Teaching Flight Recall - The First Steps

[linda040899]

Cross posted with permission from Bird_Breeder-Hobbyist:

Teaching Flighted Recall: First Steps
By mphung

Flighted recall is probably one of the most important tricks to teach a parrot who can fly, so I'm going to try to be more vigilant about training and reinforcement for this one than I've been with some of his others.

<http://bestinflock.wordpress.com/2008/03/09/teaching-flighted-recall-first-steps/>

[LauraO]

Linda: That is a great link! I recommend this trick for anyone who has a small flock. When I get some time I really want to try this with a couple of my flock.

[Janie]

Thanks, Linda, great article! I need to work on that with Big Boi and Shy. Oliver learned to fly to me over a year ago. All I have to do with him is pat my shoulder and whistle for him to come to momma.

[Z28Taxman]

Ditto will fly to me if I call him and he's not already with me. But most of the time I don't even have to call. :happy:

[michael]

Now, if I can only get Goof to learn to "STAY"!......Actually, those nutriberries can work "both" ways. Of course, thats only temporary unless he's hanging out on the coat rack or his favorite window sill perch watching all the birds outside. Otherwise, if I jingle my car keys or ring his dingy bell while calling his name he'll come right to me! I've always felt ringing a certain bell or making a particular noise may come in handy should he ever get lost. Problem is, whenever he's up to "no good" he never listens at all...........:roll:

[Z28Taxman]

Now, if I can only get Goof to learn to "STAY"!......Actually, those nutriberries can work "both" ways. Of course, thats only temporary unless he's hanging out on the coat rack or his favorite window sill perch watching all the birds outside. Otherwise, if I jingle my car keys or ring his dingy bell while calling his name he'll come right to me! I've always felt ringing a certain bell or making a particular noise may come in handy should he ever get lost. Problem is, whenever he's up to "no good" he never listens at all...........:roll:

I have no problem getting Ditto to stay. Once he gets to me, he stays. :rofl:

Of course I don't really have to call him to come to me either (he's gonna do it anyway) but I do it anyway because it makes me feel better. :p

[Daiqattack10]

I did that with my bird (:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCPO3P6VlUY

[marc]

I did that with my bird (:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCPO3P6VlUY


this video demonstrates that your bird knows very well the recall and he/she has associated him/her name with the recall.

I teach my birds to recognize the recall because it's very important if the bird were to escape.
it's very easy to teach them the recall because the birds have in their DNA the ability to follow the sounds so they don't get lost from the flock.
this is my bird Lory. He come to me every time that I call him but
almost all my birds are capable to make this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWnAqGvlem4

[kadee]

That is an "amazing" video AND your bird Lory is "beautiful"! AND the scenery where you live is also breathtaking. Thank you for sharing this info with the community!

[linda040899]

For those who don't recognize the species of lovebird in marc's video, you are watching an agapornis nigrigenis or Black Cheeked Lovebird. In their natural habitat, this is the most endangered species of the lovebirds.

Nice looking lovebird, marc. :)

[marc]

For those who don't recognize the species of lovebird in marc's video, you are watching an agapornis nigrigenis or Black Cheeked Lovebird. In their natural habitat, this is the most endangered species of the lovebirds.

Nice looking lovebird, marc. :)


yes, he is just an agapornis nigrigenis or Black Cheeked Lovebird. It's shame :very_sad: that those birds are endangered; I hope that in future in Africa will be born a lot of nigrigenis. :)

[linda040899]

The problem with the Black Cheeked Lovebird goes back as far as the 1920s when a lot of them were taken from their natural habitat and brought into the pet trade. Yes, they DO make adorable pets but right now, there are not enough to really support that. They have never recovered from all the birds that were removed at that time.

Habitat-wise, they live around the Victoria Falls area in Africa. Reason is that they need higher humidity for their babies to develop and hatch. That's one of the main problems that many breeders encounter when they try breeding this species. I, personally, kept mine in pairs but I've been told they are most successfully bred in colonies.

On the up side, breeders are having a lot of success breeding this lovely little gem in captivity. :)

[marc]

It's nice to read what that you write about them.
it seems that you have a great knowledge about them.
I love them thus you are becoming a person interesting for me because what that you write about them is correct.
It's true when you write that the humidity is the key for breeding them very good but fortunately this is enough popularized and known from new breeders. ;)
are you sure that you will not breed them again?

[linda040899]

The biggest problem with breeding Black Cheeks here in the US is the availability of quality breeding stock. There are a few breeders that have good birds, but unrelated bloodlines is another difficulty. The Wild Bird Conservation Act of 1992 pretty much stopped the importation of parrots into the United States and the only way to do it now is through breeding partnerships and you need the approval of US Fish & Wildlife. I've imported Abyssinians in the past and I can tell you that it's a long and expensive process. If you don't dot your "i"s and cross your "t"s, the birds can actually be exported from their destination, arrive in the US, only to be destroyed by USDA for lack of proper paperwork! The import process for just one shipment can take up to a year!

If I could get 8 birds, all from completely different bloodlines, I might consider it.

[marc]

It's not this a problem in Europe.
there are a lot of great breeder (expecially in Belgium and Holland), so it's always possible find good birds with different bloodlines.
I don't know that there are few breeders of nigrigenis in US, I thought that in US there was a lot of breeders since the US is very giant.
Now, I know! :) anyway I hope that you are capable of finding 8 birds, all from completely different bloodlines because it's necessary to breed these birds, and it's necessary to find good breeders; you seem to me a good breeder.

[personatus]

I love the black cheeked. One day I would move to another species of agapornis, but I can never decide which one. I think when the time comes I will see what species is where. Black cheeked are quite popular here, lots of new mutations about aswell. I like the madagascans myself.

A friend has just recently got 3 pairs of pullarius, im quite excited to see these as I am yet to see them in real. I know the price he paid for them could buy me a very nice car, so I doubt I will ever have a pair. :D

[linda040899]

My heart belongs to Agapornis Taranta. I thought about Maddies but they have a very short breeding life and Pullarius are extremely high strung. I had an opportunity to import a few but the exporter couldn't guarantee I would get them alive.

[marc]

I have seen the Pullaria only in the pictures :(
Also in the shows of the birds it's impossible to see a Pullaria.

[marc]

I want to share this video with you all.
In this video is possible to see how "to teach" at the bird the recall;
It is very important the reward after that the bird correctly performs the exercise.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEvL_waJK_4