Training parrot to be aware of windows?

Crayfish066

New member
Jul 21, 2017
210
0
England
Parrots
Indian Ringneck
I feel like me and my indian ringneck would have a lot more freedom if I could freely
move around the house with him, without worrying about him flying into a window
and badly injuring himself.

I've read that introducing him to windows beforehand can be effective but
my question is, what if it's not? It seems like a pretty big risk to take and in a worse case scenereo could result in a dead bird.
 

plumsmum2005

New member
Nov 18, 2015
5,330
94
England, UK
Parrots
Lou, Ruby, and Sonu.
Fly free Plum, my gorgeous boy.
Maybe let him get used to one room at a time, gain that mental map? Ensure that he knows the safe things to land on, his cage, his stand etc.

Have you taken him over to some windows, tapped on them, let him beak tap on them? If you have any window dressings, blinds, net curtains etc then use them.

I don't know if I was lucky or what, Plum has paid no attention to windows until recently. He's decided it's good fun to beak tap on the glass.

Ensure that he is in good flying shape before you give him free reign, which may mean some short flying exercises.
 
Last edited:

Kiwibird

Well-known member
Jul 12, 2012
9,539
111
Parrots
1 BFA- Kiwi. Hatch circa 98', forever home with us Dec. 08'
Not that I've had a terrible amount of luck actually enticing my bird to fly, but Sailboat gave a wonderful suggestion about how to teach him where not to fly:

Regularly walk your bird (slowly) into windows, mirrors, walls etc.. until they learn to turn away and make a BIG deal about it. A slow-speed controlled collision is far preferable to a high speed one! I even tapped my birds beak into barriers just to be sure he realized there was a solid object. He now leans away while on my hand, and I hope if he ever does so choose to fly he'd realize he has to turn away while flying as well!
 

SailBoat

Supporting Member
Jul 10, 2015
17,660
10,044
Western, Michigan
Parrots
DYH Amazon
Not that I've had a terrible amount of luck actually enticing my bird to fly, but Sailboat gave a wonderful suggestion about how to teach him where not to fly:

Regularly walk your bird (slowly) into windows, mirrors, walls etc.. until they learn to turn away and make a BIG deal about it. A slow-speed controlled collision is far preferable to a high speed one! I even tapped my birds beak into barriers just to be sure he realized there was a solid object. He now leans away while on my hand, and I hope if he ever does so choose to fly he'd realize he has to turn away while flying as well!

You know when you are getting the point across when they look at you like you are 'nuts' when you slow crash into the window! Have fun with it!
 

T00tsyd

Well-known member
May 8, 2017
1,256
862
UK
Parrots
Green cheek conure - Sydney (Syd) Hatched 2/2017
Not that I've had a terrible amount of luck actually enticing my bird to fly, but Sailboat gave a wonderful suggestion about how to teach him where not to fly:

Regularly walk your bird (slowly) into windows, mirrors, walls etc.. until they learn to turn away and make a BIG deal about it. A slow-speed controlled collision is far preferable to a high speed one! I even tapped my birds beak into barriers just to be sure he realized there was a solid object. He now leans away while on my hand, and I hope if he ever does so choose to fly he'd realize he has to turn away while flying as well!

I have done the same many times all over the house. One room is floor to ceiling glass so I was really worried, but repeatedly showing him and tapping the glass and at one point leaning his body against the glass seems to have done the trick. He seems to realise it's there and swerves away in plenty time.
 

GaleriaGila

Well-known member
Parrot of the Month 🏆
May 14, 2016
15,059
8,781
Cleveland area
Parrots
The Rickeybird, 38-year-old Patagonian Conure
One of my usual suggestions...
Recommended to me in the early days... "wall and window training"... taking the bird around to walls and windows, and encouraging them to tap or at least experience the situation, so they can see that walls are WALLS and windows are HARD AIR. Has worked for us.
Demonstration... it's also a cute "trick".
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jF1lyE72pOs"]Scene 4 - Hotel Rickeybird - YouTube[/ame]
 

LordTriggs

New member
May 11, 2017
3,427
24
Surrey, UK
Parrots
Rio (Yellow sided conure) sadly no longer with us
One of my usual suggestions...
Recommended to me in the early days... "wall and window training"... taking the bird around to walls and windows, and encouraging them to tap or at least experience the situation, so they can see that walls are WALLS and windows are HARD AIR. Has worked for us.
Demonstration... it's also a cute "trick".
Scene 4 - Hotel Rickeybird - YouTube

GAIL! You're falsely advertising the rickeybird there. Look at him, he's being so well-behaved, not the bratty menacing overlord of your home that we here know him to be haha!

I do like the tapping trick, it's a fun game and it does teach them pretty well. When they get it and you begin walking towards a window or a mirror you can see them going "whoa slow down you maniac!"
 

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