Need advice to avoid wing clipping please!

[CrazyBirdLady]

I have been waiting for a year for Paris (senegal) to finally grow back her flight feathers. She finally has them in, and after a trying time of re-learning to fly and a few crahes, she is flying beautifully now.

The problem is, Paris is very needy, and very bird aggressive and jealous. She now is regularly flying to Alex's (macaw) cage and landing on the top or side. This is where Alex hangs out and obviously she does not appreciate the intrusion. Even though I am there the cage is taller than I am so Alex could potentially make it up to the top before I could get Paris off. This is a recipe for disaster.

Separate out times would really be extremely difficult. The tiels have to have separate time, and Sprite does too. As it is now Alex, Sembre, and Paris are all out at the same time on their respective cages/play areas. I interact with each one for a time and then they go to their cages/play gym/trees. This was working beautifully until now since Paris can now fly to me while I have another bird on me or she can go to other dangerous areas (i.e., Alex's cage).

I am pro flight and I really don't want to clip her. Does anyone have any suggestions?

 

[Laurul Feather Cat]

One thing you need to do is block off the top of the macaw cage so it cannot be landed upon. I put either plexiglass on top of my cages or my cages have manufactured playtops. To further make it safe for my small birds to be out when the CAG is inside his cage, I have curtins permanently on three sides of Emmie CAG's cage; and when the small birds are out I place another screen/curtain across the front of Emmie's cage and remove it after the little birds are put in their cages after their exercise.

You can also trim Paris' wings to slow down flight and make flying more work. You also need to work with training Paris to stay off the macaw cage. Use clicker station training if you can to get Paris to stay on areas she is permitted to be on and away from the macaw. Someone on here can tell you about clicker training.

These are things I use to keep my small birds safe from my larger birds. I am sure others will be around soon with other suggestions.

 

[CrazyBirdLady]

One thing you need to do is block off the top of the macaw cage so it cannot be landed upon. I put either plexiglass on top of my cages or my cages have manufactured playtops. To further make it safe for my small birds to be out when the CAG is inside his cage, I have curtins permanently on three sides of Emmie CAG's cage; and when the small birds are out I place another screen/curtain across the front of Emmie's cage and remove it after the little birds are put in their cages after their exercise.

You can also trim Paris' wings to slow down flight and make flying more work. You also need to work with training Paris to stay off the macaw cage. Use clicker station training if you can to get Paris to stay on areas she is permitted to be on and away from the macaw. Someone on here can tell you about clicker training.

These are things I use to keep my small birds safe from my larger birds. I am sure others will be around soon with other suggestions.

Thank you for the suggestions. I will certainly use those ideas for the littles. They tend to stay away from the birg bird cages, but there are occasional accidental landings.

Since Alex is out when Paris is curtaining off the area won't solve the issues with her. It will help with lading on the top where I can't reach her though, so that is great. But she also lands on the sides or on Alex's play area too. Sometimes inches away from Alex!

I can certainly start working on clicker training her to encourage her to stay in areas she is allowed. Hopefully someone can help me with steps to do that. I am guessing I would just reward her for being where she is supposed to be? And I just need to figure out how to keep her safe in the meantime!

Thank you very much! Your advice (a long time ago) helped me in getting Paris a little bit more independent.

 

[Lyzzi]

Is there any other space you can shuffle Paris to? Merlie posted a link to her macaw-smallbird story in another thread and it HAUNTS me. Letting Paris be in the same room with Alex right now sounds like a recipe for heartbreak.

 

[waterfaller1]

You should not have a spot where you can not reach her. Have a step stool handy. They make ones that fold up or are stationary.

 

[CrazyBirdLady]

You should not have a spot where you can not reach her. Have a step stool handy. They make ones that fold up or are stationary.

I do have a step stool. I am just worried that by the time I get it where I need it it may be too late.

 

[Anne & Gang]

I honestly think your only option here is to keep Paris away from Alex altogether...there must be a way to keep her in a separate room or something.

 

[CrazyBirdLady]

It looks like either seperate time outs/separate rooms or wing clipping are my only options. I was trying to avoid those things but obviously safety is most important.

Thanks, everyone!

 

[Bokkapooh]

I think clipping won't help this situation. Birds fly to other birds cages. It what birds do. I'd personally try to have complete separate rooms for the small birds(tiels and sennies) and big (macaw, cockatoos, etc) size birds.

 

[Sadieladie1994]

For reaching your bird...a couple of choices is a long stick or grippers (like they use in rehab...they really come in handy for other reaching issues0 •the minute your bird flys towards the cage get your stick. •An open umbrella on top of the cage is a deterant. •while these things are adversives you do need to come up with something as an alternate for your bird to fly towards. •the situation may be your bird trying to get by the other one and in that case they would need to be separated.

 

[Bokkapooh]

Also an idea, if you can't reach Paris and Alex decides to go after her, just take Alex out of the cage and to a playstand and get Paris

 

[sodakat]

Why not move Alex to a different room? The others can all be together, within reason, yes?

 

[CrazyBirdLady]

Thank you Mercedes and Peggy. Separate bird rooms are certainly my plan when I move but not really doable right now. I could potentially keep Paris in my bedroom but I spend 90% of my free time in the bird room and I think that would stress her out. She is my clingy baby, after all.

I don't know, guys. I guess I need to decide the better of two bad options.

 

[CrazyBirdLady]

Why not move Alex to a different room? The others can all be together, within reason, yes?

Not a bad idea. Everyone in my family loves her so she would get tons of interaction. Thanks!!

 

[Bokkapooh]

Another option is to put Paris inside Alex's cage Alex is out. I find that the bird who is flying to the cages enjoys this.

 

[Laurul Feather Cat]

I am extremely height challenged. I have two dedicated two step ladders beside the two tallest cages in my birdroom so I can get up there quickly and rescue someone if I need to do so. I also have my birds handheld perch trained and the handheld perch is a dowel that is four feet long. All the birds will step up on the elongated perch when given the command to do it and stay on the perch while I bring them down to my level.

If you bird is afraid of handheld perches, start training the bird to be unafraid. Hold a short perch in one hand and give the bird a treat with the other hand until the bird is unconcerned about the perch. Once you do that, put the handheld perch in front of the bird and offer the bird a treat which is held right over the perch or very close to the perch. Once that is solved, hold the treat so the bird has to put a foot on the perch to take the treat.... etc, etc until the bird is stepping up on the perch for the treat and stays on the perch until you allow the bird to fly off. Fear of handheld perches solved.

 

[CrazyBirdLady]

Paris steps up on a perch with no problem. Sembre is my only bird who seems afraid to, so I will work with her on that. Great method! She will do just about anything for an almond!