Can someone explain these parrot playtime videos?

[obie007]

I don't own a parrot but I've been watching these parrot playtime videos on youtube where people bring their parrots to big open fields and let them fly around. How is this possible? Why don't the parrots fly off.

 

[chris-md]

Hello! What you are watching is called free flying. The process to get there is a long road. But essentially they don’t fly off like you imagine because they’ve been trained not to. Things do happen and even the best trained parrots fly away. A dear contributor here lost his sweet macaw due to someone with a ladder walking by, even though he had been free flying her for years.

 

[wrench13]

Parrots are at best 4 generations from being wild animals , and behaviour like free flying takes a lot a real lot of training.

 

[Flboy]

Parrots are at best 4 generations from being wild animals , and behaviour like free flying takes a lot a real lot of training.

And, IMHO, risk to the feathered companion!

 

[MonicaMc]

I have both a first gen captive raised parrot (parents were wild caught imports) as well as a wild caught bird straight from the wild. (based on the limited information I've found). My other bird, she's multi-gen from wild, no doubt!


The people who take the time to train free flight take a lot of risks. It's akin to training a dog to play off leash and come back when called, except there's another dimension with parrots.. and that's flight! Not only that, but parrots are prey where-as dogs are predators. That alone can mean that they think differently. Birds are also in danger to predators outside - this can range from birds of prey, dogs, cats, heck even other people or even cars!


It's healthy and great for the birds, but not for a beginner!