Part 6 Your Indoor Flighted Birds Safety

[Lady Jane]

Last o the flight articles by Pam Clark and its a goodie.

Part Six: Ensuring the Safety of Your Flighted Parrot – Pamela Clark, CPBC

 

[Rain Bow]

 

[Lady Jane]

So much wisdom in this article. I wish more people would read the content.

 

[Zara]

Another great article.
All 6 parts were very interesting.

I would like to add. My birds have excellent flight skills and don´t startle easily like some budgies and Tiels do. Sometimes I don´t close the curtains because they know the window is there. When they were growing and learning to fly, I would take them up to the window and let them tap it with their beaks.

Also, my vet has a theory, that if you show your bird your neighbourhood, he won´t get lost. So take him down the street, around the block etc. He also says to show the bird different points of reference. Eg, take him to the apartments over the road, and show him my boyfriend standing down on our balcony. Then the same view from another place. That way he will be able to find his way home.

Also, while thinking of the double door system, remember if you do not live alone, that someone else has to stick to the system. If you have a partner as careless as mine, it can be quite tricky. I remember one day I had Sydney, Jaime and Aldora all with me in the kitchen, with the door closed the hallway leads to the living room, again, the door closed. My man was in there working, it is awfully hot here so I said, I´ll take the birds for a bath, I´ll call you to close the patio doors before we come back in the living room.
So we´re having a good time, the birds bathing, Sydney was almost dry at this point. My man walks in and opens the fridge leaving the kitchen door open. In that split second I thought... it´s ok, we have a double door system... but no. He had left BOTH doors open and Sydney shot off. He flies so quick! I shook the birds off me and closed them into the kitchen, racing into the living room, sure enough the doors were WIDE open. I went out on the balcony to look out, my heart had sank. Next thing ¨pi-pew!¨ Sydney was sat on my mans chair. In my panic I had ran past him.
I´ll never forget that day. And now even when it is so hot I don´t allow any doors open like that.

 

[Lady Jane]

Good ideas there Zara. Especially showing your bird the neighborhood and double doors. Thanks for adding some wisdom to keeping your birds in your home. I think the best fliers and a GCC. Does not matter if flight feathers are cut or not.

 

[Rain Bow]

Another great article.
All 6 parts were very interesting.

I would like to add. My birds have excellent flight skills and don´t startle easily like some budgies and Tiels do. Sometimes I don´t close the curtains because they know the window is there. When they were growing and learning to fly, I would take them up to the window and let them tap it with their beaks.

Also, my vet has a theory, that if you show your bird your neighbourhood, he won´t get lost. So take him down the street, around the block etc. He also says to show the bird different points of reference. Eg, take him to the apartments over the road, and show him my boyfriend standing down on our balcony. Then the same view from another place. That way he will be able to find his way home.

Also, while thinking of the double door system, remember if you do not live alone, that someone else has to stick to the system. If you have a partner as careless as mine, it can be quite tricky. I remember one day I had Sydney, Jaime and Aldora all with me in the kitchen, with the door closed the hallway leads to the living room, again, the door closed. My man was in there working, it is awfully hot here so I said, I´ll take the birds for a bath, I´ll call you to close the patio doors before we come back in the living room.
So we´re having a good time, the birds bathing, Sydney was almost dry at this point. My man walks in and opens the fridge leaving the kitchen door open. In that split second I thought... it´s ok, we have a double door system... but no. He had left BOTH doors open and Sydney shot off. He flies so quick! I shook the birds off me and closed them into the kitchen, racing into the living room, sure enough the doors were WIDE open. I went out on the balcony to look out, my heart had sank. Next thing ¨pi-pew!¨ Sydney was sat on my mans chair. In my panic I had ran past him.
I´ll never forget that day. And now even when it is so hot I don´t allow any doors open like that.

I agree w/ LadyJ. Great advice! I liked what they said about birds & shoulders. We both talked about no shoulders w/ Buddy. I guess we got complacent, because Buddy lives on us. I rarely take him through door barrier area. One day I went down thru door one, opened door 2 & stopped (I realized that Buddy was on my shoulder & I was a screen door & 1 step to walking out)

I always remind myself to think "is Buddy on me" before I even open door #1. If I'd have lost him to something that dumb, I don't think I'd ever forgive myself. I know my family probably couldn't either.

 

[Zara]

I liked what they said about birds & shoulders. We both talked about no shoulders w/ Buddy. I guess we got complacent, because Buddy lives on us. I rarely take him through door barrier area. One day I went down thru door one, opened door 2 & stopped (I realized that Buddy was on my shoulder & I was a screen door & 1 step to walking out)

Not only shoulders, but anywhere on our person. Especially the littles who weigh nothing.
My birds like to hang off my clothes. The back of my top, the side of my jeans, on my cardigan.... it´s so easy to not feel them on us.

 

[EkkieLu]

Great article! Thanks for sharing!

 

[simon777]

I'm very lucky with Simon because he definitely does not want to "go missing" again. Twice he got out and was found by someone, placed in a cage, and they saw the posters Bruce had put up. Many many times after Simon would say "go missing NO". He so does not want to go missing again that if an unsafe window is open he will stay a long way away from it and do his alarm sound to let me know something is wrong. It's a pity that a bird cannot learn from another bird's experience.

 

[Lady Jane]

One advantage to apartment living is beyond the door is hallway!