Free Flight.. is it frowned upon?

[sinz jays]

Last posting before jumping into the taxi.

This time the free flights were done in Indonesia.
By folks who listen to their birds and at end of long process which started with listening to their birds and ended with them listening to their birds.
Not done by a group specially selected by some self styled guru who finished a course by his/her heros.

But by a simple group of peasant-like folks, like those in Taiwan, who allowed their birds to train them.


FREE FLIGHT IS LIFE AND DEATH PLEASE DO NOT TRY THIS YOURSELF UNLESS YOU DO KNOW.
NEVER EVER FREE FLY WITHOUT THE KNOWLEDGE AS THIS CAN LEAD TO LOSS AND DEATH OF YOUR BIRD.

facebook video below

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10204734212906637

Now in my country again popular 'free flight', and not only in Indonesia. Such as Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore and even around the world

 

[shanlung]

Hi folks,

I am still in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
I got not thrown out for the color of my tie. Because after the first day when I went in tie and suit, I wore jeans after that and not wear tie.

Not only peasants in Indonesia did free flights with peasant like folks in Taiwan.

Enjoy the sight of those birdies flying about and returning to their care givers.

 

[Sadieladie1994]

Just beautiful. Those birds sure do love their humans. Thank you for the video.

 

[Hankmacaw]

Loved the video Shanlung. That GW was huge and dominated the sky.

Didn't like the power lines all that much.

 

[macawpower58]

OMG that puts my heart in my throat. I'd love to be there. I'd love to see mine flying like that.

 

[bentleyesghost]

This has been a fascinating thread. I'm not sure if we'll ever free fly our harlequin macaw, Chloe. We just got her harness trained so we can go outside. That's enough for now. Her breeder is a free flying enthusiast who has a big area of open scrub land in rural San Diego County. Chloe's parents, a blue and gold and greenwing met because they were free flying partners. It's a beautiful love story. In any case, Mare and her Pacific Northwest friends have an interesting arrangement with their semi wild cockatoos. I'd actually be worried that the birds are getting too comfortable. I'd hate to see colonies of feral cockatoos getting established in the Northwest and becoming invasive. As to the free flight thing in Taiwan, Thailand and Indonesia . That is incredible. I would hesitate to be judgmental about this. It is a thing that they do. I'm sure they love their birds. The birds appear to enjoy it. I assume that we are just not seeing the training that goes into this. I'm sure they aren't just releasing their birds and hoping that they come back. We have free flown our cockatiel two or three times, accidentally, when he slipped out the door. Each time he flew around in huge circles for a few minutes and then came back. However, we don't forget that we found him because someone else lost him. Or more accurately, he probably lost himself when he flew away from his former home, wherever that was.

 

[Novembergypsy]

I chose to have my lovebird unclipped and I lost him. Clipping is not always about what is easiest for humans, despite what some say here. George died alone and afraid. I will be clipping my birds, at least lightly, in the future.

 

[ZoeyFredrik]

Wow. I have to say, macaws are amazing beautiful in flight (not that their not pretty just sitting there, lol). Those long elegant tails. So gorgeous. I'd love to visit their native land and just watch them fly about.

 

[LaSelva]

As to the free flight thing in Taiwan, Thailand and Indonesia . That is incredible. I would hesitate to be judgmental about this. It is a thing that they do. I'm sure they love their birds. The birds appear to enjoy it. I assume that we are just not seeing the training that goes into this. I'm sure they aren't just releasing their birds and hoping that they come back.

This is exactly what I'm wondering when I see these videos. I don't think that the person that posts the videos is involved. Rather, just posting these videos as an example of what's possible - what others are doing. Which is nice but leaves one wondering about the behind-the-scenes, so to speak. How responsible are they being? We don't know.

Wow. I have to say, macaws are amazing beautiful in flight (not that their not pretty just sitting there, lol). Those long elegant tails. So gorgeous. I'd love to visit their native land and just watch them fly about.

I highly recommend it. It's a wonderful expereince to be in their "living room" for a change. A trip into a remote and special part of the world seems to makes a lasting impression on the senses.

 

[melissasparrots]

Loved the video Shanlung. That GW was huge and dominated the sky.

Didn't like the power lines all that much.

Same thing. Beautiful video. Power lines and free flighted birds with that wingspan though is a big risk. They are hard to avoid and usually when I free fly my hawk I try to make sure that they are either no where near powerlines or not the most attractive perch in the area. Lots of birds in that size range get fried. Also have my concerns about flying a flock of non-native species in terms of establishing a feral breeding population. That would be unacceptable IMO. Now if someone is Australia wanted to free fly their galerita or Major Mitchell in an area they were native to, then more power to them IMO. Of course, there might be a high enough PBFD risk to be acceptable to some pet owners.

 

[Dostc426]

I'm always unsure about this question, but I always try and do what is best for my sun conure, Cygni, and both him being flighted and un-flighted has caused us an equal amount of problems. When we first got him (we adopted him at four years of age) he had his wings clipped horribly, and could still fly around. Within days of living in our apartment he got scared of something and hit our sliding glass door trying to get out into the open. That's when we decided to get them properly clipped at the vet. However with his wings clipped, during his molting stage in particular, he is still just as clumsy even though we monitor him constantly and will break blood feathers which we had to pull. I consulted our avian vet about the matter and she is against free flight because she has seen so many accidents at the vet regarding free flighted birds. I would love to train our Cygni to be able to do so at least around the apartment, but I fear that he is too clumsy and goofy of a bird to be able to do that safely. So at the moment I have decided to keep his wings clipped, though I am letting them grow in at the moment because he has a couple of new blood feathers growing in.

 

[Monica]

I'm always unsure about this question, but I always try and do what is best for my sun conure, Cygni, and both him being flighted and un-flighted has caused us an equal amount of problems. When we first got him (we adopted him at four years of age) he had his wings clipped horribly, and could still fly around. Within days of living in our apartment he got scared of something and hit our sliding glass door trying to get out into the open. That's when we decided to get them properly clipped at the vet. However with his wings clipped, during his molting stage in particular, he is still just as clumsy even though we monitor him constantly and will break blood feathers which we had to pull. I consulted our avian vet about the matter and she is against free flight because she has seen so many accidents at the vet regarding free flighted birds. I would love to train our Cygni to be able to do so at least around the apartment, but I fear that he is too clumsy and goofy of a bird to be able to do that safely. So at the moment I have decided to keep his wings clipped, though I am letting them grow in at the moment because he has a couple of new blood feathers growing in.

There's a huge possibility that your sun conure is so clumsy about flight simply because he hasn't had a chance to actually *LEARN* how to fly. Flight is instinctual, but knowing how to fly is learned. If you keep him clipped, chances are, he may always be clumsy. If you allow him flight and work on teaching him how to fly (up, down, straight, around corners, etc), then he may learn how to fly and avoid dangers.



It's the same concept as a toddler learning to walk and then to run. There are going to be bumps and bruises along the way, but with practice, they can get better!

 

[Mer Boy]

I LOVE the idea of free flight, and will most definitely train a bird to do it in my lifetime. In the meantime, I am working towards flying Ruby outdoors with the aviator flight line. If you follow Birdtricks on Facebook, they regularly post gorgeous photos of their entire flock including a toucan free flying outdoors. BirdTricks.com - Dalton Gardens, ID - Pet Service | Facebook

I love BirdTricks!

 

[Chihuahua]

I had the most incredible dream last night and had to come here and post it because I thought of this thread.. in my dream Orion took off flying and he flew so high he was just a little speck in the sky and I was cheering him on... I called him back and he circled around and landed on my arm. I don't feel comfortable with teaching a bird to free fly outdoors but I truly wish he could live in Brazil with his own kind. In a way it makes me sad that we have taken these birds and raised them to be captive pets... there's no going back now, but I do imagine sometimes.

 

[shanlung]

I love BirdTricks!

This is what I and so many others think of them

Tinkerbell Legacy - Living with a flying parrot - On birdtricks.com and bozos

 

[Mer Boy]

This is what I and so many others think of them

Tinkerbell Legacy - Living with a flying parrot - On birdtricks.com and bozos

I made this post a while ago. I no longer visit Birdtricks. I use Good Bird Inc instead.

 

[echobird]

I am not against free flight. I am currently recall training my gcc so we can work on free flight training. I am a bit weary when people free flight their birds out in public or in parks(generally an area where unexpected loud noised can occur and spook the birds) All the free flighters I have heard of take their birds out in large empty fields where they wont be spooked by traffic or something. Michael from parrot wizard lost one of his parrots cause it got spooked. Luckily he found him.

 

[Smbrds]

The whole question about being flighted has got me wondering. I'm just faced with a decision with my cockatiel, who are known to be flyers rather than fighters. I'm renting a house, with whom the bedroom I am in right now has 4 windows, they're all covered because it gets very sunny and attempt of predators of my tiel from wary predators in the night; I just don't trust cats or whatever else is lurking in the night. One window is screened. I've moved back in with my family at the moment and living with a cat and dog. His trim for his nails are due very soon....but is there a perch that can also help groom his nails? Before, I used to get his nails and wings trimmed at the same time. But, I think for developing his confidence I like to allow him to fly a little, as in, sometimes he just flaps his wings and wants to fly but in a small space as a bedroom I worry of him landing in the wrong place. Sometimes, he'll flap in place. Other times he seems like he just flies just because. Because he is flighted, he has good ratio as to hold a good land. By allowing him flight, he gets exercise. Clipping is a very personal choice for many and frankly, he doesn't fly much if given a warrant to which is very rarely. I also have noticed in the past when he is clipped, he's also very clumsy. I guess it's also a moral decision in a way. I haven't gotten his wings clipped in awhile and yet his nails are due for a clip soon enough.

 

[Monica]

I think one of my favorite things about having flighted parrots is seeing the pure joy of flying just for the heck of flying and nothing else! My conures aren't inclined to fly just because, but I do have one or two tiels that do enjoy flying for the flight itself.


There are grooming perches out there, but I can't say they work very well!

 

[Chihuahua]

on the topic of free flight, i have begun letting orion ride my shoulder outside and also having him fly to me around the yard. if i perch him somewhere and walk away he immediately flies straight to me. i am going to work on a real recall so if he does get up in a tree accidentally he can be called back. my only real worry though is hawks. even if he gets startled he just flies in a circle and comes back to me. i know the risks and i would not do this with my other two if they were flighted. it'a orion's personality that makes me comfortable having him unrestrained outdoors.