Article by Chris Biro, all rights reserved.
Hello Emily,
> I would like to explore this theory a little more. Chris, will you
please elaborate on what you see as the *down side* of missing this window of
opportunity. I believe you have mentioned that the bird has a
"harder" time learning flight skills. But, really, how do you
characterize "harder"?
Takes much longer to learn basic skills. The difference between how quickly an
adult learns basic flight skills and how fast a fledgling learns basic flight
skills is a difference between weeks/months and a few days and sometimes even
hours.
I first encountered this when attempting to flight train several macaws. Janis
(GW) the fledgling learned so darn fast (days) what I had been struggling with
the other adults for weeks with, that I quickly dropped the adult training and
stuck with working with Janis. When I later trained Obee (Patagonian) he learned
even quicker - I used a different method and also moved on his training earlier,
he spent less time out in the big cage prior to flight training. Since doing so
I have had to chase loose birds FAR less than before. My searching for flight
students is near nill now. Some of this could be attributed to having multiple
birds to home in on, but I had several birds then too.
Obviously this means the longer it takes for the adult to learn important
skills, the greater the risks of outdoor flight training. This is why I am so
adamant about this point. I do not wish to be responsible for anyone losing
their bird. If someone wants to hear how I suggest approaching flight training,
I will offer them the best approach I know of and do my best to avoid any
condition that makes the training more risky. Age, in my opinion is an important
issue. This is of course not to say that adult birds cannot learn to fly. I
would approach this with a large cage or get a baby, especially as a first
flight student. It is only now after several years of flying parrots that I am
again playing with a few adults, and these appear to be wild caught's with
previous flying experience.
There is also the issue that outdoor flyers need the ultimate in skill level development
and I do not believe that all adults can achieve the same level of skill development
that a fledgling can. Thus birds that have grown up clipped and flight trained
as adults will always be at greater risk to predation by hawks. I have enough
concern over my birds who have grown up flighted that the thought of encouraging
any bird to try to compete with lower skill levels really bothers me. Even if I
am wrong here and an adult bird can eventually match the skill levels of the
fledgling, the time it will take still leaves increased exposure to increased
danger. That is of course not to say that the level of danger for a fledgling is
more acceptable or worth taking than for adult - as we know some people don't feel
any exposure to such risks are worth taking. The very same reasons I fly my
fledglings are equally true for flying adults. I just like to lower the risks
were I can find ways to do so.
> I'm not trying to me argumentative (lord knows there's been enough of that
here lately), really trying to explore why you feel so strongly about it.
As you know, I've never flight trained a baby bird, so only have experience with
these older ones. I just did what I needed to do to get them to where I
felt they were ready to fly outdoors.
I respect this and am very happy things have worked out well for you. But I
cannot help wonder how many people have tried this approach and lost birds?
Especially before this list gave us others to swap ideas with. I hear such
stories from time to time from people at fairs. So far I have not heard any such
stories from people who have taken a planned out flight training approach that
attempts to reduce as many risks as is possible -probably because I have not met
anyone else who has tackled this in such a manner, most do just as you say, get
a bird then try to figure out how to train it, no matter what its current state
or history.
> Another reason I would like to discuss this in more detail is that I'm
getting the sense from posts I have seen that some folks are taking your theory
as gospel, i.e. don't even bother to try with an older bird, and I know that's
not what you are saying at all.
I would suggest such an approach for outdoor flight for FIRST TIME FLIGHT
TRAINERS. Indoor flight, I don't think it matters much at all. Who cares if it
is a slower process indoors? The risks are very minimal when flying indoors.
Once you have a good seasoned flyer, then maybe experiment with an adult. But be
extra careful.
> Because the truth of the matter is that most folks first consider
freeflight after they already have
> existing, non-infant, parrots in their life and you deal with what you
have.
This is a sad truth that I sometimes find very frustrating. In actual fact, I
would very much like to see more people try flight training babies to see if
their experiences are similar to mine. Is it just my personality and way of
looking at things that makes this approach work for me, or can others follow my
lead and get similar results? I tend to think the later but really do not know
without more data.
> So, will you please talk a little more about what's wrong with not hitting
> this window of opportunity so we can talk about strategies for dealing
with those challenges.
What is "wrong" with missing the "window" is simply slower
training and increased risks. I am not saying that such training cannot be done,
I just don't like doing it myself nor do I like suggesting others do so. How
much more controversy and anxiety would follow Janet's current adventures if she
where training in less optimal conditions? If it were not for her leaving and
maybe feeling pressure to reach certain points in her training prior to leaving,
I would think she is doing it as optimally as it can be done - though I don't
know how much she is continuing her indoor training at the same time. What I
have called "phase 1" skills are learned very quickly both indoors and
outdoors - phase 1 skills are basic flight control skills. Phase 2 skills are
social and survival skills such as orientation, recall, food selection, etc. -
phase 2 skills are mostly learned indoors at first and later extended to include
outdoor flying. Much progress in phase 2 skills can be trained while indoors.
With babies, you generally work on phase 1 independent of phase 2 since they
learn phase 1 skills so quickly that before you have them weaned they are done
with phase 1 skills. Adults have to learn both at the same time. Maybe this is a
factor to consider when attempting to define the starting and ending points of
this "window of optimized opportunity".
Maybe also the term should be more clearly identified as a "window of
optimized opportunity". Optimized being the key word here.
This list has existed now for nearly three years and has had an incredible
success rate. We have had VERY few losses and LOTS of successes. I don't think
you can really understand how important that is to me. I really do care a lot
that I not contribute to someone losing their bird due to something I suggest.
And though I find it immeasurably valuable to me to put into words what I do and
why I do it that way - this helps me understand my own practices so much better
and has really helped improve my own training methods by leaps and bounds over
where they were three years ago - I would not find such benefit to my own birds
and self worth it, if people were losing their birds due to training suggested
in less than optimal conditions. I lost my first bird because I gave up too soon
(was not trying to train him for flight). I did not do everything I could to
insure his recovery. I have had to live with that. I feel the same would
apply if I stressed on this list less than the optimal methods of training I
know of. I know I am not responsible for other people's actions but I still feel
for their birds safety.
Parrots: More Than Pets, Friends For Life
Chris Biro
ESENCE Website: http://www.thepiratesparrot.com
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Tel (360) 247-6415 Fax (360) 247-6416