Free flight Pois?

[jh81]

so, i am aware of some Macaw people who have their parrots free flighted, and i wonder if there where any Poi owners as well?

My little Kaya really enjoys hanging out with me, and so far she hasnt flown away outside either... so that got me wondering

 

[simon777]

Without a harness, to hold her back, all it takes is an unexpected sound to startle her and then she'll be gone.
A long time ago I used to walk around outside, going all over the place, with Simon just sitting on my shoulder. Simon got spooked at the beach a couple of times and Bruce had to climb really tall trees to get him down.
I was very lucky that Simon never went further than the nearest tall tree.
I do suggest you get a harness.

 

[Hankmacaw]

Free Flying a bird is a demanding specialty. It takes years of training of both you and the bird - and training by experts not just anyone. Even the professionals lose a bird now and then because the bird doesn't come back or a bird of prey gets them - that is sad. I would have given anything to have been able to free fly my two GWs, but they were both chronically ill and I'm too darned old.

What I would suggest, is that you research the free flyers in your area and find out who the very best is. Take whatever you are told with a grain of salt and verify it. Some people just think they are far better than they really are. Read everything you can about free flying. Don't be afraid of using your own common sense when studying this very complex, very risky hobby.

Perhaps an easier method and one that is safer, yet satisfying, is to fly your bird in a harness, with a flight line and a device such as SCUBA diving reel to hold the line on. That way you could fly him where it s safe, he couldn't fly off forever and he would get that exercise that is so important for their health. I fly my Amazon.com : Heavy Duty Scuba Diving Wreck Cave Dive Reel Kayak Anchor & Handle, 46m Line : Sports & Outdoors

 

[jh81]

Yes, ive been trying the harnass thing

It was... disasterous, at best

 

[Hankmacaw]

Patience. Which of the harnesses do you have? I find this one easier to get on, more comfortable and perfectly safe.

Amazon.com : Avianweb EZ Rider Bird Harness with 8 Ft Leash (Pionus Parrots) : Pet Supplies

 

[Dulli]

My Meyers was on my shoulder got spooked and was gone and I couldn't get her back. She was around the house for a day and I kept trying then she was gone it was heart breaking to say the least. I still believe in flighted parrots but I'm much older now and not so reckless. Please be careful its not worth your friend being gone and its your fault, the guilt is real.

 

[Just-passn-thru]

@Lincee check out Chanthebirdman, although he lives in Los Angeles he has an impressive following for free flight enthusiast. He offers training and behavioral consulting.

Chan the Bird Man | Graduate Bird Flyer Program

Chan on Instagram: “Education video: Predation. There are more methods to train a bird against predation than what's mentioned in this brief video in my Bird…”
I have spoken with him about my birds. He makes house calls. Although i don't necessarily want my birds to risk the potential dangers of free flight, i would like to work on recall and harness training . Not all species are considered free flight capable. Go checkout his Instagram. You can email him about questions.

 

[BertAllen]

I have a fair sized yard and four wild bird feeders. They attract every thing from finches, cardinals, doves etc. The Doves are quite tame and never fly away when I am out working in the garden.
The local hawks don't seem to care when I am out and will take a Dove when I'm out in the yard. This has happened several times this year. I decided that it wasn't worth the risk to continue with Tinkers harness training and expose him to that danger.

His outside aviary is good enough.

He hates the harness anyway!

 

[jh81]

Thanks all for answering lots of reading to do i see

Im not doing free flight right now, it was just something i was wondering if it was possible with Pois, so far i have not yet read any story, so its either not done before or not possible.. i guess it will remain a Macaw thing in my book ;-)

 

[Mimi75]

I would be worried about even the best trained pois because of their size. A sweet naive pet wouldn’t stand a chance against a small raptor especially a hungry one.

 

[Just-passn-thru]

More eyes in the sky is the saying that free flight people say. A solo bird doesn't have chance against predators. Free flight parrots are flown in flocks to alert them from predators.

 

[Dulli]

Having said what I said earlier their is a YouTube guy called Parrot Wizard who free flies his Cape and Senegal parrots at a park. He's the only one I've seen free fly them and I know he lost his Cape once but got him back. Good luck whatever you decide to do.

 

[Sharia]

Well, I wanted a brown necked poi, but after watching Chan the birdman I almost feel conflicted

There's also the option to free flight indoors. There's a group near me that I'm going to check out soon that flies anything from cockatiel to macaw inside a gym. They meet up twice monthly. What matters for indoor free flying, I was told by their rep, is not size but how the birds flying get along together. Perhaps there's a group like this near you. Not quite an outdoor experience but I'd love to have my bird (that I don't yet have) fly and socialize with humans and birds regularly once I get her or him.
Best of luck

 

[hrafn]

Well, I wanted a brown necked poi, but after watching Chan the birdman I almost feel conflicted

There's also the option to free flight indoors. There's a group near me that I'm going to check out soon that flies anything from cockatiel to macaw inside a gym. They meet up twice monthly. What matters for indoor free flying, I was told by their rep, is not size but how the birds flying get along together. Perhaps there's a group like this near you. Not quite an outdoor experience but I'd love to have my bird (that I don't yet have) fly and socialize with humans and birds regularly once I get her or him.
Best of luck

That sounds amazing! I wish we had something like that where I live!

 

[jh81]

I should look into that indeed