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fly, Toto, fly!

lillie

Sprinting down the street
Avenue Veteran
Joined
11/15/18
Messages
377
Location
SoCal
Real Name
lillie
so, my green cheek has been molting since christmas, and he has nearly all his flights...

he is such a wonderful flier, sometimes he will get nervous or startled, which isn't good but then i see him do a lap around the kitchen before landing on me in the living room and it's amazing.

but... he doesn't fly any other time that that! i don't want to, oh, you know, throw him across the room, but he doesn't fly! Not food motivated, either... not praise motivated... he wont even fly to get a forbidden food!

any advice to get my little stinker flying?!

also, he WAS clipped since atleast when he was weaned, but i haven't had him clipped for nearly a year.

TLDR; my gcc wont fly unless his flight or fight (hahah get it?!?!!?) is triggered and i need advice in getting this guy going!
 

Ripshod

Biking along the boulevard
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12/6/18
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UK
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Linden
He was clipped before he fledged, therefore he never learned to fly in the natural way and has got used to getting around by other means. I'm not surprised he's sticking to what he knows. He may start taking to the wing on his own, but best to get used to the idea he nay never fly as you're asking.
I'll probably have to face this myself when my tiel moults.
 

annoellyn

Walking the driveway
Joined
10/4/18
Messages
246
My bird had been clipped as a baby with her previous owners, but had grown back when she came to my home. Like yours, she isn't a huge flier but I've found that she will fly to get to me. So to encourage her I open her cage and walk to the living room, and she will fly a good distance to settle on my head. I do that a lot, just go about my business through out the house and she'll fly to me.
Is your bird motivated to be near you? Once your bird views you as his flock, he might fly more often to be near you.
 

simon777

Sprinting down the street
Avenue Veteran
Joined
11/21/18
Messages
440
Location
parakai new zealand
Real Name
Iliel
Put things he wants too high for him to get to without flying and refuse to carry him up. Toys he likes to play with and even his food. Even the height of a chair or coffee table. If he has to fly a little to have something to eat or drink he should get more used to doing it. You could start by putting him by his food and move away so he has to either fly to you or fly down to get anywhere else. Simon, my rainbow lorikeet, has to fly to get to his food and drinks; and he also has to fly to get to some of his play areas and also to get to his house. Some places are only a couple of feet up but his house is a long fly for him. I tell Simon frequently that flying is good for his heart and I want him to have a strong healthy heart so he will live for a long time. At first you may feel mean doing it this way but he should learn to love flying. Good luck.
 

BeanieofJustice

Rollerblading along the road
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Trenton, Florida
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Steph
Congrats on Toto's wings growing out!!
I was lucky that Tibs is a good flier in spite of the shop clipping him, however, he very much prefers to be carried (will raise his foot to let me know that he would like his taxi service to come pick him up) but I won't always go get him. He's a bit of velcro bird so he wants to be with me, he might fly away if startled, but he pretty reliably will fly to me from his net or the playstand. Something you can try is being super interested in something (like a foot toy) and maybe that will pique Toto's curiosity. I know for macaws, what some people will do is make a game of gently tossing them onto a bed so they can learn how to use their wings. I wouldn't try this unless a more informed person than myself steps in but, it was something that I've read on here.
Good luck! I hope you can help your little buddy find his wings!
 
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