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Teaching My Conure to Fly

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

Teaching My Conure to Fly

Postby charlieandkiwi » Tue Nov 20, 2012 11:05 pm

Hi Everyone.

About five years ago, I was convinced that I was being a good birdie momma by keeping my white-eared conure's wings clipped. Then one winter, they grew out, I just let it happened, and was surprised to find that his entire personality changed. At that point, I decided that flight must be necessary psychologically for a parrot. Charlie has been flighted ever since. As we don't own any dangerous pets and he's not a chewer, he pretty much has run of the house. For the most part, he prefers to cuddle on us or sits on the TV looking at everything.

My green cheeked conure, on the other hand, refuses to fly. When he does, he flies toward the ground. I know he can fly up and for distance, because every now and then he has when scared. Recently, he has even flown onto me several times when I wasn't paying enough attention. I gave him a lot of attention for that, but he hasn't repeated the experience in two weeks. He absolutely refuses to fly for treats in a clicker-training situation. Absolutely REFUSES.

What can I do? He's a more anxious parrot and I really think flying consistently would enrich his life.
charlieandkiwi
Conure
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 108
Number of Birds Owned: 2
Types of Birds Owned: I have a 4-5 year old green cheeked conure and an 8 year old white eared conure.
Flight: Yes

Re: Teaching My Conure to Fly

Postby marie83 » Wed Nov 21, 2012 9:04 am

My first thoughts are to get him a health check up to make sure there is no physical conditions that are putting him off the idea. My GCC stopped flying purely because his skin under his wing was a little sore for a 2 week period, that said he never has really flown for the fun of it, just if he wants something or for his treat during recall training.

Is your conure usually treat motivated for other tricks? If so I would consider starting the flight training from scratch- start with 2 perches (or a perch and your hand) a tiny distance apart and make him step between the two for his rewards, then gradually increase the gap so he has to hop across, then flap across, then fly across until he is flying the whole room.
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marie83
Cockatoo
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 3565
Location: Midlands, UK
Number of Birds Owned: 2
Types of Birds Owned: Yellow sided Green Cheek Conure
Pineapple Green Cheek Conure
Flight: Yes

Re: Teaching My Conure to Fly

Postby charlieandkiwi » Thu Nov 22, 2012 12:10 am

marie83 wrote:My first thoughts are to get him a health check up to make sure there is no physical conditions that are putting him off the idea. My GCC stopped flying purely because his skin under his wing was a little sore for a 2 week period, that said he never has really flown for the fun of it, just if he wants something or for his treat during recall training.

Is your conure usually treat motivated for other tricks? If so I would consider starting the flight training from scratch- start with 2 perches (or a perch and your hand) a tiny distance apart and make him step between the two for his rewards, then gradually increase the gap so he has to hop across, then flap across, then fly across until he is flying the whole room.



Kiwi isn't as treat motivated as many other animals I've seen. He kind of likes them if he was planning on eating anyway (like in the morning when he just gets up). Otherwise, and this is going to sound weird, he's play motivated. Basically, we do this excited trill together and he bobs his head. He will do anything if it makes me do my part of that. Currently, he's mostly figured out how to do a flip over my finger when I hold it out because the first time he did it, he got to dance play with me (I was excited) and I've been doing that with him every time he turns over.

I've been trying to do what you've suggested, but the only thing he'll fly off of is a flat surface like the dresser or a bed. He wont budge, even a little hop distance, off of his cage, my boyfriend's shoulder, or another perch, even though he wildly bounces up and down at me indicating that he wants to come to me and climbs up as soon as I'm within stepping distance.
charlieandkiwi
Conure
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 108
Number of Birds Owned: 2
Types of Birds Owned: I have a 4-5 year old green cheeked conure and an 8 year old white eared conure.
Flight: Yes


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