Because of Storm’s growing interest in flying, and seeing how much FUN he is having with it, we decided to change things up even more…

Since Storm’s only out of cage time is given via Dave (he now gets excited to see Dave because it means he gets to come out!) we decided to give flight training a try! Pairing something he really enjoys doing (flying) with someone he doesn’t like (Dave, or just men in general) while giving him a task (flying, landing, speed and accuracy) all combined gives Storm a real purpose and task at hand.

He is so focused on his take off, speed, landing, and everything else that goes into his ability to fly well that he doesn’t bother wasting any precious energy on attacking or biting Dave… otherwise he doesn’t get to fly! And what fun is that? We finally found a real reinforcer that is stronger than anything else for Storm – and that is flight, something he has never had in the past.

In just 4 days of flight training every day, Storm is now ascending which takes muscle to do. His distance has gone from merely a jump, to a few feet, to now the length of our bird room! Our bird room is around 20 feet which is the distance Storm is currently flying at.

You can see Storm’s flying skills in the video below:

Tip to take home: Flight training can DRASTICALLY change the overall mood and demeanor of your bird for the better by getting out excess energy he can’t get out by climbing around his cage or playing with toys. Birds were structured around flight, and they need it for proper exercise and to FEEL GOOD.

Jamieleigh Womach has been working with parrots and toucans since the age of 17. She isn’t homeless but is home less than she prefers to be. She travels the world with her husband, daughter, and a flockful of parrots with whom she shares the stage.