Keeping your room safe with a flighted bird

[Brittany0208]

@Laurie
Alright, I'm open to all suggestions, and hopefully this thread can help out anyone else with similar concerns. I especially would like information about bird-proofing your room when you have a special needs/disabled bird. Java is missing a leg and has nerve damage in his remaining leg. He wasn't allowed to fledge, and now, at 13, he's learning. The issue is, he can't steer, and when he lands, he skids. All input welcomed.

 

[Laurie]

Okay so a few questions, is it just one room he is confined to? Is he trying to land on a perch or something he can grip or just in a wide open space.

Also, keep in mind HE actually has to LEARN. So you will need to set up a safe space to accommodate him and give him lots of time to learn.

Basics include making sure all fans are off if you have one. Also, windows and mirrors should be covered or obsured. Some people offer padded surfaces as well which can be very important for older birds trying to figure out how to fly.

Generally once they figure out how to generate lift they go up and have trouble landing and steering. Practice makes perfect. You could set up two areas close together and try to get him to hop/jump from one to the other, maybe two soft chairs. Then place them a little further apart so he has to flap once and so foeth. Next start varying the angles and heights so he can perfect his skills.

 

[Brittany0208]

He usually only flies when he's spooked and the only thing that stops him is the wall. He has no coordination and just smacks into whatever's in front of him.

 

[Brittany0208]

And yes, he lives in my bedroom

 

[Brittany0208]

You could set up two areas close together and try to get him to hop/jump from one to the other, maybe two soft chairs.

He can't extend his leg at all, and he spends most of his time sitting on his hock or leaning on his side

 

[Laurie]

Okay, so it's not your typical situation. Do you see him flying as a mode of transportation or are you just concerned about him learning to have more control when he is startled?

 

[Brittany0208]

Okay, so it's not your typical situation. Do you see him flying as a mode of transportation or are you just concerned about him learning to have more control when he is startled?

Both. Because he is mostly stationary, I want him to master flying so he can gain confidence and get some exercise. He's recovering from a bout of early bumblefoot, which is something I'll always have to monitor and accommodate but I want him to have the opportunity to take the additional weight off his foot and organs, so flight is something that is a necessity for him.

 

[JLcribber]

Keep him low to the floor so even if he does fly he only drops 2 - 3 ft. Carpet is softer than floor. Keep his fly space small for now. Setup "permanent" landing stations that do not change. Changing stuff is disaster. They learn specific routes and places to go (in time of course).

Your situation is, if Java cannot fly safely and is going to get hurt then he must be restricted from doing so. The best solution is a long but shallow flight adapted for him because he "is" special needs and his chances of being a good flyer aren't that great.

For example, this flight is 10ft long but only 3ft high so the birds are never more than 2ft off the ground even when flying. (pad the bottom and you're golden).

 

[Laurie]

John offers some excellent suggestions. I have also seen you people pad the floors with quilts or screen off their bed area so that the whole area is basically padded.

Unfortunately, when birds startle and panic they sometimes do just fly off straight and run into things. It can cause injury and we do what we can to make them safe but there are some risks. Keeping the mirrors and windows covered offers more protection in this case then just letting them learn where these items are.

 

[Doctress]

This blog and YouTube playlist is about a macaw with a foot deformity learning to fly

Morgan's Story: A Camelot Macaw With a Foot Deformity – BirdTricks