too. The "home" thing was easy. The "come to me" not so much. But we're making slow progress.

[ParrotsForLife]

Its taking me a long time to teach Rocko to come to me.

[liz]

Mine only "c'mere" when they are in the mood. Spoiled birds.