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Kili & Truman Flying at the Gym Some More

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Kili & Truman Flying at the Gym Some More

Postby Michael » Thu Feb 28, 2013 4:07 pm



Just wanted to share another video of Kili & Truman's recent flying at the gym since I'm not making another article about this. The video features some high paced flight training action as well as Kili practicing her newest trick.

Feel free to post your questions about flying parrots in a gym or other large indoor space.
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Re: Kili & Truman Flying at the Gym Some More

Postby marie83 » Thu Feb 28, 2013 4:29 pm

Actually I do have questions from last time but didn't bother asking since theres no way I will be taking Ollie anywhere until he is better but I may as well ask now for future.

How do you convince them to let you have use of the gym? I assume you hire it out for a fee per hour? but I just cant imagine finding anywhere big enough round here that will rent the premises for live animal training. Do you have any other advice on finding somewhere? Obviously the place needs to be appropriately safe but apart from that?

Kili and trueman seem to really enjoy their free flights like this, they are very lucky.
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Re: Kili & Truman Flying at the Gym Some More

Postby Michael » Thu Feb 28, 2013 4:42 pm

I'm an alum of that school and have connections there. The only payment I had to make was to do a performance in front of the entire school two years ago.

Go back and check out the theater training we did at the school two years ago (starting with a small gym with ceilings that can be reached). Back then I didn't dare fly the birds in the big gym and if you watch the videos, you'll see why.

http://trainedparrot.com/Advanced_Flight1
http://trainedparrot.com/Advanced_Flight2
http://trainedparrot.com/Theater_Flight
http://trainedparrot.com/index.php?bid= ... 28Day+5%29
http://trainedparrot.com/Balcony_Recall

However, after 2 years of successful indoor flight training at home, outdoor harness flight training, and more flights in TV studios we performed at, I had the confidence to give things a shot in the big gym. And the birds were totally ready and it went well. The only scare I had was when I didn't notice Kili land on the floor and was running around looking for her.

My recommendation to others who have no access to such a facility is to organize a small local bird club and collectively rent a space once a month. This is what Mona used to do with her group in Seattle and they would fly their birds together. Since I am doing a lot of focused training, I prefer to work alone. I'll probably be indebted to the school to do a performance again, but I'm letting some time pass so that the student body changes who might see it. The parrots love showing off, so if for nothing else, I do it for them. The plan is to have students in the audience hold up hoola hoops and let Kili zoom around through them.
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Re: Kili & Truman Flying at the Gym Some More

Postby Mona » Fri Mar 01, 2013 1:53 pm

Hi Michael:

I am glad to see that you are doing this. I watched your video yesterday in the Doctor's office. There was a baby waiting with me and I showed him the film and he said "Bird". His Dad thanked me for letting him watch the video.

I can always see so much potential with your movies. I hope others can get on the band wagon. I know it is tough finding a space. We had two buildings that we used. One was a vacant Safeway building that the community had access to. We flew there two years until it was demolished and then we moved to a National Guard Armory. We paid a lot to fly there and they required insurance but we were tenacious and flew for about 8 years.

Anyway, when I see how important it is to work with these animals flighted....It becomes an interaction where both the trainer and the bird have to work with challenges. The animals are also getting serious exercise which is so critical to their health. They are first and foremost birds and were never meant to sit in cages for days. Flying like this is only a win-win. For some reason, the avian community seems to think this is "difficult" and leaders in the community can be resistant to the idea....which I personally think is just immature. The avian community needs to evolve to challenge and encourage people to do this sort of thing. It isn't so different from training horses and that's a whole industry!

Anyway, I enjoyed watching and hope that you keep it up. I really hope you inspire others to try the same sort of thing. A lot of people get inspired to fly outside, but personally, I think that's like letting your dog run without a leash or a fence and is just asking for trouble at some point. I know too many people that have lost their birds to multiple tragedies outside (some of these losses were impossible to predict or prevent) but INSIDE is completely different. I hope you can get people to see outside the box (or cage) and start working in this mode.

Thanks!
Mona in Seattle
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Re: Kili & Truman Flying at the Gym Some More

Postby Andromeda » Fri Mar 01, 2013 4:02 pm

I really love the videos you've posted of your birds flying in the gym. It's so beautiful to see parrots flying. Did I hear Truman talking in the video? I thought I did.

I'd love to find a large, indoor area to fly my GCC. I fly him every day in my townhouse including up and down the stairs but he doesn't have the freedom to fly in a huge area just due to space.

I am still working on re-fledging my Poi.

Mona wrote:The avian community needs to evolve to challenge and encourage people to do this sort of thing.


I agree with this 100%. Specifically I hope that one day avian vets will discourage clipping and promote the benefits of flight. When I first visited my avian vet she took some time making sure I was educated about proper diet and household safety (such as no Teflon) and one day I want to live in a world where part of that speech will also be how beneficial it is psychologically and physically to keep a bird flighted and fly it every day.
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Re: Kili & Truman Flying at the Gym Some More

Postby Polarn » Sat Mar 02, 2013 2:33 am

I do these bigger space flights about every other month and, big space/low sealing the other months. and these are done (like Michael suggested) in Bird clubs. there are two different clubs in my area that offers the possibility to fly your parrots inside but due to time/money limitations both of these can only offer a flight every second month, they do however do take turns so you got the possibility to fly once a month pretty much. I am however only a member of one of the clubs so I have to pay a small fee to fly at the other clubs events... well its about 2USD so I would never say it is too much to pay to go fly my birds safely. Besides these events I actually occationally borrow a ridinghouse, it has ample space with seats for spectators etcetera during horse competitions etcetera, and since they normally have animals there it wasn't hard convincing them letting me use it when their not. But I must say I quite enjoy the meetings with the clubs since you yourself gets plenty of opportunity to have an RL forum to discuss with other birdie people.
To sum it up, flying in big spaces is awesome for your birds really awesome to see what your birds are actually capable of doing in flight and is a (if done in clubs) a social event at a low cost.
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Re: Kili & Truman Flying at the Gym Some More

Postby marie83 » Sat Mar 02, 2013 8:29 am

I'm just wondering with the bird club scenario where other birds will be present about what peoples thoughts are on the risk of disease?
We quarantine new birds for a reason, sometimes the quarantine is adequate but with some diseases it is not but we can't quarantine an animal indefinitly. Also many parrots are "carriers" without ever displaying signs of illness or becoming ill themselves, the owner may never know, even with preventative tests.

Whilst most parrot owners (I hope) are responsible so the risk would be minimal, there are always those that are not or are ignorant to the subtle signs of a sick bird. If you looked at Ollie playing with his bell right now you wouldn't have a clue there is probably something wrong with him medically.


The positive aspects of a bird club (assuming there is one or you know other parrot owners) renting somewhere is obviously its more cost efficent, exercise and enrichment for the parrots, and socialisation is a good thing too.

What other pros and cons are there?
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Re: Kili & Truman Flying at the Gym Some More

Postby Polarn » Sun Mar 03, 2013 12:08 pm

I can't really answer for the risks in all areas, but I know that the risks are greater in netherlands/holland since we generally try not to import birds from there due to the higher number freq. of diseases. Here as of right now there is quite a minimal risk for diseases and I personally thinks the benefits outweights the risks.

as of pros I can think of right now:
-sozialization (and in an enviorment where nobody(well a minor amount) will do something strange if your bird decides to land on them or poo on them or even in a scenario of a bite, everyone there own birds themselves and most people engaging these activities are the same people trying their best in every aspect.
-stimulation, the more that is happening around the bird at the same time the more he/she has to look at, and generally birds not used to attend these events gets mentally exhausted and takes a nap in the car on the way home.
-human sozialization, meaning you have a forum to discuss behavior/training/nutrition etcetera with other likeminded people eye to eye. Or simply meet new friends.

cons:
Well.. the only one I can think of is the risk of diseases.


Even if there is a slight chance one of the birds attending is sick birds doesn't tend to be too close to one another if they do not previously know each other, like they generally wont preen each other or cuddle up, but they will have the possibility to scream as a flock or fly as one.

Although somtimes at these events there isn't too much flight involved simply because not all birds do want to fly around, like my brownheaded generally sticks to me as a bandage, and today I got him to fly but then he ended up landing up in the roof and hung out there preening himself, and he wouldnt recall down so I figured worse case scenario is me staying there until all the other birds are gone and then get onto a ladder and use a really really really long dowel to get him down, but after a bit he came flying down again to me when I ignored him, then he was back to being a velcro bird part for some time spent with my brothers eclectus in a tree.

I truly find these events to be rewarding to your bird and to yourself, and to actually be rewarding enough to outweigh the risk of illness.... However living somewhere else I may have thought it otherwise or have a smaller group of people where you may only include your close friends etc.
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Re: Kili & Truman Flying at the Gym Some More

Postby Pralina » Wed Mar 06, 2013 9:13 pm

Wow this is truly amazing! I just started doing Recall training and my birds are just beginners really.... they get tired very fast as they've never done this previously in their "pet" lives.
Anyhow, congratulations Michael, your birds are BEAUTIFUL in flight and are really an inspiration! :)
I will share your video on my french-speaking forum that just STARTED discussing training stuff :roll:
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Re: Kili & Truman Flying at the Gym Some More

Postby DanaandPod » Tue Dec 23, 2014 7:42 pm

Oh my gosh,,,look at the exercise they are getting and just wow...this is so awesome. And the hoops! I have thought of doing this myself with my hoola hoop. Can you please tell me what you are using to hold them upright? Also, because of all the discussions regarding nuts/sunflower seeds being unhealthy.... I have greatly limited this trick treat. I would like to know what do you give your birds as a treat since it seems you trick train them a great deal....? please. Thank you!
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