Harness Training Your Bird?

[BirbBrain]

Hi! I have a 'tiel and her wings are clipped, I want to harness train her and then once that happens, I want to free flight train her. How do you harness train a bird though? I watched some videos and got a Aviator harness.

 

[Sunni Tiel]

I don't recommend free flight in such a small bird. It's so risky and there's no way to prevent her from flying away. Unless you mean letting her be fully flighted, as in not clipped. In that case yes please do.

There should be instructions on the Aviator harness package, but I may be wrong. Don't try anything until she's comfortable touching and playing with the harness.

 

[BirbBrain]

I don't recommend free flight in such a small bird. It's so risky and there's no way to prevent her from flying away. Unless you mean letting her be fully flighted, as in not clipped. In that case yes please do.

There should be instructions on the Aviator harness package, but I may be wrong. Don't try anything until she's comfortable touching and playing with the harness.

I'll think about free flying.

 

[Sunni Tiel]

I'll think about free flying.

Do you mean free flying as in without any harness or cage outside? Or like free flying as in letting her wing feathers grow in?

 

[SeñorBirb]

Harness training: There should be instructions on the package, but watch this video anyways:

Free flight: I would let the wings grow out. It's good for them to fly, it keeps them healthy. But since they are such small birds, free flight training could be dangerous because a hawk could snatch them. I would stick with letting them fly around your house, not outside.

 

[Tazlima]

Free flight: I would let the wings grow out. It's good for them to fly, it keeps them healthy. But since they are such small birds, free flight training could be dangerous because a hawk could snatch them. I would stick with letting them fly around your house, not outside.

This. Tiels are prey animals, and they survive in the wild by living in flocks. This ensures there's always lots of eyes watching for predators, and if a hawk or other predator DOES come around, the movement of multiple birds is visually confusing for them.

There are also other birds that aren't predators (crows, seagulls, mockingbirds, and more), but who will chase away strangers, and they'll take on birds much larger than a tiel. If your bird gets chased out of the area, it can easily get lost and unable to find the way back home. A cockatiel all alone outdoors is as fragile and vulnerable as a soap bubble. (Even on the harness, you want to keep a constant eye out for hawks. They've been known to snatch small animals right out of their owner's arms).

Flying indoors is ideal. All the fun and exercise; none of the death from above.

 

[Sparkles99]

I agree with letting her wings grow out. I was so happy yesterday when I found Aurelius had finally moulted a cut flight feather.

If you want to fly her outside, I think you're both going to be in for heart break. What about bird proofing a large room or building an aviary? Those seem like safer options.