Keeping flighted bird safe during a panic :(

[Ladyhawk]

This morning I thought I'd try to use a misting bottle on Kizzy that she hadn't seen before. I took her into the bathroom so she could watch me clean it and work on it. I thought if she sat on my shoulder and watched the proceedings, it would make her more inclined to accept the mister when I used it.

No such luck.

She got so frightened by my handling of the object, she screamed and flew in a blind panic, crashing into the bathroom mirror, which she hasn't done for months. Once while in a panic, she crashed into a wall.

I'm very concerned about this. Is there anything I can do to prepare her for a fright like that?

 

[FlyBirdiesFly]

Don't take her into the bathroom. There are many hazards there including open toilets, mirrors, soap, and cleaners. If you do take her there, cover the mirror, close the toilet lid, and put away any chemicals.

 

[wrench13]

Lady, its one of the reasons I don't flight Salty - you can never tell what will freak a parrot out. In that, they are like horses. I was a wrangler at a dude ranch for a couple years. I once saw a big stallion spook over a candy wrapper left on the trail, and more crazy stuff like that. How can you precondition a parrot when you don't know what will freak them out?

 

[LordTriggs]

it all comes down to teaching flight paths and letting them know where is safe The easiest one to do is the cage. Rio only spooked once from my memory and he immediately flew onto the top of his cage then began screeching at me. This was from when I figured out he didn't like red things that weren't my sofa

Unfortunately spooks are the biggest risk to a flighted parrot but if you prepare them and learn their fears then you can work around it

 

[texsize]

Only thing I can think of is a light wing trim. Enough to let her fly but not enough to make full speed.

It always scares me when my Cockatiels get spooked. they can fly so fast.

a bathroom (at least mine) is a small confined area, speed should not be an issue but crash landing can cause broken bones just the same.

I was unloading the dishwasher yesterday morning with Bella on my shoulder.
When I picked up the silverware holder she flew off.
She knows our house well and went to her safe place(on top of the drapes).

 

[wrench13]

Salty spooked last night , when my foot hit the leg of the coffee table we us as a training space. If flighted I know he would have taken off, as it is he has enough lift to get him off the table and onto the floor. So one can never tell what is going to set them off. We work on this table every night, for more then 2 years ( so say 700 times! ) and he still got rattled by it.

 

[SailBoat]

Am I reading into your Thread that this is the first time you have misted Kizzy?

Misting is best instilled by taking the normal introduction of new things to an Amazon. The bottle moves in with time and once it becomes a common fixture. Misting first starts with Misting directly up into the air near Kizzy, this allows her to see what it is doing and sounds like when your doing it. If you have plants in the house, Misting the plants in this manner is best - allowing the misted water to fall onto the plant from above.

After a few days misting plants, time to try misting Kizzy. As with the plants, mist directly up into the air above Kizzy and allow it to gently fall from above like a natural heavy dew. With time, mist under her wings and bottom. Never mist directly in the face!!!

The best way to train for 'safe' panic flight is to teach flight paths and safe landing places! Its a 'weekly' Real Estate Agents tour of the home with Kizzy on your hand and your directing the tour! Included with the tour of all new things are the items of concern: windows, mirrors, pictures, walls, etc... Remember to teach flight paths in both directions and from mid-points. Also, include safe landing places.

The danger of panic flight is that rarely has the Parrot considered when its going, it just wants away from what every spooked her. The goal of the training is to provide pre-determined safe paths that once the Parrot's mind catches-up with where it is, the pre-trained safe paths start to kick in and with experience, they grab onto the trained paths sooner.

Panic flights will always happen - any number of things can scare a Parrot!

Horses, yaaaa - been there, done that!

 

[SailBoat]

Salty spooked last night , when my foot hit the leg of the coffee table we us as a training space. If flighted I know he would have taken off, as it is he has enough lift to get him off the table and onto the floor. So one can never tell what is going to set them off. We work on this table every night, for more then 2 years ( so say 700 times! ) and he still got rattled by it.

Hmmm, the old kick the coffee table trick! You're lucky, he didn't give you the evil eye and bite you! You know that as soon as he ties the table movement to you, you will have to move onto another trick - cause he will tie the two together quickly!

 

[wrench13]

Yipes, so I gotta be more careful moving around. Salty was so eager tonite, he was tripping over his own feets! Thats a good idea 'Boats about doing the real estate agent often, I generally show my boy around the house Saturday morning , when I am cleaning his hang out spots. Windows, mirrors, walls and doors, he gets the grand tour, and he is not even flighted.

 

[Ladyhawk]

Am I reading into your Thread that this is the first time you have misted Kizzy?

Misting is best instilled by taking the normal introduction of new things to an Amazon. The bottle moves in with time and once it becomes a common fixture. Misting first starts with Misting directly up into the air near Kizzy, this allows her to see what it is doing and sounds like when your doing it. If you have plants in the house, Misting the plants in this manner is best - allowing the misted water to fall onto the plant from above.

After a few days misting plants, time to try misting Kizzy. As with the plants, mist directly up into the air above Kizzy and allow it to gently fall from above like a natural heavy dew. With time, mist under her wings and bottom. Never mist directly in the face!!!

Thanks, but I've been misting Kizzy since she was about eight weeks old. I spray just over her head and let the mist settle onto her feathers. Her enthusiasm varies, but she almost always allows me to bathe her.

As for the bathroom, I only take her in there when I'm going to bathe her. I make sure the toilet is closed and that I haven't sprayed any chemicals recently. If she's in the bathroom, she's under supervision. Gabby used to go in there to shower all the time. He would take an actual shower with me as long as I deflected the harsh spray, but Kizzy would rather I use a spray bottle.

I was trying a bottle that has a pump feature and a brass mister. I'd never tried to use it on Kizzy before. She was sitting on my shoulder, watching me rinse it out and pump it. That was when she freaked. It surprised me because she usually doesn't spook easily. I was unprepared for her reaction. She screamed out an alarm and flew into the mirror. She didn't have enough room to build up any speed. After hitting the mirror, she flew across the small bathroom and landed on a shoe organizer hanging on the bathroom door. I'd closed it so she couldn't fly off.

The best way to train for 'safe' panic flight is to teach flight paths and safe landing places! Its a 'weekly' Real Estate Agents tour of the home with Kizzy on your hand and your directing the tour! Included with the tour of all new things are the items of concern: windows, mirrors, pictures, walls, etc... Remember to teach flight paths in both directions and from mid-points. Also, include safe landing places.

The danger of panic flight is that rarely has the Parrot considered when its going, it just wants away from what every spooked her. The goal of the training is to provide pre-determined safe paths that once the Parrot's mind catches-up with where it is, the pre-trained safe paths start to kick in and with experience, they grab onto the trained paths sooner.

Panic flights will always happen - any number of things can scare a Parrot!

Horses, yaaaa - been there, done that!

Yeah, my brother's thoroughbred mare decided she didn't want to be caught and almost ran over me. I had to hop out of the way.

Kizzy has flight paths in the living room, kitchen and hallway. I should occasionally take her into the bedroom and bathroom so she knows what to do should she accidentally end up there.

I think closing the bathroom door was a mistake. It made her feel trapped. Add in a strange device with a pump that makes noise...well, I should have anticipated her reaction, maybe. I should teach her to fly out of the bathroom if she's scared or doesn't particularly want a bath.

I need to remind her about the windows and mirrors.

 

[LordTriggs]

Yeah Rio didn't like the door closed either, you could see he was just uncomfortable knowing he couldn't get to the cage if he needed to.

He was a bit funny with fears though. Red Hoody = terrifying monster, red sofa =fun play zone. cat ball hanging in the cage = best toy ever, the same ball on the floor outside the cage = clearly going to kill him. He even liked watching that new King Kong movie! strange creatures they are!