A bunch of questions about flying and exercise alternatives if they don't

[Sarahmoluccan]

For those who have flighted birds, how often do they fly? I'd guess littler birds fly more often, but I'm not sure. That's base off my experience with my cockatiel and the one flighted M2 I used to know. The M2 would mainly just fly place to place. While my cockatiel would fly circles or to a bunch of different places one after the other. I know some of it will be base off your bird's personality

Do you think your birds ever fly for "fun"? Fun might not be the right word, but for their own enjoyment maybe? Or is it simply a mode of transportation? I've seen birds flapped their wings intensely on top of their cages without going anywhere. I basically think that's helps burn off excess energy. It does look like they are having fun but I couldn't say for sure.

Echo is hesitant to fly and only really flys when spooked. I'm trying to get him a little bit more comfortable but it's a struggle. I would like to see him get more exercise. Flying seems like the perfect form of exercise for birds for obvious reasons. I mean they are build for it. But is there any other form of exercises you'd recommend? He does run around some, especially when he's attacking a toy. He digs in blankets too. And I'll sometimes swing him around a bit and he'll flap his wings with that. But I love to see him be more active.

 

[Mizzely]

My green cheek would fly for fun, but all my other birds seem to only for transport. My Quakers flew often, my Hahns only if she was chasing after me.

Ripley currently only flies if spooked with very few exceptions. Currently I have a lot of swings and ropes for him to climb as that does work muscles having to keep your balance and move that way. I know it's l not the same level of exercise they'd get from flying though. I'm currently unaware of how to encourage him, too!

 

[TikiMyn]

My fids love to fly My Tiel liked to too by did much less for joy, a couple laps a day and the rest was mostly for transportation. Henkie and Fea play fly games in the air, fly between the curtains, etc. They fly very ‘easily’, they would rather fly then walk over. Hopping and flight are their main means of transportation.
For alternatives to flight, I agree that climbing is a good way but I know nothing else. Maybe, teach him to gl down a hanging rope and make that a game? Play hide and seek and make him run searching for you?

 

[sunnysmom]

My cockatiel didn't fly a lot. He preferred to walk (or run which was really funny to see). Now and then, I think he would fly just for fun but not often. My cockatoo definitely flies for fun. Will Echo fly to you for a treat?

 

[soleaux]

My lovie Tica loves to fly.. I think for fun, she screams her head off like she’s dying while in midair, so sometimes it’s hard to tell She scream flies and rockets off like a bullet for about an hour when she first comes out, I presume to work off a bunch of energy, and then calms down later.

I had two linnies, Puck and Jasper, that flew for fun. Not as much as Tica, but they’d do laps around the room on occasion. These two were the only ones who I had who ever flapped in place.

Basil was clipped heavily when I first got her and consequently was/is a clumsy, panty flier. But she’s gotten better! She only flies for transportation — when something spooks her, or when she wants to be on me/with me.

 

[Sarahmoluccan]

@Mizzely swings are definitely a good idea I have tried in the past but without much luck. But if I made the more appealing with soft woods and crunchy natural material that may help want to explore them more.

Maybe, teach him to gl down a hanging rope and make that a game? Play hide and seek and make him run searching for you?

I'm not sure he'd go down a rope. He's a pretty cautious bird, he might to a swing, but I think a rope would be to unwieldy for him. Hide and seek might work But generally hes not one to follow me.

@sunnysmom Echo will to almost any to get at forbidden foods or foods he definitely shouldn't have too much of. But he won't fly. He will try and get by any other means thou, which sometimes is hilarious. Health treats I struggle to get him to eat.

Its funny, if he spooks then he can fly, he once flew at 15 feet and only stop because there was a wall there. The instinct is there but the skill and control isn't. I wonder if the fact he only fly when he's scare he now associates fear with flying

 

[cassiesdad]

The budgies don't come out of the cage often...so when they do come out, it's a flying circus with them. They will swoop, dive and chase each other all over the place. Alas, since Marley passed, Omega just flies to the curtain rod and sits....there's no one to play with her own size. Hopefully, a new budgie will be coming soon, and after quarantine, the newbie and Omega will become friends. I'd love to see the "Flying Budgie Circus" come back.

The tiels fly for a reason..usually to come over to us for a visit...they're not much on flying for fun...and Buddy is still relearning to fly, and importantly, how to land...most of his landings still end up in a barrel roll. The result is a grumbling conure, walking over to us for a "hand up."
We try not to laugh when he barrel rolls because that wouldn't be nice...and he's so gosh darn serious about everything...

 

[Mizzely]

I made an easy swing with a perch drilled in two places and used expandable habitats skewers (he already chewed off a bunch lol)

 

[Sarahmoluccan]

I made an easy swing with a perch drilled in two places and used expandable habitats skewers (he already chewed off a bunch lol)

View attachment 287993

Yeah I definitely want to do something like that I have expandable habitats skewers too. Love them. I have to use them the other way because Echo likes to undo everything

 

[annoellyn]

My gcc flies for transport and doesn't do it too often, maybe once every two days.

 

[Shezbug]

I believe Burt flies for both transport and fun (maybe it is just for the exercise?).
He loves to flap like crazy while going nowhere on his stand or your arm, also likes to do circles of the room practicing turns and hovering but the scariest for me is when he practices to see how close to the walls and ceiling he can get. He gets in these moods where he is a little crazy.......he will be chattering away to himself rather loudly then all of a sudden he decides he needs to move from where he is to do the same thing on another piece of furniture and this repeats till every bit of furniture (mine and his) has been landed on and flown away from. Some days he just puts his foot out pretty much telling me he does not want to fly and it is my job to relocate him to where he wants to be.

 

[faislaq]

Luv Bug is our resident Ace. Flying is her main mode of transportation (aside from shoulder jockeying) but she rarely flies straight from A to B. Almost every flight is two or three times as long as it needs to be because she'll circle the room or careen through multiple rooms and back. She adds tight loops & twists and she flies fast. For all I can make out there may be a barrel roll in there as well, so I would definitely say she enjoys it very much!

She also uses flight to express disapproval. She knows every centimeter of air space so when she's ticked at you and "accidentally" clips you in the face with her wingtip on the way by, you know it's no accident. Pretty sure she enjoys that, too.

 

[M_Riddly]

My tiel, speckles flies a couple times a day for exercise like maybe two. Besides that it's mainly just for transportation or recall training. My conures only fly for transportation or recall. And I would also say that it's very little on the transportation. They prefer to stare me down to get me to put them where they want to go. Lol. It's pretty funny seeing checkers and mochi doing it. Yoshi just flies to places he wants to go since he is WAY more skilled at flight. He is my best flier and he knows it. He likes to taunt my poor baby Leo with his skills I think. Leo can't fly at all and just flops to the ground. Can't wait for him to molt out those feathers and get some flight feathers in.

 

[Begone]

Do you think your birds ever fly for "fun"?

Yes they do.

For those who have flighted birds, how often do they fly?

All the time. Both for transportation, but also to change places/perches when they are on a stand. They always chose flying before walking as transportation.
I think the main reason for that is that they never have been clipped and was allowed to fly a lot when they grow up.
To fly is natural for them, and they don't get tired or over heated of doing that.

Or is it simply a mode of transportation?

First it is. But also when they wants to get ride of excess energy they fly around like jets, and I have to duck when they are coming.
I also play, "Come and get me", a flying game where I run from room to room and they are chasing me.

But is there any other form of exercises you'd recommend?

All exercise is good exercise. But if you can get him to flap his wings, while doing some trick-training (like spin around) that will be good exercise too.

But perhaps don't spin around like this.. (That is getting ride of excess energy..)

 

[Shezbug]

That bird loves it's swing

 

[SandraK]

My tiels and my blue Quaker will do laps around the family room and kitchen. Quaker Baby Blue will extend his laps into any room that has an open door or the sheer curtain to the front room. If Baby gets to the front room he likes to sit on the tension curtain rods which are about 3/4 up the window. That way he can see outside, watch birds, squirrels etc.

 

[SandraK]

Very cute but gave me a major dose of motion sickness ...

 

[JLcribber]

The only two birds I've ever owned that don't fly are Tika and Amanda. Every other bird was/is fully flighted. They fly all day. When secured for the day they are in a 10ft long flight. When we are home they are out in the birdcave (34ft x 16ft). They achieve "full speed" flight, turning, maneuvering and landing (natural flight).

It's pretty easy to achieve this kind of thing for smaller to medium birds with a big room. For large parrots it's not really that feasible because their size does not allow them to achieve full speed flight, turning, maneuvering and landing. Two or three good flaps and they are across any room and need to start breaking. It's not really flight. Large parrots need a room/aviary that is about 60ft x 30ft (12 ft high) in order to achieve the same effect the smaller birds get.

 

[Erikalynnha]

Uchtred and Lennerd fly for fun. They do laps around the room a lot and I'm often amazed at how graceful they look. The vet calls Uchtred a homing pigeon cause she flies circles around him without getting out of breath.

Bean and Papaya are good too but are definitely more perch potatoes. They prefer climbing everywhere.

 

[Love My Zons]

For those who have flighted birds, how often do they fly? I'd guess littler birds fly more often, but I'm not sure. That's base off my experience with my cockatiel and the one flighted M2 I used to know. The M2 would mainly just fly place to place. While my cockatiel would fly circles or to a bunch of different places one after the other. I know some of it will be base off your bird's personality

Do you think your birds ever fly for "fun"? Fun might not be the right word, but for their own enjoyment maybe? Or is it simply a mode of transportation? I've seen birds flapped their wings intensely on top of their cages without going anywhere. I basically think that's helps burn off excess energy. It does look like they are having fun but I couldn't say for sure.

Echo is hesitant to fly and only really flys when spooked. I'm trying to get him a little bit more comfortable but it's a struggle. I would like to see him get more exercise. Flying seems like the perfect form of exercise for birds for obvious reasons. I mean they are build for it. But is there any other form of exercises you'd recommend? He does run around some, especially when he's attacking a toy. He digs in blankets too. And I'll sometimes swing him around a bit and he'll flap his wings with that. But I love to see him be more active.

I have all flighted birds here. Hoosier and Kazoo have flown since they were babies. They have never not been able to aside from clips as very young babies. As flights grew in, they both were never ever clipped again. I wanted confident birds and got that.

Jenny was never a flyer, but we did work on here flying from counter top to 15 feet out she gracefully got to the floor. Sophie is not an flyer, but will fly to where she wants to go if she wants to. But she is a perch potato not kidding

I know that my Amazons so have fun. A bird who can fly to you, fly from each other (yes the boys squabble for my attention) but I think they have fun. Any flying is GOOD excercise even wing flapping. I think it may be a Too thing since the Zons never sit and do that, they are usually in motion. My Amazons fly daily, the most avid and fastest flyer by far is Hoosier. He's fast, agile and can do a u-turn in mid air even stopping to turn and go the other way. Kazoo, being heavier sounds like a helicopter you can hear him coming.

So my overall with birds who can move through the air is surely is fun! And healthy for them no doubt moving oxygen through their bodies and allowing calories to be burned along with healthy muscle mass.