Elvis' continued problem

[TheOddFlock]

I've posted this all over youtube, looking for an answer.
Elvis use to fly laps around my room, even when clipped, now he can't even fly a foot away from where ever he takes off at. At first I thought it was uneven wings, but now I know it's not. His flight feathers are grown in, they've been growing in since January. The feathers had been growning at angles, they kept breaking, they were messed up, now all are grown in perfectly fine. And I hope it stays that way. He can't fly, and that is upsetting. The vet can't find any problem with him.
He is a parrot, parrots are meant to fly!
But Elvis can't, he is a sad little parrot.

 

[blewin]

Poor Elvis...has the vet done bloodwork? Is it an avian vet? Has he been losing weight/muscle tissue?
There are any number of possible issues, but there's not a lot to go on. How is Elvis's behavior, otherwise?

 

[TheOddFlock]

Poor Elvis...has the vet done bloodwork? Is it an avian vet? Has he been losing weight/muscle tissue?
There are any number of possible issues, but there's not a lot to go on. How is Elvis's behavior, otherwise?

There are no avian vets in the area, this is just a vet that will see birds. But this vet has been helping with Elvis' bad feather growth, and Opal's ever growing beak, so i wouldn't see another vet unless it was an avian vet. Elvis has had bloodwork done and xrays (he had/has fatty liver). His behavior is normal.

I was advised to try to have him sit on my finger and move it up and down to get him to flap his wings, to build up his flight muscles.

 

[SandraK]

How old is Elvis and ask your vet if there's any chance it could be something like arthritis or rheumatism. I know they're diseases for "old" people but I've a Quaker who isn't very old and she has problems with arthritis. Just a thought, mind you, since I'm not a vet.

 

[JLcribber]

This will explain the psychology of flight from the birds perspective.

Thinking on the Wing | The Parrot University, llc

It doesn't take much of a perceived traumatic event early in a birds life to damage the psyche.

 

[TheOddFlock]

How old is Elvis and ask your vet if there's any chance it could be something like arthritis or rheumatism. I know they're diseases for "old" people but I've a Quaker who isn't very old and she has problems with arthritis. Just a thought, mind you, since I'm not a vet.

Elvis Will be 2 years next month. I will have to ask the vet about arthritis and rheumatism.

 

[TheOddFlock]

This will explain the psychology of flight from the birds perspective.

Thinking on the Wing | The Parrot University, llc

It doesn't take much of a perceived traumatic event early in a birds life to damage the psyche.

I have to admit, he hasn't been flying since he escaped his cage in the middle of the night back in January. He had a night fright and his cage door flew open when he jumped on it (the reason it is locked now) I couldn't find him for a many hours, but I could hear him crashing into things. He lost all flight feathers on one wing after that, and I had to clip the other so he wouldn't be off balance. Maybe he is scared to fly again after that.

 

[Tiel Feathers]

Poor Elvis, definitely sounds like he's too scared because of that incident. Maybe start some training. Give him a command and have him fly to you, just 6" away or so at first. Reward him with a treat, and after a few days, once he can do that consistently, up the distance to a foot, etc.

 

[TheOddFlock]

I've been working with him, he can now fly up to 6 or 7 feet. I started with 6" then I went up to a foot, then he just started flying in the wrong direction so I upped the distance to 3 feet. He's been doing well since.

 

[Dartman]

He's starting to get his confidence and stamina back so keep working with him as it sounds like your doing good with him now. Nerd had bad feathers on one wing so he knew he couldn't fly well but he made short hops, emergency escape flights, and mostly walked where he wanted to go. He still loved to flap like a maniac till he was panting. I used to say "FLAP MY PRETTY" and he'd get all excited and flap even harder. Nerd pretty sure was wild caught and I got him and his brother in 78. His brother got sick and died quickly a few years in but was a chunky bird and good flyer. Nerd was skinny and had bad flights and feather color but got better feathers with time except for the damaged flights. He probably would have been dinner early on in the wild but was very happy with us till he passed in 09. I have since had two more Maxis, one that was clipped but probably had some flight experience and got much better once his flights grew back and he relearned to fly and maneuver again and got stronger. He was eventually very happy but escaped due to a dumb mistake but was able to avoid some danger and get into some high trees, where he probably would have been attacked and eaten or killed pretty quickly. I did climb two trees and we watched over him for two days till crows finally chased him away. I was gifted Dobby when Momazon couldn't keep him anymore and she knew what I went through getting Lurch happy and healthy for about 6 years. Dobby it is apparent was allowed to learn to properly fly as a youngster and very well socialized by Momazon and her daughter as soon as he was old enough to come home. He flys like a acrobatic jet, flying around, through, and over everything. He never seems to get winded and also knows how to fly down, a very important skill most companion parrots never learn, which I'm sure is why Lurch never fkew down to me when it was obvious he really wanted to come to me.
Dobby is very happy, a naughty boy into everything, and pretty much refuses to bite between his confident trusting nature and being able to move or fly away if he chooses when out.
I would not clip a bird that is able to fly without hurting themselves even considering what happened with Lurch. It gives them joy and safety and if they know they have a choice and still eventually decide to trust and love you in their own way it means you have earned it from them and they will be your loyal flock mate the rest of their lives.

 

[TheOddFlock]

Wait, most companion parrots never learn to fly down? I've owned 8 birds before (6 of them were budgies) and they all knew how to fly down, and those that are still with me today know how to fly down, except Lucky and Jordan, they have never flown before so I don't know what they can do.

 

[Dartman]

Yep, many never really learn the skill so are afraid to fly down, especially once they are outside and scared to death to begin with. I got permission to get on the roof below the tree he was in, put his old cage up there, ate his favorite junk food, nothing would entice him to fly down. It's very possible the smaller birds tend to learn it as I think they fly a lot more and get parront raised more often.
Lurch is the first bird that escaped on me so it never was a issue I worried about before.
Dobby had escaped on Momazon once before and she said she went outside with his favorite baby food, oatmeal, and he flew down to the grass close to her and then waddled up and wanted her to sit him on the bowl so he could eat. He does know how to fly down obviously and is pretty fearless too.