Flight and Landing issues

[allie]

Hi Maggie,

I have so many questions for you! I know I mentioned that my Timneh flies strongly, but lands terribly in another post. Poor girl was clipped at 2 months and then never let out of her cage again for the next 7 years so I'm amazed that she flies at all.

(I DO want to keep her flighted, and I know that's a controversial topic, but I have bird-proofed the room as much as possible and I'm always here in the same room with her and there are no kitchen issues.)

Anyway, I'm concerned because she seems to like to fly and does it with such power throughout my studio apartment. She usually flies two loops around the apartment and then goes in for a rough landing in the worst possible place. She has absolutely no control over her landings. She has, oddly, landed on the floor only to hit the only chair within a 3 yard radius. She most often flies straight for the windows which have the wooden venetian blinds down but tilted horizontally (I know to keep the glass covered, but need them tilted to have light). She clings to them and climbs, but sometimes she hits her head directly on the edge. She will also land against a tapestry that covers one wall--that is her safest landing since she hits the wall slowed down, clings to the cloth and can hang on well. I have a climbing tree and a playtop cage, but she's obviously no where near being able to master landing on them and doesn't even try.

I keep thinking that surely she would try to land on the couch, the bed, the open floor, the large rug or something, but it's not happening. She did start to land a bit better for a while, but yesterday she flew into her cage seed-skirt! I mean, it's like she goes for the worst thing!

How can I help her learn to land when I can't control how much practice she gets? Obviously, she chooses when she wants to fly so sometimes she doesn't fly for days even though her door is always open. Is there anything I can make or put up or rearrange in order to help her? I wondered about this outdoor enclosure from my other post, like if this would be a good place for her to learn to land, but it's only 3.5 feet wide. I would cover the entire 25' balcony if it would help her learn to land.

She often wags her tail after flying. I think she likes it and I know it's good for her muscles, circulatory system and sense of freedom and well-being. How do you deal with an adult who never was given the opportunity to fledge? Poor dear!

Thanks
Allie

[Maggie]

Allie,

As I say in my book, flying is a combination of instinct and associative learning. When babies fledge, they have the instinct to fly, but their parents and siblings teach them the art of landing. If she were around a good flying and landing companion bird, she would learn.

A friend of mine helped hers learn to fly by letting him fly in the hallway of her NY apartment (the floor hallway, which was long enough to do it all.) But the idea of your aviary could possibly help Luna. You would need to cushion it too.

As a matter of fact, you could teach her in that aviary. Maybe you could have it padded and empty. Place her on a perch. Sit at the other end of the flyway. Hold out her favorite treat and encourage her to fly to you for it. You need to make sure it is a treat she loves! But it is dangerous for her to be crashing around. I would put away sharp things that can harm her. I know you cannot proof everything, but I would get rid of things like the sharp seed catcher around cage...it will be one less thing to crash into.

My girls never fledged. Merlin REALLY wants to! I lived in a two-story house with an open cathedral ceiling living room. The guys lived on the second floor with me and one day, they were out on their cages. I was telling a guest bye bye outside. Then I noticed Merlin hanging out on a big chair in my living room. She had jumped from the second floor to try to fly. Of course she was clipped and went clunk. That God the chair was there!

Blessings,
Maggie-