Very likely moving soon, advice on transitioning a free-flighted conure

[Skittys_Daddy]

So, as the title suggests, I'll likely be moving soon. The apartment upstairs is going to be vacant soon and my transfer was approved. This apartment is bigger but the layout is very different and there is a staircase IN the apartment (that goes like a 7, you go up half a flight of stairs, turn left and then walk up another half). I worry if this will be a danger for Skittles. I mean flying down without hitting the ceiling that is gradually getting lower. I should probably cage him before going down the stairs? I'd only be going down the stairs to leave or grab something from the hallway. It's not a place I'd be going regularly.

I do NOT want to clip his wings while we move, but I do NOT want him crashing into walls or windows when I'm moved in. How should I go about easing the transition for him, given he is free-flighted and follows me around.

I've been in this apartment for 19 years so its going to be stressful for me too, so if he is stressed its going to make me stressed out as well.

Anyways,

I would normally do a search but my situation is so unique and I feel more comfortable getting advice from people here in this forum particularly who know my situation and lifestyle.

 

[Reni]

IMHO, there shouldn't be a problem with a conure flying into walls as they can see them. Windows may be different. You can hang a sheer curtain or a decal on the windows so he sees them.
Good luck.

 

[GaleriaGila]

I would pass this recommendation along, for learning new surfaces and paths, especially windows and mirrors. I think you may have seen this before, but in case not...
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. It's a good way to tour and learn new places, too.
Demonstration... it's also a cute "trick". The only prerequisite of sorts is that your bird is willing to sit on your finger or hand or shoulder for the "tour". If he wears a harness, you might use that...
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jF1lyE72pOs"]Scene 4 - Hotel Rickeybird - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

I'm gonna watch that video, it looks helpful.

I like your tips. I had thought about that but wondered how to do it. So seeing a visual representation is very helpful.

The windows aren't a worry for me, I've already had to deal with that issue recently. So it's just the walls. Hopefully, I can also use this new experience to finally get him to STOP flying up to the curtain rods. He KNOWS that is a no-no. He kept doing it when I was on the phone this afternoon so I put my friend on hold and put him back in his cage and then picked the phone back up and the first thing my friend heard was Skittles making his 'kissy noises', which she said was priceless. I told her he's a manipulative little s**t. lol.

Skittles follows me everywhere, so touring the apartment with him will not be a problem. He's like a persistent nag you cannot shake, but you love him anyway. lol.

 

[SailBoat]

Moving is just plan dangerous for Parrot, especially if they are not caged. Strange people, sounds, stuff, etc... Doors and windows open, drawers and cupboards left open. Hours after hours of this craziness and who is watching the Parrot?

Best recommendation, in your case, is to cage your Parrot before everyone comes crashing in and move him first to the new apartment. He stays in the cage until the last helper leaves.

Stairways are an interesting challenge. The long continuous stairs and just as much a challenge as the stairs will a landing /turn as part of them. For the Parrot, it is a learning experience. Going up is like a continuous take-off and coming down is like a continuous landing. Stairs with landings, adds an addition turn. Our prior home had both a front (main) stairway and a back (support) stairway. I found that our Amazons quickly picked-up what was required and the greatest danger became issues of who had 'Right of Way.'

 

[JamesC]

Having moved several times with my birds, my biggest recommendation would be to leave him caged for at least the first part of the day after all is moved and settled down. New place seems scary for them but a comfort is your presence. You might have to endure some unhappy noises for a while but keep talking to him. Stop frequently what you are doing to give reassurances and a treat. Let him out only when you are going to settle down for a while in the room with him. Give lots of loving contact. When he seems to get comfortable where he is at, stick him inside your shirt and go to another place he might be with you a lot. Hopefully he will have his head out watching where you are going. I would suggest also placing his cage in a central location so that if he does spook and fly around he will see that familiar place and go to it. My birds certainly recognized their cages. When I was getting Rosco out of the travel cage after move-in, he squirmed and broke free. Went straight to his cage as soon as he saw it. Tootsie and Sidney both eagerly went into their cages when I got them out too. It was pretty obvious that they recognized them and felt safe inside.

With my birds, if they spooked they ended up flying around in circles for a bit until they became tired and came down. Usually straight to their homes. Occasionally a landing on the floor or some bit of furniture. Sidney, oddly enough, would shoot straight up and bump against the ceiling. I'd say that you would have a good chance of Skittles spooking at an unexpected noise or something new. Depends upon his personality, I suppose. But with just the one bird, he won't blast off into the air as a flock like my bunch will if just one of them spooks. It can be chaos.

I had stairs at my old apartment. Had to do a 180 going up them. It proved to be an insurmountable barrier to all three. The only time any of them were upstairs with me was when they went up with me. Usually Sidney. It was a strange place and he held on tightly. He never really did seem to get comfortable with it. Way back when I was young I had a budgie that was a master of going up and down stairs. No obstacle at all to that bird. It was more of a danger to humans on the stairs that might get startled when a little bird came zooming by their head on his way to the next spot he liked to sit.

In my new home that I moved into late June, they have settled in nicely and don't bump into things. Tootsie and Rosco fly back and forth from their homes in the dining room to one of the two perches in the living room. Sidney sticks with me and will come looking for me if I leave him behind. He has pretty much figured out the circle route from living room to dining room to kitchen and back through the hallway to the living room again. He has only tried to follow me down the hall to the bedrooms twice so far. Both times he took a wrong turn and ended up either in the spare bedroom or the bathroom. He will get it right sooner or later.

I have made 6 cross country moves with Tootsie and 2 with all three birds. They really adjusted quickly during all of them. No real issues. I would strongly suggest that all windows have some kind of visible covering on them before letting him out. And keep doors shut to other rooms to limit his world at first then start taking him to new rooms as he adjusts.

Good luck. Hope you and Skittles enjoy the new place.

 

[plumsmum2005]

Just to say wishing you and Skittles a smooth transition with your move.

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

Just wanted to give you folks an update.

First, I really appreciate all the suggestions- many I would not have thought of.

I found several of them quite helpful. The last time I moved which was nearly 20 years ago, I moved the birds last.

Skittles has two cages (one for sleep) and his 'main' cage has a playtop (so does his sleep cage but I don't use it).

He also has a full size playstand and several 'perch' areas throughout this apartment. I plan on making sure he ALWAYS has somewhere safe to land in eyesight in the new place. He won't be out of the cage when I am actually moving and while he won't be happy about it, not much I can do about it.

He is a rather quiet conure and even when he has his piercing screeching, it bothers other people more than it does me.

Skittles is caged anyways when people come over because if he isn't then he will attack ANYONE who comes near me. I hate that he is so overprotective/possessive of me but I understand it. Given that I am the only 'person' he sees 99% of the time I can't expect him to be used to strangers. Sadly, my life situation really prevents me from doing anything about that. I know it isn't 'healthy' for him to be like that, but I am in good physical health, considering, and Skittles will never be re-homed as long as I am alive and the person who would be responsible for re-homing him should something happen to me is well aware of all the issues he would present.

I was planning on waiting til I moved to get another conure (pineapple green cheek) but I'm gonna hold off on that for a while. I think it'd be too much of a change for Skittles and would likely create more problems. Maybe in the future, but not now. Plus, its not in the budget anyways.

Anyways, I'll keep you folks updated and how the process is going and hopefully if I have any issues I'll find some more suggestions.

 

[Dex]

This is just me, but even after you are moved - helpers left etc. I would be paranoid-watchful when your bird is out of its cage until you have all your things unpacked and put away, otherwise you may end up with a curious bird getting into something toxic or otherwise harmful and end up meeting your new vet sooner than planned.

Also, you might consider keeping your bird in its harness while it is out - until it gets used to the new location - etc. Just some things I would do if it were me.

All pets get confused during a move. Over 15 years ago we had a little maltese that got confused after someone accidentally left open the door (during the move-in) and she followed some neighbor kids to the store near our new home. After 2-3 weeks of "Lost Dog" posters & a $400 reward, she was returned, but most people do not end up with such a happy ending.

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

Skittles actually doesn't have a flight suit. It's sort of pointless for him. He never leaves my side, he's like velcro.

Luckily, I don't leave the apartment with him out of his cage, I've gotten into the habit of caging him before I leave the house (even if only for a few minutes cause thats all it takes for him to raise hell!)

I will let him out when I am packing in the current apartment and the door is closed. But when I start to move things out, he'll be in his cage. I'll be doing the bulk of the moving, the movers will handle the large and heavy things I can't carry alone.

That being said, its the sudden noises I most concerned about, which leads to concerns about the walls and windows. I'm gonna block the windows so he can't fly into them (or at least not think its a way through), but that being said, a frantic, flying bird may smack into everything trying to get away.

This is why I'm glad so many people are chiming in about their experiences and their suggestions. The more I hear and know, the safer the move is likely to be for him.

 

[Dex]

Skittles actually doesn't have a flight suit. It's sort of pointless for him. He never leaves my side, he's like velcro.

Luckily, I don't leave the apartment with him out of his cage, I've gotten into the habit of caging him before I leave the house (even if only for a few minutes cause thats all it takes for him to raise hell!)

I will let him out when I am packing in the current apartment and the door is closed. But when I start to move things out, he'll be in his cage. I'll be doing the bulk of the moving, the movers will handle the large and heavy things I can't carry alone.

That being said, its the sudden noises I most concerned about, which leads to concerns about the walls and windows. I'm gonna block the windows so he can't fly into them (or at least not think its a way through), but that being said, a frantic, flying bird may smack into everything trying to get away.

This is why I'm glad so many people are chiming in about their experiences and their suggestions. The more I hear and know, the safer the move is likely to be for him.

My little cinnamon only has one wing, so I don't have to worry about her flying into windows or anything else... She sends me panicking whenever she decides to jump off of things ... like her cage when she wants to follow me. The crazy bird needs a safety helmet!

My dove, is fully flighted though. She hasn't flown into a window or wall before, but it is something think about since she does like to do laps around the room. I have been considering getting sheer curtains - it would let in the light, but keep her from smacking into a window. Just not sure if I want to take away the view. She and Kiwi like to sit on the play-top perch of a 'day-cage' I have sitting in front of one of the windows and spend the day bird-watching. I am quite sure I would have a mutiny on my hands if I did anything to interfere with their viewing pleasure. HAHA.

I know people put those little decorative window stickers up, but - meh. Our windows have the country style # pattern in them (for the life of me I can't think of what it is called), so they aren't large 'picture' windows. That might be why Squeakers hasn't ever smacked into one before...

Anyway... All the best to you as you move. I certainly don't envy you. I hate moving!

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

Just a quick update. I have an appt tomorrow to see the upstairs apartment and will then make my final decision on moving or not.

I've managed to address and (hopefully) solve the issues I was concerned about (that are not 'Skittles' related).

I do think Skittles is going to adjust much better than I was thinking. A friend of mine told me that Skittles sees his home as wherever 'daddy' is. There will also be the same furniture and he'll have the same landing areas, just in another apt.

I'll keep you all posted! I think he senses a move though, cause he has always been quiet throughout the nights, but the past few days he's been up around 8 or 9a and while he doesn't screech, he does 'bang' the bottom cage grill and "tap" his beak on the cage bottom and it wakes me up cause his cage is right next to my pillows.

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

Not moving after all. I saw the apartment this morning and it isn't going to work for me. It's actually smaller and I actually thought it was bigger than mine. The smaller size I could've made work for me, but the layout is impossible. There is no way I can make it work for Skitty and he'd actually have a LOT less flying room.

So I don't have to worry about that now. I'm a bit disappointed, but it is what it is and I'm just gonna have to make this apt I'm in now work for me.

 

[Terry57]

I'm sorry the apt. was smaller with a bad layout. Hopefully something will come along that is perfect for you and Skittles.

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

Actually, something may indeed. The apartment across the hall gets more light than mine (especially in wintertime) and that apartment is DEFINITELY bigger than mine and has a MUCH better layout than even my current apt. That apt across the hall also has a long hallway like my current one. Skittles loves to fly up and down the hallway so I really want an apt that will give him that room.

 

[Anansi]

That apartment is now available?

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

No, its not available yet. The tenant across the hall has actually been there longer than I've been here- BUT I could qualify for that apt if it becomes available and while that apt does NOT get as much sun as the one upstairs, it is bigger than my current apt and would get the same sun in the summer and more sun in the winter.

But the two best parts are that I wouldn't need to hire movers since its just across the hall and Skittles would have a hallway there too. He loves to dive up and down the hallway and I don't ever want to deprive him of flying room. He loves to fly around.