How do I help my bird become healthy enough to fly?
If you can see your bird panting after a little exercise he is probably not in very good physical condition.
Most wild parrots have evolved to fly up to 25 miles a day, while most captive parrots have not flown 25 miles in their life. These conditions make it difficult for an out of shape bird to fly and the resulting pain and lack of cardiovascular potential quickly teaches them that it is better to walk. Any bird with clipped wings will most likely have a high BMI, and be out of shape. Older birds that have not been flying will most likely have bad joints and weak bones. These issue often lead to a resistance to trying to fly.
Young birds have the same ‘I think I can, I think I can’ attitude that we do when we are young. They will repeatedly fly and with experience, learn how navigate without running into things. When their wings are clipped they have very little control over where they land. Eventually each landing is recorded as a crash landing and the bird learns flying is dangerous.
Developing a healthier mental and physical condition is important to teaching an older bird to fly. The fastest method to teach an old bird to fly is to get him a young flighted friend. The older bird will be encouraged to think a bit differently about moving and playing. His brain and body will automatically get more exercise. Get him outside as much as possible to encourage more exercise.
Go Slow.
A bird in poor condition that is forced to fly will become even more reluctant to try. Weak bones and sore joints can cause some pain when trying to fly and land. You need to work on getting him to flap his wings and move around the yard to help increase his cardiovascular condition. Learning to walk in the grass, perch on a wobbly branch and explore the garden will start the process.
Even a little activity will limber up his body enough to develop confidence. Start by holding him an inch off the ground and dropping him on a surface he is already familiar with. Every day let him go from a higher and higher position. He will slowly learn about lift, landing, and balance and he will be prepared to experience longer flights.
