Your fully-flighted birds - do they fly a lot?

[love4birds]

I'm just curious. Do they often choose to climb/walk over fly or vice versa? Do they fly just for the fun of it? If so, have they ever been clipped? Were they allowed to fledge as youngsters?

Chewy didn't know how to fly (I'm assuming she didn't fledge, but I really don't know for sure) until a year or so ago when she grew all her flights in and I taught her. Now she still rarely initiates flight on her own. She prefers climbing places yet, and never flies just because she can. She was clipped when I got her and I kept her clipped for a year and a half or so. We are working on it and she has gotten to be a much better flier than she was last year. She surprised me last week by flying at a window (while I'm panicking and calling her) and landing perfectly on the windowsill! She sat looking out the window for a few minutes, and then flew all the way across the room to the hanging playstand BY HERSELF So she is improving a lot

Kermit only flies if he "has to". ie- if Leyla and Nin lunge at him, if I'm trying to catch him to check on his shoulder and put ointment on it, if I forgot to put his rope bridge up from his cage to the playgym and he wants to go play, etc. He much prefers climbing. I don't know if he fledged, but I do know he was clipped when I first brought him home. He knows how to fly decently though. He doesn't fly for fun either. I suppose his preference to flightlessness could be because of his shoulder where he mutilates, I'm sure it causes him some pain with flying.

The rest of my fids don't fly, either because they don't know how (Olly, Kiwi), barber their flights (sometimes Kiwi, Spike, Smudge because I clipped her when she was at her worst neurotic-wise and it really bothered her), or are lightly clipped (Lucy, Monkee, Leyla, Nin). Some of them still flapjumpglide (Monkee, Leyla, Nin, occasionally Lucy).

 

[drop]

Cody flies alot, he does not really climb anywhere, aside from up his cage. He likes to go on the floor, but does not climb down from somewhere, he always flies down. He often flies for what seems to be for fun or to unwind himself, he flies around he room or back and forth between rooms or perches. He was fledged as a baby and has never been clipped. Ash was always clipped and has never flown and since he was from a pet store I am pretty sure he never even came close to even taking a first flight

 

[Thugluvgrl187]

Squeeky is flighted and yes he flies a lot. Most of the time he flies to get where he wants to go. Usually the only time he walks is if he is on our bed. He will waddle around and hop from person to person. He has never been clipped. The only time he went a few weeks without being able to fly was when he had a night fright that caused him not to be able to (He lost pretty much all his flight feathers). It was amazing what a change in his personality it made for him not to be able to fly. He was very mopy during that time. He would rarely sing or do his normal routines. When his feathers grew back he went right back to my same outgoing little boy.

 

[Kristy]

My two males that were never clipped always fly to get where they are going. Unless they are walking on the back of the couch or something like that.

 

[Archiesmom]

Mine both fly all the time, but it has been strongly encouraged. We've never clipped Archie since I got him 10 years ago, so he is an adept flyer, and when I adopted Ella she was just beginning to be able to fly again from the clip she had received before her previous family adopted her, so now she is comfortable flying as well When they are out in the living room, they will fly from their playstands, to us, and Ella has recently discovered (and promptly claimed) the top of the fridge.

 

[saroj12]

Little Scooter and Emily and Rudy fly ... they don't walk. Jackson can fly but chooses not to. JoJo and Chickie are a work in progress. I think they will be flying from A to B over walking pretty soon. Poor B Scoot knocks out his flights soon as he gets them!

 

[Babybreau]

Kessie and Sherbert were both allowed to fledge and fly when they pleased. When I brought them home last year, I clipped them since it was a new place and they were in my livingroom and my apartment door leads directly outside. My ex was also not used to birds flying around and I wanted to be careful of people coming and going.
Once their flights grew back in I never clipped them again. I debated it, but seeing how careful my current beau and roomie are when they come and go helped me to decide they didn't need to be done again. Their cage is also set further back in the livingroom and I don't allow the birds out of I know people are coming and going or if we are BBQ'ing and running in and out the door.
They absolutely LOVE to fly and I've seen Kessie take 8 laps around the entire length of the livingroom before landing to rest. Sherbert's flights are often shorter but more frequent. Both birds fly from object to person rather than walk, since I don't allow them on the floor because of the dog. They will walk from shoulder to back of couch and down the length, but then they usually fly back. My birds are definitely fliers rather than walkers!

 

[Anne & Gang]

Sam flies like a jet ...a lot...Mitch flies like a cargo plane lol

 

[love4birds]

Ash was always clipped and has never flown and since he was from a pet store I am pretty sure he never even came close to even taking a first flight

Aw Olly was never allowed to fledge properly (his documentation says he was clipped at 10 weeks old) and according to a letter from his first owners -- we are his third -- an accident that prompted him to fly (clumsily, because he didn't know how) is what caused him to be unsure of himself and is what started his plucking problem when he was less than a year old He is now 17 and the damage is still there... he still plucks, though likely a habit by now, and though he is getting better at stepping up, etc, is still not confident about his footing at all.

It was amazing what a change in his personality it made for him not to be able to fly. He was very mopy during that time. He would rarely sing or do his normal routines. When his feathers grew back he went right back to my same outgoing little boy.

It makes me so sad to have to keep Leyla and Nin clipped. But I got no's from my parents on both steps I'd need to take to ensure their flighted safety, so I had to clip them again. They are very outgoing birds anyway, but during the short period when they were almost fully-flighted, they were so much more active and I think happier, too.

They absolutely LOVE to fly and I've seen Kessie take 8 laps around the entire length of the livingroom before landing to rest.

Aw, she really loves flying! I hope Chewy will progress to that some day

Sam flies like a jet ...a lot...Mitch flies like a cargo plane lol

 

[Thugluvgrl187]

It makes me so sad to have to keep Leyla and Nin clipped. But I got no's from my parents on both steps I'd need to take to ensure their flighted safety, so I had to clip them again. They are very outgoing birds anyway, but during the short period when they were almost fully-flighted, they were so much more active and I think happier, too.

Aw that stinks but it is good that you are keeping their saftey in mind. Maybe when you move out one day they can be unclipped

 

[love4birds]

I definitely plan to allow the full flight when I move out, and I can't wait! I know they'll love it

 

[platinum]

Rain is clipped. I have no idea if she was allowed to fledge properly, but hopefully I'll find out. I've decided not to re-clip her.

Merlin is a different story. She was clipped when she was young, but fledged first. I clipped her one other time, after she broke some of her flight feathers. She never walks. If she wants to go somewhere, she flies there.

 

[Welshanne]

All five of mine have never been clipped to my knowledge and are brilliant flyers. They prefere to fly than walk but do both.
chaz our Macaw has such a wing span and long tail, he often flies around the sittingroom non stop for a few minutes to use up his pent up energy, then he is happy.
Jay only flies when he has to!
Scooby loves to fly often using the top of my head as a launching pad or a landing platform!
Leroy spends a lot of time walking around the floor but can take off vertically and fly to a higher position whenever she feels like it.

 

[dolldid]

mango is flighted learned to fly when wings were clipped that has given him power hes fast never been on floor walking he is a strong bird all because of flying is my beleafe i could be wrong he flys to me to his toys from room to room hes not caged during wake time only night for sleeping

 

[lotus15]

Charles looooves to fly. He likes to fly around in circles around the room-- not to get from point A to point B, but just to fly. He pretty much always chooses to fly, although once in a while he will climb on his climbing net. He was allowed to fledge as a baby but was clipped by the breeder when he was a few months old. I let them grow out and he has grown into a wonderfully strong and graceful flier since.

 

[Artagiel]

Abby and El have never been clipped as far as I know, they climb, walk and fly as they wish to get where they want and at what they want. If it is the top of the cage and they are in it they climb, if they decide instead they want to be on the other side of the room they fly and if they are on the couch and decide they want to be on me or closer they stroll along and then tend to perching on me however is easier for them at that point. They just excel at all modes of transport. Abby does seem to fly just for the love of flying at times, Elvis is a motivational flier only, he needs a reason to go for it and he always lands well.

Noodle had been clipped most of the time I have owned her, she came from a store that had clipped her and I kept up with it at first because where I was living I could not keep her safe as a flighted bird. Now in my own apartment I can and she has taken to it slowly but builds confidence and control, she flies for the love of it as well as motivational, she lands in odder places than my tiels do and loves to climb as well, she doesn't walk so much as hop in little adorable green hops. She is more acrobatic than the tiels but I think it is more of the type of bird she is than anything else. She flies fast, she is like a stealth bomber.

 

[Emmilyy]

My Uncle's blue fronted Amazon has never been clipped to my knowledge, but he RARELY flies, EVER. Maybe if he's frightened or really wants to get somewhere he'll glide across the room, but that is all

 

[Merlie]

Ivy .. Quaker .. was a rehome, came to me clipped but has been flighted for over 2 yrs. now, loves to fly and doesn't not walk anywhere.

Gump .. Quaker .. I got as a baby, he had a light clip and was flying pretty quick, also loves to fly, but will hope along couches and such to hang out.

The Caiques I got as babies, but they had a really extreme clip, it's taken quite a while for their flights to grow out .. and for them to figure out they can fly. They're getting there, but, still like "hopping" to where they want to go.

Squirt .. Hahn's, was a rehome, and came to me clipped. It took him a long time to get over his "fear" of flying and gain confidence. He's not the most graceful flyer, but he gets better all the time.

Kismet .. Hahn's, I got as a baby, she has never been clipped and loves, loves, loves to fly. She's my flying ace!!

 

[brianimal]

Coby was clipped before she could fly very well, after a couple of weeks being terrified of flying, she flew despite the clipping, it just took a lot more fluttering. Now her wings are grown out and you cant get her on land hardly. i got her in June last year and decided that she should be able to fly freely, it was nice because as out relationship built the more i trusted her, the more she was able to fly. Now if i let her out i can hardly get her back in her cage :/

 

[birdman78]

My 2 fly alot. Kiwi, I don't know his history due to he is a rescue. I do know he got very little out of cage time with is previous owner. He flies all over and is very good at it. TJ use to be clipped. Still waiting for some flights to grow in. He flies alot, but he also does alot of walking. I think that is due to him being clipped in the past. I love them flighted, and I hated it too. With them flighted, they won't come to me. If they need to go to the cage, I have to have Kim go and get them. They will step up and stay with her. If I go and get them, they fly away.