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Would you recommend not getting a parrot for non-flight home

Discuss indoor freeflight and managing freeflighted birds around the house. How to live with a flighted parrot.

Would you recommend not getting a parrot for non-flight home

Postby Michael » Thu Mar 18, 2010 4:17 pm

I would like to ask, in retrospect to owners of parrots that cannot let them fly at home, would you recommend potential owners not to buy a parrot if they do not have the environment/desire to allow them to fly?

No judgment here on people who were led to such a situation without the lack of knowledge or choice of this issue. I myself had inadequately considered flight when buying the parrot because it was clipped and flight was not on my mind when seeing it. Luckily it turned out that my household environment was suitable for flight and I adapted what remained to allow it to happen. However, with the knowledge/experience that I now have, if I was starting over and knew that there was no way I could have a flighted bird, I would not have gotten one. That is how strongly I feel on the issue.

I am not in any way suggesting that anyone that clips a bird because of environmental dangers should stop clipping or give away the bird. I'm not even trying to make them retrospectively reject their bird to which they've grown attached to. I merely want to know if you would agree that if better awareness could be spread, would you suggest that potential parrot owners who cannot have a flighted pet, not buy a parrot?
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Michael
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Re: Would you recommend not getting a parrot for non-flight home

Postby entrancedbymyGCC » Thu Mar 18, 2010 4:31 pm

I think if this were the case, a lot fewer parrots would have homes.
Scooter :gcc:
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Re: Would you recommend not getting a parrot for non-flight home

Postby Michael » Thu Mar 18, 2010 4:49 pm

Well with a lower demand for parrots, fewer parrots would be bred, and fewer bird mills. Baby parrots are cranked out to meet demand. I would not have a problem with anyone adopting a rehomed parrot even if they cannot let it fly just because those parrots would otherwise not have a loving home. However, once that category is satisfied, I think the baby parrot purchasers are completely at liberty to choose. From my own experience, ignorance and false advertising from stores (showing all birds not flying) makes people buy parrots who don't realize the flight aspects and consequences of their purchase. I'm not criticizing people who already made the decision but I wonder what your advise to someone in the future would be?
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Re: Would you recommend not getting a parrot for non-flight home

Postby entrancedbymyGCC » Thu Mar 18, 2010 4:56 pm

I would recommend a person to consider if flight is a factor, but I would not tell a person not to get a bird if it couldn't be flighted.

But I think if a pet parrots ideal happy and healthy existence were a pyramid, flight would a small sliver at the top. Maybe 5%.
Scooter :gcc:
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Re: Would you recommend not getting a parrot for non-flight home

Postby Suzzique » Thu Mar 18, 2010 11:04 pm

I would never discurage anyone from getting a parrot solely on wheather or not they can have the bird flighted or not. When I talk to people thinking about getting a parrot flight is very small on the list. I do talk about the joys of having them flighted but I'm more worried about people getting a bird without knowing the down side of owning a bird. You know the stuff no one thinks about like the fact they can be extreamly loud, distructive, messy, need far more attenchen than a cat or dog.
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Re: Would you recommend not getting a parrot for non-flight home

Postby skthurley » Wed Jun 30, 2010 11:55 pm

entrancedbymyGCC wrote:But I think if a pet parrots ideal happy and healthy existence were a pyramid, flight would a small sliver at the top. Maybe 5%.


I disagree with you completely! Birds were made to fly! Their entire makeup is designed for flight: air sacs for breathing, light bones, fast heartbeat, and not to mention feathers!

And in the near two years we have had Jack (my parrotlet) he has been flighted for a year of that.... and with flight he has become a much different bird... for the better. He has become more vocal, more active, more playful and more affectionate. The difference is like night and day.

The highlight of his day is when he gets to dart around our apartment like a bullet. He goes nuts, singing, chirping and squealing with glee.


For an ideal and happy healthy existance, flight makes up way more then 5%!
Everything about them points to flight!






But that said, I do want to state my position here.

I am pro-flight, but also understanding that not all environments are flight safe. You really need to have your bird's safety in mind at all times. it's tricky living with flighted parrots. Everything can be dangerous and you really need to be on top of things.

And i also understand that some birds are difficult to deal with when flighted. Sometimes a clip is the only thing that works to get a bird under control.

Now, i do think that target and clicker training can go a long way, as evident by Michael's Kili.

but i do understand that not everyone can handle a flighted bird. And as much as I feel that bird's can have the best life with flight, I don't think someone should be denied a pet bird because they would choose to clip it. There is more to a bird's happiness then flight.

if someone is able to provide the bird with a large cage, plenty of toys and foraging and enrichment, as well as one on one out of cage time..... and undestands the fact that birds are noisy, messy and needy flock animals.... and is willing to commit to meeting those needs, then I think they should be able to get a bird.

perhaps I sound contradictory, as I started off my post saying birds are made for flight... and am now appearing to say it's ok to deny birds flight. I'm not, I'm saying that I believe birds are at their peak of happiness when allowed to fly.... but there is more to a bird's happiness than flight. Healthy varied diet, flockmates and foraging and enrichment for example are high up there on the list. If these and others are met, your bird can be wonderfully happy :)

I don't think we can deny people a pet bird just because they want to deny their birds flight. If we really want to talk about birds being truly happy.... perhaps they shouldn't be our pets. True happiness would be living wild and free, flying with their flockmates, and producing babies. They aren't meant to live in cages and be denied mates.
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Jack the Ripper ---> Pacific Parrotlet
Kiwi ----> Greencheek Conure
Scooter ---> Senegal
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Re: Would you recommend not getting a parrot for non-flight home

Postby ptuga72 » Thu Jul 01, 2010 12:09 am

entrancedbymyGCC wrote:I would recommend a person to consider if flight is a factor, but I would not tell a person not to get a bird if it couldn't be flighted.

But I think if a pet parrots ideal happy and healthy existence were a pyramid, flight would a small sliver at the top. Maybe 5%.


I completely agree with you. When we got Jake we knew that we would may have to keep him clipped (we have), but his quality of life has not suffered. Our rescue girl is clipped but her quality of life is pretty good. I think that birds should be flighted when possible, but for many, it isn't. And, I wouldn't tell anyone to NOT get a bird solely because they can't keep him/her flighted.
Many have forgotten this truth, but you must not forget it.
You remain responsible, forever, for what you have tamed.
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Re: Would you recommend not getting a parrot for non-flight home

Postby thejoie » Thu Jul 01, 2010 12:13 am

I took in a few birds that aren't tame. I mean 100% terrified of hands and people! I lost a parakeet who was flying around out of control and scared of me (trying to get him back in the cage).... he smashed into a wall. These are all older birds, parent raised, probably from pet stores.... I don't think they are safe flying around.

Aside from possible injury if any of the untame birds were to get out they'd be doomed because there'd be no chance anyone could ever catch them in the outdoors.

My birds that are tame do have flight and I'm very happy that they can manage that. I have a big house where I can set aside a "bird room" for them to fly and be safe in. However I think every situation is different. A lot of people have kids that run in and out of the house. Therefore- doors are opening and closing all the time. In that situation I'd be very scared for my birds being flighted. Everyone's situation is different. I really think safety should the first consideration.
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Re: Would you recommend not getting a parrot for non-flight home

Postby bmsweb » Thu Jul 01, 2010 1:59 am

I find this a strange thread in that parrots do far more than fly and if you don't see that, then you're only kidding yourself. Parrots breed, mate, have little babies and socialize with each other and fly in the wild? Is it fair on the parrot not to have a mate or be free? I have no plans on giving my Cockatiel a mate but I fully understand that its for my own selfish reasons.

I hope you get my point here. Its like me deciding the fact that I let my birds fly in the house that that make me a better parrot owner than others and it doesn't.

So in answer to the question, I wouldn't recommend not getting a parrot for a non-flight home, because if I did, that would make me a . . . well you get the point.
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Re: Would you recommend not getting a parrot for non-flight home

Postby Kim S » Thu Jul 01, 2010 4:44 am

As a breeder I feel it is my duty to cover all aspects of owning a bird when people come to me for information. Guus, my own tame cockatiel, is not clipped and I always let him out when I have people who are interested in buying a bird. A lot of people have their birds clipped, and the ones that aren't don't leave the cage often. When people want their birds clipped I always ask them why. Most answer that it is easier to tame them of to train them. Some want to take them outside, which I always advise not to. Big parrots dont blow away like that, but a very small gust of wind can take a small parakeet a very long way. But that aside. I do my best to persuade them that clipping the bids is not nessesary. When they do decide they want them clipped, at least I am sure that they made a well educated decission. That way I can help them clip the bird and tell them to come back whenever the feathers start growing again. Too many birds are scarred for life by clipping the wings wrong!

So yes, I do sell birds to people who clip them. All my babies go to very good and loving homes, I weed out the rest of them very easily. If the bird is loved and taken care of than I am not too fussy about clipping yes or no.

Edit:
On a different note, and possible a good idea for a new thread. I have heard people say a couple of times it is best to keep your parrot alone. Why? I always advise my clients to get another bird in the future. If you have your first bird as tame and trained as you want it to be, there is nothing that will make that go away. If yuo get a second bird it is even easier to train the second one since it is learning forom the first. If you keep giving both birds enough attention they will both stay tame and will love you. Birds live in large flocks in the wild. I'm pretty sure they can handle an extended family ;)
That aside, We people can never replace a bird friend. Whatever breed that might be.
Kika: Senegal Parrot.
Guus: Cockatiel, Yellowcheek, cinnamon, pearl, pied.
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