I just started recall flight training with Leyla and Nin last week.
I started with just Nin, figuring it would be easier to work with one at a time. Nin is more food motivated than Leyla, so that's why he got to go first.
Method:
1. Put Nin on a perch about a foot from me and show him I'm holding treats (safflower seeds) in my left hand, then put my left hand out of sight so he's not all, "OMG FOOD" and impossible to distract
2. Give the verbal cue "come" at the same time I extend my right hand at chest height, hand flat and palm upwards, and hold a safflower seed in my left hand to get him to jump to my palm.
3. Say "good!" and let him take the safflower seed.
After the fourth or fifth time I didn't have to show him a safflower seed for him to fly to my hand on cue
Yesterday was the first time we practiced on the main floor rather than in my bedroom. There's a lot more flight room on the main floor and I wasn't sure how far he would actually recall to me! But just for kicks I put him and Leyla on the hanging playgym and I stood about 15 feet or so away. I gave the verbal cue and extended my hand and sure enough he flew across the room to my hand
Leyla is getting really good at short distance recalls too. She usually does not like "open" hands because so often they've meant being restrained and having feathers pulled or whatnot It's really great to have her flying to my open palm happily! I think this will be good for her especially.
I can't believe how fast they picked it up! I've been working with Chewy on flight and recall for close to two years and she's nowhere near where they already are! BUT she also didn't know how to fly at all before, so I think that's the reason. It's also a lot easier for a lovie to fly and manoeuvre in a house than it is for an umbie
I dream for Chewy to be an amazing flier someday... she is making a lot of progress but she definitely has a long way to go.
Anyway I'll have to try to post a video or two over the weekend
I started with just Nin, figuring it would be easier to work with one at a time. Nin is more food motivated than Leyla, so that's why he got to go first.
Method:
1. Put Nin on a perch about a foot from me and show him I'm holding treats (safflower seeds) in my left hand, then put my left hand out of sight so he's not all, "OMG FOOD" and impossible to distract
2. Give the verbal cue "come" at the same time I extend my right hand at chest height, hand flat and palm upwards, and hold a safflower seed in my left hand to get him to jump to my palm.
3. Say "good!" and let him take the safflower seed.
After the fourth or fifth time I didn't have to show him a safflower seed for him to fly to my hand on cue
Yesterday was the first time we practiced on the main floor rather than in my bedroom. There's a lot more flight room on the main floor and I wasn't sure how far he would actually recall to me! But just for kicks I put him and Leyla on the hanging playgym and I stood about 15 feet or so away. I gave the verbal cue and extended my hand and sure enough he flew across the room to my hand
Leyla is getting really good at short distance recalls too. She usually does not like "open" hands because so often they've meant being restrained and having feathers pulled or whatnot
It's really great to have her flying to my open palm happily! I think this will be good for her especially.I can't believe how fast they picked it up! I've been working with Chewy on flight and recall for close to two years and she's nowhere near where they already are! BUT she also didn't know how to fly at all before, so I think that's the reason. It's also a lot easier for a lovie to fly and manoeuvre in a house than it is for an umbie
I dream for Chewy to be an amazing flier someday... she is making a lot of progress but she definitely has a long way to go. Anyway I'll have to try to post a video or two over the weekend
Rodrigo was really easy to recall train since he was always curious about what I was doing with the other birds and because he loved sunflower seeds so much. Now he's pretty good about flying to where I tap, especially if there's a treat.
