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Can an adult bird be taught to fly?

faislaq

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I think we have made tons of progress since he came home with us this past December. He didn't even try coming out of his cage for almost a week even though we left his door wide open. I think that's pretty good for getting used to a new place. And he stepped up for me after only 4 weeks. :pinksmile: When I asked her if he was friendly, the lady we got him from said "he used to be a real cuddle bug, but I haven't had him out in about a year." :( I don't understand how anyone could not hold a cuddlebug, let alone not have any bird out in a year? I kept my face plain and tried to smile a little but I was so sad for him and by how nonchalantly she could say something like that.
 

Begone

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I don't understand how anyone could not hold a cuddlebug, let alone not have any bird out in a year?
Neither do I. :(
I kept my face plain and tried to smile a little
And I do the same because all you wanted is to get the bird out of that situation. After you can cry as much as you wanted.

And it really doesn't matter if he will learn to fly or not the most important for him was to leave that house.
He will always be very grateful to you that rescued him. ♥
And their is also many tricks that you can do to keep him active.
 

peppermint

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it makes me really happy to read about people taking animals [and other people] out of really bad environments and giving them a chance at a 'normal' life.

that woman was a monster for keeping the cuddle bug locked in there for such a long time. i'm really crying now.. [animal cruelty makes me cry more than cruelty against people, because animals simply cannot defend themselves, or talk, or anything like that]

god bless your soul for taking the bird out of that situation. :angel1::heart2:
 

faislaq

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His cage isn't super tiny, but it was inadequate, and not meant for a bird to be in it 24/7. And he only had 1 perch and 2 toys that were too small. But a least he had good food and clean water which is more than a lot of birds get, sadly. I wouldn't consider her a monster, there are plenty of stories on here that qualify for that, but she was clearly negligent and I am grateful that her apartment wouldn't renew her lease until she rehomed him. :)

We still use that cage for him, originally so he'd have something familiar until he got used to us, and now it's more of a sleep cage as my husband works from home & Buzzy only goes in there to sleep, eat, or play with his messy toys (but most of it ends up on the floor anyway :wacky:). And we are on the lookout for a new, larger cage for him.
 

faislaq

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Wow, @Sand thank you. That is very kind, but I'm just doing the same as you or anyone else here would, or trying to. :) There are some amazing angels on here, though! :angel6:

Just a tiny update: this morning, Buzzard climbed out of his cage and onto my arm . We danced a little and he seemed like he didn't even take notice, so I started moving more and more until we were bouncing -nearly hopping- and Buzzy took it all in stride! No wing flapping yet, but I was delighted to see him adjust his muscles to compensate to the motion. :dancing: So like I said, it's just a small update for now, but I feel like we will be able to make some serious progress in the coming weeks. We'll get some flaps outta this fella yet! :pinkgrin:
 

Sand

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poor little nugget. i know he's not muscular, but i wonder if at some point he hurt a wing :/( maybe it healed improperly, gee wiz, i hope you call him Buster or something else, give him a whole new life, and a new name too. (sorry) i knowww its great now, but it sure makes me sad for whatever was before
 

Sand

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it makes me really happy to read about people taking animals [and other people] out of really bad environments and giving them a chance at a 'normal' life.

that woman was a monster for keeping the cuddle bug locked in there for such a long time. i'm really crying now.. [animal cruelty makes me cry more than cruelty against people, because animals simply cannot defend themselves, or talk, or anything like that]

god bless your soul for taking the bird out of that situation. :angel1::heart2:

I KNOW, I almost didnt want to read this thread anymore, cuz it makes me sick :(, but i'm so glad to know he has FAISLAQ and her husband now!
 

faislaq

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i hope you call him Buster or something else, give him a whole new life, and a new name too.
When we adopted him, his owner said his name was Buzz; Buzzard when he's in trouble. When I sing to him I call him my "Baby Buzzy Boy" :xflove:. But he actually says "Buzzard!" in a happy tone when he gets excited when I come home or the kids come over, so we think it is a happy word for him. :D And I know that any negative connotations will fall away and be replaced with only happy ones.

i'm so glad to know he has FAISLAQ and her husband now!
This made me laugh. A month after we got him, Buzzy started stepping up for my husband. I was cleaning his cage & he was desperate to get from his stand to the mean ol' lady stealing his precious shredded newspaper he had worked so hard on! So out of desperation he offered my husband his foot. He stepped up a handful of times after that, but then my husband cut his hair (less than 2") and Buzz started hissing at him. Even months later after he let it grow out (and had to re-cut it again) it has been a slow process of my poor husband trying to win Buzzy back over. But I love that he hasn't given up and always keeps trying. :heart: Quite a different man than we think he was used to. The evening before we met up with his owner (who was going through a divorce) she mentioned that we sounded like a great family for Buzz, "somewhere where no one hits his cage." We were dumbfounded and afraid to ask, but we are pretty sure the way she said it she was talking about her husband. :( Now that man sounds like a monster, and I believe that is one of the reasons my husband is so determined to win Buzz back over with singing and treats instead of just letting him be.
 
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MnGuy

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Good luck. It's definitely possible. Might be worth target training and eventually using the backs of two chairs to make the bird walk, hop and then fly from one to the other as you gradually space them farther apart.

I adopted a 7-year-old grey 8 years ago who was clipped and didn't know how to fly. The poor thing was and is easily spooked, though, and would take off and crash land when outside of her cage.

I really couldn't stop this behavior. The weirdest things would set her off, like my dog sneezing. She never spooked when I sneezed, which is 10 times louder than my dog's sneeze!

Anyway, she learned how to fly and it helped to have places for her to land. She now takes off from her stand and circles the room and lands on her cage.

Just the other day, I was walking with her to the bathroom when she got impatient and flew off of my hand into the bathroom for the very first time because she wanted to get somewhere -- not because she was spooked. I couldn't believe it!

Good luck!
 

Sand

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Some people are cruel to animals, some people are always kind, and some people are basically indifferent until they get to know a few animals. We would occasionally find a mouse or rat passed away on our property, my husband was so grossed out and he would not touch them , but he knew that I would always pick them up with some gloves on , dig a hole and bury them under one of our trees. same thing if a frog died in our pool. I never thought I'd change my husband but I still explained my thinking because I was just being me. Eventually he would ask, you are going to bury the little guy right?
We have a menagerie already,and when a little mouse was left behind in our yard and couldn't feed himself because he had some kind of a neurological problem, I fed him with a dropper and raised him to be our little baby. Husband was at first so scared of Kelly the mouse, but then he'd see Kelly running and playing and how much he loved to sit in our lap or on our shoulder. When Kelly died husband barely spoke for 3 days. He cried tears when our 10 year old cichlid (fish) died, he now stops to help turtles cross the road , he cried with me when one of our cats died, and he lost 15 lbs and cried dailyyyyy for weeksssss when our Conure RayRay died this march. I had NEVER seen him cry until a few years ago! !!!! He told me how he sees ALL living creatures differntly now that he's lived with them.
I hope for anyone who comes to this forum, that they can make at least one person in thier life see other living creatures with compassion and empathy.
As for people who are cruel to animals, you cant change them.
 
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zoo mom

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Glad to hear Buzzy is enjoying life now.
 

finchly

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@faislaq How does his chest look? Sometimes birds that have been in a too-small cage have sort of a sunken in chest, from the muscle atrophy. :(

I believe he will fly. Ernie was 18 when we got him, very cage bound, and could not fly. They told me he was too overweight to fly but he simply didnt know how. Now he can fly around the house -- it took him awhile to learn to steer so he would over shoot his target or end up somewhere weird, like the laundry room. One day we searched and searched, he was in my craft room up on a box about head level for me.

Now he flies regularly, and he often goes to the floor in the bird room (his door is NEVER closed, and he has a perch outside his cage). He has a ladder to climb back in if need be - but he is gaining confidence and flies more than he climbs now.
 

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Pretty sure someone used to hit at or hit Lurch, I'm sure not his elderly male owner but someone after he was put in a retirement homes and he was stuck with the leftover family. Many times if I raised my hand he'd flinch. One time after he finally decided I was his chosen one I reached for him and he screamed :(
It's no wonder it took most of 5 years to decide I was trust worthy and his friend. People that are just outright mean to animals that have done nothing wrong to them have serious issues I think. I was so happy when it was obvious Lurch was happy and had finally decided to choose me. He never fully stopped biting but for him it was eho he was and a feature. He did start giving plenty of warning again though and didn't try as hard. I also learned to read him better and either leave him alone when pissy or be fast:cool:
 

faislaq

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@finchly I think his chest looks normal? He is a bit on the beefy side (1280g), but I know if he can start flapping those big ol' wings he'll get stronger. Your Ernie gives me so much hope with him being older and also having been cage bound. Any tips on how you started his training?

@Dartman poor Lurch! :sadhug2:I'm glad he ended up with someone as understanding and determined as you! :)
 

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Well I think he was too but unfortunately he escaped last April do to a dumb mistake and after a few days he disappeared :(
The first pictures of him when he got here his eyes were huge and he was scared to death. The much later pictures his eyes are happy and normal.
I think just about any critter can be happy and bond with some love, patience, and respect.
 

finchly

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@faislaq I feel like if Ernie can do it, any birdie can do it! I don't really have tips. I went instinctively - anything that made him flap, I cheered and encouraged. He loves being out on the lanai so I took him there a lot, let him sit on the furniture or on his swing. Occasionally he'd want to investigate something and flap down. He did end up in the pool a time or 2.

Inside, I called him to me, knowing he wanted me to come get him. Eventually he'd go to the floor. Then wide crazy circles going who knows where. Oh, also I would set him on my bed then go into the adjoining bath. He'd call and carry on, eventually flying in there.

He still has a big ladder from the floor up into his cage, so that if he wants to go there he can, without flying.
 

faislaq

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Sounds like if I can just get him flapping, he'll do the rest! ;) Thank you! All of these stories about adult birds who learned is very encouraging. Who knows? Maybe one day I'll even regret helping Destructo-Beak become mobile. :roflmao: I hope, I hope!
 
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