Help? Hazards for flighted birds

[chimera]

Hi, newbie to bird owning here. I'm not planning to trim my cockatiel's wings and I'm letting them grow because I don't think it's right to hinder something they're born to do (I mean, personally I wouldn't like having my arm broken repeatedly, even if painless) and bird wings are so beautiful. Can anybody give me pointers on how to birdproof the house or training tips? I would research but I can't really find any good sources online since trims are quite popular. I'd be really heartbroken if I forget about something and s/he just flies away and doesn't know how to get back. Should I get a flight-suit when I'm taking him outside or to the vet (in a carrier, but I've heard of flighted birds escaping during visits to the vet)?? Please help!

 

[sunnysmom]

I'm glad you are choosing not to clip. Having a flighted bird means everyone in your household needs to be vigilant though. Be careful if your bird is out and people are coming in and out of the house. No open windows if the bird is out. I always keep the bathroom door shut and toilet lids down. My bird goes back in his cage if I'm cooking. Tiels love to chew on electrical wires, cords, etc. so watch for that. If you take your bird outside, yes, he should either be in a harness/flight suit or a cage/carrier. As for vet trips, if your bird is in a carrier, just make sure the carrier is shut securely. And then when I'm at my vet's, the vet always shuts the door during the check-up. If you do a search on "target training" you can also get some good training tips.

 

[chimera]

Thanks for responding, we have an indoors cat so we've already been watching out for windows opened too big and doors opening for quite a while. I'll look into target training & the flight suit. I'm already aware of the electrical cords and I unplug and hide them whenever I take my 'tiel out. Thank you!

 

[TikiMyn]

Make sure to not cook when your bird can acces the kitchen, keep toilet lids down, having several places for the bird to perch and play helps keeping them out of trouble, make sure there are no light vases he could perch on causing the vase to trip over, that is about all I can think of for now! I am glad you are letting him be flighted.

 

[Erikalynnha]

Ceiling fans! You don't know how many times I've seen someone post about their birds having a run in with ceiling fans.

 

[Mizzely]

Ceiling fans, buckets or sinks of water, mirrors, exposed windows, other animals, stoves, plants... those are the big ones.

 

[chimera]

Thank you guys for all the heads up! We don't have ceiling fans and I don't let him out while somebody is cooking. We're checking for toxic plants and I will handle the bathroom stuff and the perches for outside the cage. And I've already said this but our cat is indoors so we watch out for windows and doora. We will seperate them every time we let our 'tiel out.

 

[SquawksNibbles]

Everything I had in mind had already been said.

I’m really glad you are aware of the many risks and are prepared to bird-proof anything and everything for your bird. Not everyone takes it as serious as you do, so wonderful job.

 

[taxidermynerd]

Make sure your bird knows that he can't fly through mirrors and windows. If you can get him on your hand, I found putting them right up to the mirror/glass and tapping it will help them understand. Also, if your tiel is anything like my keet, they love looking for food on the floor. So I put towels down so he can't dig anything out of the rug, and I'm extra careful walking when the bird is out.

 

[chimera]

Thank you! I'll try to somehow teach that the window isn't something s/he can fly through and hopefully s/he will learn. I'm a fan of a not well lit room sometimes so I have curtains. I'll still try and teach them though in case my mum opens my curtains while I'm at class (she loves birds too and sometimes will check on him and lets him out for ten minutes). I don't have large mirrors in my room either which is good. I'll put towels on the floor like you suggested.

@SquawksNibbles
Thank you! I would just hate for the lil guy to hurt himself or to not live a quality and happy life so I try not to overlook anything.

 

[Mizzely]

Thank you! I'll try to somehow teach that the window isn't something s/he can fly through and hopefully s/he will learn. I'm a fan of a not well lit room sometimes so I have curtains. I'll still try and teach them though in case my mum opens my curtains while I'm at class (she loves birds too and sometimes will check on him and lets him out for ten minutes). I don't have large mirrors in my room either which is good. I'll put towels on the floor like you suggested.

@SquawksNibbles
Thank you! I would just hate for the lil guy to hurt himself or to not live a quality and happy life so I try not to overlook anything.

You can sometimes hang ribbon (like you would use for christmas presents) in front of a window to deter them

 

[chimera]

You can sometimes hang ribbon (like you would use for christmas presents) in front of a window to deter them

Thanks! I will do that if I find any in my drawers.

 

[WallyLoopey]

Open toilet lids and tubs that aren’t drained. We always keep our ceiling fans off and have to watch the front door if someone is coming in or out- a good idea is to separate this area with another door or a curtain.

 

[Hjarta5]

If you are planning on training your cockatiel to use an aviator harness, I would suggest you and him becoming comfortable first with it indoors before going outside. I have a Celltei Birdie GoGo for my quaker when I take her for walks, and a small travel carrier when we make vet visits or car trips because its larger and I would have room to put in water/food dishes, more toys, a towel on the bottom if thats needed, etc.

Everyone's tips on bird-proofing the house are great. I dont know if you are able to do it, but having the cockatiel cage in a room where you can close the door would be helpful against inquisitive cats and dogs, too

 

[chimera]

Everyone's tips on bird-proofing the house are great. I dont know if you are able to do it, but having the cockatiel cage in a room where you can close the door would be helpful against inquisitive cats and dogs, too

The cage is in my bedroom so I can be there if anything happens (night frights, cat sneaking in, etc) so I think it's covered. I'll be sure to familiarize the harness before we take him or her to the vet or outside.

Open toilet lids and tubs that aren’t drained. We always keep our ceiling fans off and have to watch the front door if someone is coming in or out- a good idea is to separate this area with another door or a curtain.

Again, we are pretty much already on the watch of windows/doors because of other indoor pets. We don't have a tub so we don't really need to be cautious of that. Toilet lids, we'll have to watch & check before letting her/him out. Thank you for the tips!