Flighted Green Cheek?

Is anyone owned by a fully flighted Green cheek conure? or has anyone accomplished successful recall training with a green cheek?

I looked for videos showing green cheeks outdoors or even just recall training but could only find a couple. Just wondering about peoples experience with this particular type of conure as I plan to do recall training in the future.:angel:

Well, my green cheek came from his breeder clipped but I have since allowed all of his flights to grow back. I have been working with recall, and I'm starting to have some success. I have no doubt that a green cheek could get a good recall. And as far as taking a bird outdoors for free flight, I have a level of respect for the people that are able to do it, but I would be terrified to ever try it. Too many things could go wrong.

When I was studying how to train for recall I felt so brave (before I brought home Hiroshi) and now I feel much less inclined to bring him outside for free flight. I'll get to it one day but your right, so much can go wrong! Its pretty terrifying....predators, cars, trees, forests, fences, windy days..... scary stuff!

Beilana said:

When I was studying how to train for recall I felt so brave (before I brought home Hiroshi) and now I feel much less inclined to bring him outside for free flight. I'll get to it one day but your right, so much can go wrong! Its pretty terrifying....predators, cars, trees, forests, fences, windy days..... scary stuff!

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Just start indoors and see how far you get, you will know if and when your ready for that sort of thing (you'l want 100% success rate). I doubt I will ever free fly, even when my birds are fully recall trained because as you say...so many dangers out there. I would take them further out into the country, but then you have birds of prey to worry about.

eeeeek I know! It's definately borderline too scary for me too. At the moment I have no huge expectations and I would have to have 200% success rate for recall lol. I'm already paranoid about teflon..I can't even imagine at this point taking a fully flighted bird outdoors lol.

I have a fully flighted conure (but not gcc) but I would never take him outside without a harness.

Recall training is great, but unless you're a professional trainer a fully flighted bird should NEVER be outside without a harness. Most of the professional trainers I know also would not think of letting a fully flighted bird go outside without a harness.

It should not be something you worry about - it should simply be something you never do.

Auggie's Dad said:

I have a fully flighted conure (but not gcc) but I would never take him outside without a harness.

Recall training is great, but unless you're a professional trainer a fully flighted bird should NEVER be outside without a harness. Most of the professional trainers I know also would not think of letting a fully flighted bird go outside without a harness.

It should not be something you worry about - it should simply be something you never do.

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How is he with the harness? I'll get one for Hiroshi instead and try that Did you get him used to it while he was young?

My green cheek uses a flight suit (he's in it in my avatar). I tried the Aviater Harness on him first but I couldn't get it on him. And even though I started young, it seems unless they are started from hatchlings, they just don't do well with things restricting them. I can still get the flight suit on Cody (it's pretty easy to put on), but he HATES it. Maybe others have had sucess with harnesses and older chicks, but I didn't have any luck and I started at 3 months of age.

GreenCheek said:

My green cheek uses a flight suit (he's in it in my avatar). I tried the Aviater Harness on him first but I couldn't get it on him. And even though I started young, it seems unless they are started from hatchlings, they just don't do well with things restricting them. I can still get the flight suit on Cody (it's pretty easy to put on), but he HATES it. Maybe others have had sucess with harnesses and older chicks, but I didn't have any luck and I started at 3 months of age.

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I'm guessing because of their wild natures they are like "what is THIS??" because in the wild they would never be subjected to it lol. It could also be a personality thing, maybe some do great and others don't. I'm going to give it a shot with Hiroshi and see how he likes it. Does petsmart or petland carry them? Or do I have to get one online?

There are a few threads on bird harnesses (and flight suits). I actually haven't had much success, but I haven't tried that hard.

Auggie HATED his first harness I got him, but it's a good thing. I learned later that it was very poorly made and dangerous. As far as harnesses go I'd recommend the Aviator - they're well made and safe, though birds may not like them.

Flight suits are also great - I generally lump them together with harnesses, so a free flighted bird in a properly fitting flight suit (and leash) should be fine outside.

Auggie's Dad said:

There are a few threads on bird harnesses (and flight suits). I actually haven't had much success, but I haven't tried that hard.

Auggie HATED his first harness I got him, but it's a good thing. I learned later that it was very poorly made and dangerous. As far as harnesses go I'd recommend the Aviator - they're well made and safe, though birds may not like them.

Flight suits are also great - I generally lump them together with harnesses, so a free flighted bird in a properly fitting flight suit (and leash) should be fine outside.

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Thanks! He still has his wings clipped but its good to know for the future! I'm just worried if he takes off and hurts himself on the leash! I suppose thats what a well made one will prevent?

I know for a fact that Petsmart/Petco carry the Aviator harnesses, and I think that some petstores selectively even carry the flight suit. The Aviator is said to be safer, but honestly, it is HARD to put on and if your bird is squirming too much you could really hurt them. The flight suit is very easy to put on, and although it velcroes, I find it hard to believe any little gc could pull all of the velcro off under supervision:

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6t3CNMxTKg"]YouTube - Diapering a reluctant bird[/ame] There is the video for putting on a flight suit. I do it this way every time. Also, in the video she is just using it as a diaper (it has a poop pouch). It's when you attach the leash to it that it becomes the flight suit, but it doesn't change the way you put it on.

Edit: Taking off and hurting themselves is not an issue. Cody was just in his flight suit the other day for the first time after becoming fully flighted. He'd try to take off, but it would just end with him flying in place until I put my hand underneath him. Works very well.

Thanks for the video, She makes it look easy but the bird is P.O'd lol!!!!

lol, well yeah, they don't like it very much. Cody will turn his head back and chew at the top of the velcro obsessively when it first goes on. But in my experience once you go outside with it, they get so occupied with the big world around them that the suit doesn't bother them much anymore. I was also told that Avian Fashions (the creator of the flight suit) now has a spray to put on the suit to keep them from chewing it. I'll have to give it a try, because Cody will chew the heck out of it.

A good bird leash should have an elastic portion so worst case if they hit the end of the leash it has some give.

There can still be many risks so they need to be supervised - but the risks are much less severe. If they get startled and hit the end of a leash with some elastic 'give' then drop they will undoubtedly be very frightened and uncomfortable - but they will be safe. Without a leash if they get startled and fly off in a random direction they may not make it back alive.

Woops, I have to add that the first harness I tried was the "feather tether" from Petco/Petsmart, it was NOT the aviator (i just did a search). I have not had any experience with the Aviator harness, but it looks very similar to the Feather Tether.