First time my female umbrella cockatoo almost lost, due to leaf blower

ParrotGenie

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Jan 10, 2019
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Indiana
Parrots
2 umbrella Cockatoos One male named Cooper and female named Baby 1 Little Corella male named Frankie and have 5 Cockatiels three named Male named Pepper, Fiesco for the female and female named Wylie.
Now she is flight trained and does come back on command and knows direction when she not scared and area well, not the issue. Been having issues since first day 2-3 years ago that she get scared of random objects, most I worked out over time.This time she flew down the block due to scared of the leaf blower and she got lost, but when she didn't come back I had GPS on her and can hear her flock calling me, so when near to area and saw her on someone roof she saw me and flew down from roof, which she normally does. My issue is she gets disoriented "Losing sense of direction" when she saw something she scared of, which I use to as flight trained birds before over the years, but Baby my umbrella cockatoo seem to be scared of way more due to way old owners treated her. She has behavior issues.

It took me a while to work out her fear issues as before could not even go though a door without her freaking out as they had her isolated in cage and was not out except for vet visits. Thankfully she much better and even take her to store with me all the time and goes on road trips all the time and at stores usually just have a harness and leash. but outside I don't and just use GPS instead. Every once in a while I find something new she scared of. This time the leaf blower and seem like she scared of large tube objects and trying to figure out a way of getting her not to be scared of stick and etc, which has been a issues since day one, something old owner must have done? I tried leaving the object near, or using object near, putting favorite treats near it, so she get use to it, but she still freak out and don't want to stress her out to much. So need help in figuring out a new technique to get her over her fear of tube like objects, as she go all direction without thinking. Even when she use to be clipped she still jump off and land on ground hard as she freak outs of what ever object she scared of. Most which I worked out slowly, but she always been scared of new tube like objects and has nothing to do with the sound.
 
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itzjbean

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Jan 27, 2017
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I think if she's still prone to scare easily she should be on a harness at all times outside, just my opinion. Then no worries of her flying away scared or disoriented and having to track her down and get her down from a roof.
 
OP
ParrotGenie

ParrotGenie

Member
Jan 10, 2019
946
19
Indiana
Parrots
2 umbrella Cockatoos One male named Cooper and female named Baby 1 Little Corella male named Frankie and have 5 Cockatiels three named Male named Pepper, Fiesco for the female and female named Wylie.
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I think if she's still prone to scare easily she should be on a harness at all times outside, just my opinion. Then no worries of her flying away scared or disoriented and having to track her down and get her down from a roof.


She doesn't scare easy most of the time that why I find it strange, otherwise won't risk it, she usually rock solid and use to large group of people she very socialized and she knows not to fly down to other people and only to me and one other person, she goes everywhere I go, as you could slam door, motorcycles. She knows not to go where cars are and fly high, even when scared. She take walks with me outside in neighborhood, or to park all the time.Just the sense of direction issue when it come to large tube objects and only today, as been a year since she been able to fly outside. As think last owner abused her with a large stick, or something that shape, she always had a problem pretty much with all tube like objects with that since adopting her. She much better as she not scared if it a bat, or sticks anymore, but if its new she scared of it and has nothing to do with sound, or loudness as didn't even turn on the leaf blower yet, as she use to loud objects and being outside in general. Usually I let her outside to play with my other umbrella cockatoo so they are not bored in a cage and just whistle call them back when time to go inside. Now Cooper was use to being outside way before I got him as he lived on a farm at some point early on, so not a issue with him.

I do use a harness when I have her out most of the time. In areas she use to, I don't as I do let her fly around the in yard, or park and etc and she been fine for a year till now till today, as she usually finds her way back, but today she I had to track her down with GPS and heard her flock calling me from roof and then when close she flew back to me right away once she heard, or saw me with no issues and walked back to the house and just put her inside till finish with the leaf blower, then bought her back out again and took her to work with me as I usually do.
 
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