Green cheeks first few flights outdoors! :)

Kaya

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Aug 19, 2012
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Australia
Parrots
Wispy (Cinnamon green cheek conure)
Rhea & Thor (Sun conure siblings)
Pheonix (Dusky lory)
Aslan'akai (Alexandrine)
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DItOmJQFmBA"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DItOmJQFmBA[/ame]

Training a flock of 4 birdies to freefly. The other three are only 11 weeks old so still to young to fly outside.

I keep the flights short as we have problems with aggressive wild birds where I live. He did his first boomerang flights today though which made me really proud. Unfortunately we didn't get them on camera. Hopefully Ill get some better videos next weekend!

By the way, I don't recommend anyone freeflys green cheek conures by themselves. I'm only doing this because each bird needs to be trained separately for a short time to get the basic skills down. If you are flying small birds, fly them in a flock!!
 

lebachu

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Dec 4, 2013
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Parrots
grey - name Sol
conure is the species have very good skills and friendly aircraft to begin training you fly free. here is my conure 7 weeks old
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zkEetOCOLg"]sun conure 5-2-14 - YouTube[/ame]
 

Anansi

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Maya (Female Solomon Island eclectus parrot), Jolly (Male Solomon Island eclectus parrot), Bixby (Male, red-sided eclectus. RIP), Suzie (Male cockatiel. RIP)
@Kaya: Nice! Congratulations on successful first flights! Is this your first time training birds in freeflight? Or just first time with that conure?

@ Iebachu: Wow! I would never have believed you could freefly birds who were still on formula! I don't know if I'm more impressed with their skills or your nerve! Lol!
 

witchbaby

Member
Feb 4, 2014
551
2
Virginia
Parrots
cinnamon turquoise gcc - luna,
pineapple gcc - drago,
galah/rose breasted cockatoo - merlin,
timneh african grey - jasper,
pied cockatiel - picasso,
blue & gold macaw - mia
The idea of free flying green cheeks makes me so nervous. I work on recall in the house and we play hide and seek and have a great time, but I don't think I would ever want to move on to outdoor training with her. Not without a harness anyway. I'm way too chicken. Flying them in a flock is such a great idea though. It would be way too risky alone.

Anansi, it's actually really easy to recall train baby birds who are still on formula and just starting to fly. If you're the mom figure, they will naturally want to fly to you to be with you. Adding a cue and reinforcing the behavior is pretty simple at that point. :)
 

MonicaMc

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Sep 12, 2012
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Mitred Conure - Charlie 1994;
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It's actually easier to train unweaned chicks for free-flight than it is adult parrots that have been clipped or never given the chance to learn to fly as they should. Apparently, it's also easier to teach a group of birds free-flight than it is to teach one bird.

Free-flight is definitely not recommended though, especially without guidance from someone like Chris Biro. A lot of mistakes can happen.



Kaya and lebachu, nice videos!
 

lquan

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Nov 6, 2013
176
1
El Monte, CA
Parrots
Yellow Sided Conure
I taught my Lily free-flight when she was 4 months old. She couldn't barely fly when I got her. I spent the next 3 weeks teaching her to fly indoor, then I took her outside. I put her on a tree branch and cued her to fly to me. She did great flying outdoor and back to me. A couple weeks later, while at a cousin's house, I took her outside. She was startled by my cousin's power tool, took off, and got chased by a pair of hawks immediately. She was lucky to escape after 3 passes inches from both hawks' talons. She hid in the tallest tree down the block and climbed down to me 15 minutes later. Lesson learned for both Lily and me...no more free-flight outdoor; harness or no harness. I know Lily doesn't fly away when taken outside unrestrained, but hawks are everywhere where I live. I usually don't see the hawks until they are in the air. When they are in the air, it is usually too late.
 

Anansi

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Yeah, Iquan. I have the same issue where I live. Raptors galore! I once dreamed of taking Bixby to the park for some freeflight training, but now I've downsized that to harness training in my backyard. Not completely safe from hawks and such, but the surrounding trees at least provide SOME cover and somewhat limit the avenues of approach.

@ Witchbaby and MonicaMC: When I think about it, what you are both saying makes a lot of sense. I mean, it doesn't surprise me that it's easier to work with them for the purposes of freeflight than adults who have been clipped, since flying would come more naturally, but the thought of them kind of imprinting on you as their mom (or dad, in my case) figure hadn't really occurred to me. Nice!
 

lquan

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El Monte, CA
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Yeah, I trained Lily free-flight in my back yard with lots of tall trees thinking hawks can't do high speed dive on her. But at my cousin, I forgot that there are only 2 tall trees and lots of open space. Plus, my cousin has chickens in his back yard, hawks prey on his chickens. He lost 2 chickens to the hawks already. He has 3 dogs in the back yard, unfortunately, he was giving them bath inside the house at the time when the hawks attacked the chickens. The hawks weren't there by accident when they attacked my Lily, they are always there watching his chickens! I didn't see them hiding in the trees.

Lily was lucky there were 2 hawks fighting to get her at the same time. If there was only one hawk going after her, I don't think she survive. Both hawks had to watch out for each other so they don't hit each other at high speed and break their own wings. No wings, no food, certain death...
 
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lebachu

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@Kaya: Nice! Congratulations on successful first flights! Is this your first time training birds in freeflight? Or just first time with that conure?

@ Iebachu: Wow! I would never have believed you could freefly birds who were still on formula! I don't know if I'm more impressed with their skills or your nerve! Lol!
conure really good flying skills. I have been in contact with several species of parrots and a macaw and conure impressed me,conure especially outside their skill very good very friendly. although they are not perfect plumage they have great skill while my African Grey takes 2 months to get such training skills. African gray Electus and their skills are very poor when I was young
Drop adventurous fly freely. but when you have the skills, the risk is very low. before I was successful. I've lost 3 Budgie. I know it is inevitable, and I accept it in exchange for success today. although we are sad because we have lost
 
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lebachu

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Dec 4, 2013
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grey - name Sol
sun conure
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYTJDxo1fUo"]vѺ¹t sun conure -3-2-14 - YouTube[/ame]
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n28h8XU8zEE"]vѺ¹t sun conure 5-2 -14 - YouTube[/ame]
budgie
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLay1uWfiHE"]YѺ¾N PHÑ»€NG VѺ¸T HÑ»’NG KONG - YouTube[/ame]
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPiKQdtGUwY"]YѺ¾N PHÑ»€NG ĐÃℒA GIÑ» N - YouTube[/ame]
African Grey took 2 months to get new training skills as insufficient sun conure feathers
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AHbCJlZX1Q"]vѺ¹t xÑm chÒu phi- bay khÑ thành thѺ‘o - YouTube[/ame]
 
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Kaya

Kaya

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Australia
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Wispy (Cinnamon green cheek conure)
Rhea & Thor (Sun conure siblings)
Pheonix (Dusky lory)
Aslan'akai (Alexandrine)
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@Kaya: Nice! Congratulations on successful first flights! Is this your first time training birds in freeflight? Or just first time with that conure?

@ Iebachu: Wow! I would never have believed you could freefly birds who were still on formula! I don't know if I'm more impressed with their skills or your nerve! Lol!

This is my first time ever training freeflight. I bought four baby birds and raised them together from 5 weeks old to create this flock.
I do have an Alexandrine parrot which is indoor recall trained and I have flown him outside a few times but hes not very reliable as I didn't train him from a young age.

Training them from before they are weaned seems to make an incredible difference. I barely even trained these guys. They just come to me because its instinctual baby bird behavior.
 
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Kaya

Kaya

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Australia
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Wispy (Cinnamon green cheek conure)
Rhea & Thor (Sun conure siblings)
Pheonix (Dusky lory)
Aslan'akai (Alexandrine)
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  • #12
conure is the species have very good skills and friendly aircraft to begin training you fly free. here is my conure 7 weeks old
sun conure 5-2-14 - YouTube

I wish I could have started them that young! We have a lot of aggressive wild birds around here. Nothing deadly like hawks or eagles, I cant say I've ever seen one so I'm lucky for that. But we have lots of smaller scavenger birds which get very territorial. They try to defend their territory and chase my birds away which means they can get lost easily.

The day after I made this video I flew him again in that park and he got chased by 7 birds at once! I'm very proud to say that none of them even got close to catching him though. Another great perk of flying a young bird; they are much stronger and faster than older birds.
 

lebachu

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Dec 4, 2013
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grey - name Sol
@Kaya: Nice! Congratulations on successful first flights! Is this your first time training birds in freeflight? Or just first time with that conure?

@ Iebachu: Wow! I would never have believed you could freefly birds who were still on formula! I don't know if I'm more impressed with their skills or your nerve! Lol!

This is my first time ever training freeflight. I bought four baby birds and raised them together from 5 weeks old to create this flock.
I do have an Alexandrine parrot which is indoor recall trained and I have flown him outside a few times but hes not very reliable as I didn't train him from a young age.

Training them from before they are weaned seems to make an incredible difference. I barely even trained these guys. They just come to me because its instinctual baby bird behavior.
Training Alexandrine? I was not looking I saw a clip on youtube of Alexandrine drop. I'm currently started practicing luyenvoi 1 Alexandrine. I wonder why there is not a clip that appeared to fly free of Alexandrine
 
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Kaya

Kaya

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Wispy (Cinnamon green cheek conure)
Rhea & Thor (Sun conure siblings)
Pheonix (Dusky lory)
Aslan'akai (Alexandrine)
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  • #14
Training Alexandrine? I was not looking I saw a clip on youtube of Alexandrine drop. I'm currently started practicing luyenvoi 1 Alexandrine. I wonder why there is not a clip that appeared to fly free of Alexandrine

I think most people consider Alexandrines bad flying candidates; they aren't as naturally social as many other birds, so they don't feel the need to be with you all the time. They are basically too independent. I know its like this with my guy. He loves me, but hes allways going to be happier sitting in a tree.

You can see him flying here. He got stuck in a tree for 5 hours once because he was too scared to fly down. He only came down just before sunset.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3vflViL-s8"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3vflViL-s8[/ame]

I don't really feel that comfortable flying him, hes a very manipulative bird and I know that the only way to really get him to come home is to make sure hes hungry when hes flying. We even have trouble getting him to come home from the aviary if hes eaten that day. He just loves to be outdoors way too much.

Theres also the fact that hes almost 2 years old now, his first flights outdoors were when he was about 1 and a half years. Hes very good with handling aggressive birds though, they don't chase him because hes so big.
I hope someday he might be able to fly outdoors reliably, but I'm going to stick with training the nice easy smaller birds for now.
 
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Kaya

Kaya

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Australia
Parrots
Wispy (Cinnamon green cheek conure)
Rhea & Thor (Sun conure siblings)
Pheonix (Dusky lory)
Aslan'akai (Alexandrine)
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I wish I could have started them that young! We have a lot of aggressive wild birds around here.
By the way, Wisp the green cheek is 15 weeks old in this video. he did his first flights at 12 weeks old. We never got much done between then and now though, because it was either extremely windy or extremely hot and he wasn't comfortable flying in those conditions.
 

lebachu

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Dec 4, 2013
138
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grey - name Sol
Training Alexandrine? I was not looking I saw a clip on youtube of Alexandrine drop. I'm currently started practicing luyenvoi 1 Alexandrine. I wonder why there is not a clip that appeared to fly free of Alexandrine
I think most people consider Alexandrines bad flying candidates; they aren't as naturally social as many other birds, so they don't feel the need to be with you all the time. They are basically too independent. I know its like this with my guy. He loves me, but hes allways going to be happier sitting in a tree.

You can see him flying here. He got stuck in a tree for 5 hours once because he was too scared to fly down. He only came down just before sunset.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3vflViL-s8"]Second freeflight outdoors. Alexandrine parrot and Green cheek conure. - YouTube[/ame]

I don't really feel that comfortable flying him, hes a very manipulative bird and I know that the only way to really get him to come home is to make sure hes hungry when hes flying. We even have trouble getting him to come home from the aviary if hes eaten that day. He just loves to be outdoors way too much.

Theres also the fact that hes almost 2 years old now, his first flights outdoors were when he was about 1 and a half years. Hes very good with handling aggressive birds though, they don't chase him because hes so big.
I hope someday he might be able to fly outdoors reliably, but I'm going to stick with training the nice easy smaller birds for now.
I saw that video. but there is only one training session. 1 free flight that was not what I was expecting. I'm training 3 months 1 alex hopefully I can drop freely
 

witchbaby

Member
Feb 4, 2014
551
2
Virginia
Parrots
cinnamon turquoise gcc - luna,
pineapple gcc - drago,
galah/rose breasted cockatoo - merlin,
timneh african grey - jasper,
pied cockatiel - picasso,
blue & gold macaw - mia
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Kaya

Kaya

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Aug 19, 2012
60
0
Australia
Parrots
Wispy (Cinnamon green cheek conure)
Rhea & Thor (Sun conure siblings)
Pheonix (Dusky lory)
Aslan'akai (Alexandrine)
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  • #18
I saw that video. but there is only one training session. 1 free flight that was not what I was expecting. I'm training 3 months 1 alex hopefully I can drop freely

Yeah, Id love to see any progress you make. I really hope one day my Alexandrine can fly outdoors. Please post up videos when you make them :)
 

lebachu

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Dec 4, 2013
138
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Parrots
grey - name Sol
I saw that video. but there is only one training session. 1 free flight that was not what I was expecting. I'm training 3 months 1 alex hopefully I can drop freely
Yeah, Id love to see any progress you make. I really hope one day my Alexandrine can fly outdoors. Please post up videos when you make them :)




hi ok. but I have not recorded it ^ ^. Here are some pictures of alex



10168923_848773255139277_1444754088_n.jpg

10154847_848773261805943_772967459_n.jpg

10168524_848773265139276_945816755_n.jpg

10149438_848773271805942_1477244923_n.jpg

10169083_848773285139274_1089079113_n.jpg

1482254_848773305139272_945885747_n.jpg
 
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Kaya

Kaya

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Aug 19, 2012
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Australia
Parrots
Wispy (Cinnamon green cheek conure)
Rhea & Thor (Sun conure siblings)
Pheonix (Dusky lory)
Aslan'akai (Alexandrine)
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  • #20
Thats so cute!
Alexandrines are beautiful birds.

This is my boy as a baby:
398406_4159598221638_1501951368_n.jpg

400802_4159597101610_596848023_n.jpg


And him now:
484844_10202286715142659_1449887001_n.jpg


1522037_10201985220805489_752318938_n.jpg


1620956_10202286714182635_1716994685_n.jpg
 

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