Dizzy after flight?

[FirstBird]

Hi! We've had our conure, Kiki, for a little over a year. We let her wings grown out and we bring her downstairs from time to time to watch TV w/ us or eat dinner with us. Every now and then something spooks her and she flies around the house. Today, she flew very quickly in 3 circles around living room. Afterwards she landed on my son's shoulder and seemed really unstable. She practically fell over onto her side - seemed dizzy and almost 'drunk'. Thinking back this happened one other time too - and she was fine after a few minutes. Has anyone had a conure do this? Should we worry? Kiki had her annual physical this year a few mos ago and checked out fine. Not sure what they even did honestly - just that it was $$!

 

[SandyBee]

Chances are that she is just out of shape and not used to flying. Was her little heart beating rapidly and did she return to normal after a few minutes?

 

[FirstBird]

I didn't listen to her heart, but maybe that was it. Last time, I thought she had hurt her leg - but today it occurred to us she actually looked dizzy. Very odd. She has gotten quite good at flying, but we generally try to keep her calm so she cannot fly. Thanks for the response! She is eating normally and seems healthy otherwise.

 

[riddick07]

My gcc went in full on panic mode when my uncle visited for the first time and went up to the playstand before I could recite the rules. When I finally got to her after she flew and ran into different things (luckily not hard). She couldn't perch right and seemed almost drunk, kept staggering to one side. She was okay after a couple minutes of sitting with me and went right back to what she was doing before. I introduced her probably to my uncle 20 minutes later and she was perfectly fine!

 

[BoomBoom]

I can't say I've seen this with my 2 year old sun conure. But then again, my sun hasn't flown 3 laps around the room non-stop. I've seen him panting after successive flights from one room to another but he stops to perch for a few seconds in each room.

See how she does for a few more weeks. Maybe she is building her stamina and getting used to this whole flying business. She will get better and better at it. I'm glad you are able to let her wings grow out. You and her will have so much fun!

 

[BoomBoom]

My gcc went in full on panic mode when my uncle visited for the first time and went up to the playstand before I could recite the rules. When I finally got to her after she flew and ran into different things (luckily not hard). She couldn't perch right and seemed almost drunk, kept staggering to one side. She was okay after a couple minutes of sitting with me and went right back to what she was doing before. I introduced her probably to my uncle 20 minutes later and she was perfectly fine!

Poor GCC! Your uncle must have felt so guilty. If he was my uncle, I would have scolded him so bad haha!

 

[riddick07]

lol he was wondering what the was wrong with her since he wasn't trying to pick her up or anything! But he walked in with a jacket on, hat, beard, mustache...probably looked like some weird hairy giant monster was coming to eat her alive.

 

[FirstBird]

Thx for all the responses! Anotehr question - do you all clip your GCC wings?

 

[BoomBoom]

Some do, some don't. It depends on how well and how safely you can accommodate a flying bird in your house.

My opinion is, it is better to keep them unclipped. Flying has a great many benefits to a bird: lung health, muscle health, a means to burn off excess energy which they have tons of for being indoors, better confidence. Overall it's a healthier alternative and fun for the bird! If you can manage keeping him flighted in your home safely, go for it. You will have no regrets.

 

[riddick07]

I have one flighted and one clipped. It all depends on your home and what you believe is best for your bird. Right now I'm letting all my birds wings grow out and see how it goes... lots of flying birds I'm going to need air control when they are all done growing... The reason I'm trying this is because my female gcc who was clipped too short when very young is now fully flighted and she LOVES it.

I believe its all a matter of personal opinion though and you have to read the different sides and views, examine your home and see which option will be best for you!

 

[MonicaMc]

I know of one green cheek conure that has "drunken episodes" after flying. For this reason, she is kept clipped.


[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSblqOMhYBw"]Pesto, Green Cheeked Conure ..(Red suffusion) - YouTube[/ame]


This is what she used to look like....

http://board.birdchannel.com/Uploads/Images/55c00433-d563-4c20-b0a4-4183.JPG

http://board.birdchannel.com/Uploads/Images/feebc710-39d5-40b8-a9ed-65c4.JPG




I don't know what is wrong with her, only that her feathers temporarily took on an unhealthy red suffusion that she later molted out of. You can see in the following image that the red feathers are mostly normal colored. And then compared to the video, she has no red feathers at all.


http://board.birdchannel.com/Uploads/Images/10e7163a-8f91-4b97-a0a2-946e.JPG

 

[sailorette28]

This past year, our 7 year old Green Cheek Conure, Tooky, has been dizzy and shaky after flying in the house. He doesn't like to fly very often and usually only when startled by a noise. He gets a lot of attention and fed a healthy diet. When we first got him, he was barely one year old, with clipped wings. I kept them clipped for awhile, but lately have let them grow out because I have mixed feelings about clipping bird's wings. Whenever he has flown lately, he gets unstable and dizzy as if he had the wind knocked out of him. At first I thought it was because he crash landed. But today he flew in a circle around the room and landed on my shoulder. He was very unstable and dizzy for about a minute or 2. I am guessing it's because he's not used to flying? Now he is fine and talking away.
I hesitate clipping his wings because then if he tries to fly, he will drop down hard on the floor or crash into something and get the wind knocked out of him, which might even have a worse effect!

 

[SailBoat]

This past year, our 7 year old Green Cheek Conure, Tooky, has been dizzy and shaky after flying in the house. He doesn't like to fly very often and usually only when startled by a noise. He gets a lot of attention and fed a healthy diet. When we first got him, he was barely one year old, with clipped wings. I kept them clipped for awhile, but lately have let them grow out because I have mixed feelings about clipping bird's wings. Whenever he has flown lately, he gets unstable and dizzy as if he had the wind knocked out of him. At first I thought it was because he crash landed. But today he flew in a circle around the room and landed on my shoulder. He was very unstable and dizzy for about a minute or 2. I am guessing it's because he's not used to flying? Now he is fine and talking away.
I hesitate clipping his wings because then if he tries to fly, he will drop down hard on the floor or crash into something and get the wind knocked out of him, which might even have a worse effect!

Birds that do not regularly fly are not physically able for anything other than very short flight measured in inches. Your statement regarding acting like the wind knocker out is very close to the truth. The combination of weak Wing, 'Air Sacks' (lungs) and under developed Heart Muscles can be dangerous. I recommend that you have your Parrot seen by an Avian Vet to determine its health and abilities to strengthen its flight muscles.

Within and near the top of the Amazon Forum is a Sticky Thread titled: I Love Amazons - ... On the first page is a long list of segments that you will find helpful. As part of that list, you will find a Segment named Reflighting an Amazon, or like wording. Read it and begin working on getting your Parrot to flap its wings to build its muscles.

 

[LordTriggs]

Sailboats pretty much hit the nail on the head there!

Essentially when they don't fly they're like an un-fit person going on a run. They can do it but boy do they feel it! Asking the vet is a good way to go and then building them up to flight slowly is what I would do

As for clipping I advise purely on safety. If you have a bird who crashes into things or constantly launches themselves at anyone in full attack mode then yes it's safer to clip them, only after they're 6 months old though so their muscles and air sack can develop. But anyone who clips for behavior needs a slap IMO and anyone who clips to stop them flying outside is uneducated about how birds do fly off when clipped

 

[FlyBirdiesFly]

He is most likely very out of shape from not flying enough. I do not believe in wing clipping and I think it's great that you're allowing your bird this opportunity. My GCC has a very light clip because the breeder did it before I got him, but he's still able to fly quite well and I'm hoping he'll molt soon. My cockatiel is an excellent flyer and loves to fly many laps around the room. My budgie only flies to get somewhere, not just for the sake of flying like my cockatiel.