My GCC doesn't fly

[polaryse]

I got my GCC about a month ago, and he rarely flies- only when he's spooked. He won't willingly fly anywhere- I've tried luring him with treats, and I can tell he really wants to fly but he just won't. He isn't clipped and doesn't have any history of injuries. I really want him to be able to fly and exercise; even though he eats his veggies, he doesn't move around much and I don't want him to become overweight. Does anyone have any tips or suggestions? Thx

 

[Pixiebeak]

How old is your bird? What's his back story?

Sometimes they have not learned to fly well or have much experience with flight . Or had been clipped and had lots of falls and now are hesitant.

Birds don't like to fly in low light..

Or there could be a health issue

 

[polaryse]

We were told he was four. The past owners didn't give much of a backstory, just said he doesn't fly. I think they used to clip him, but right now he's fully flighted. He's been to the vet and has no problems. He's capable of flying, (when he gets spooked, he does a few laps around the room) but maybe he needs help becoming more confident with it? Does anyone have any ideas for that?

 

[Emma&pico]

Hi maybe If they did clip him he’s just got used to not flying and learnt to get about without flying could you maybe make it harder when he’s out so he as to fly maybe a playgym away a short distance from his cage so he as to fly to reach it and slowly over time move it further away

does he recall to you ? maybe recall training will help treats when he comes to you again slowly moving further away from him

 

[WillowQ]

I bet he hasn’t figured out that he CAN fly.
I wonder if lots of out of cage time is the best way to encourage him? Bird stations around a room?

 

[Pixiebeak]

Ok glad this doesn't seem like a health issue!

When birds learn to fly later in life it's harder for them . They are programed to fledge at a certain age as babies .

But good news , most will keep improving with practice. It can take months or even years . But if able to do laps, I bet will get better quickly.

My probably close to 20 year old rescue quaker has always been clipped and never learned to fly before me. Took almost 2 years to be able to fly and land and change directions inflight. At first she inky fjee when spooked too. But now fly where sbd when she wants. She unfortunately will never be like my zoom flighted ones , but it's a joy thst she can .

 

[Spearmint]

Spearmint had this same issue, as he never learnt how to fly properly. Work on confidence building! I followed tutorials from "FlockTalk", which I found really helped him. He still struggles, but does get zoomies where he flies around now.

 

[polaryse]

Thanks for the tips!
He does have a stand on the other side of the room that he likes being on, and I have lots of smaller perches on tables and my other bird's cages, but he never flies there on purpose. When I hold out my hand just far enough where he can't use his beak to get on, he kind of just stares at me helplessly- even when I try with his favorite treats.

 

[WillowQ]

Maybe you could get him to fly from a hop away to get a fabulous treat; then two feet, then three, then five feet and so on.

i have a (Quaker)bird who’s afraid of new toys and I bribe him with sunflower seeds to touch the toy. That has desensitized him to a couple new toys.
I’m teaching my Meyers parrot to turn around on a perch by bribing her with a sunflower seed. She’s nippy when bored or upset and I’m hoping training will be more fun. She doesn’t want to play alone on her bird tree for much time at all and I can’t hold her and gaze into her eyes all the time.

 

[polaryse]

He doesn't even hop- I can tell he really really wants to, but I guess he just doesn't know how to. I'm not sure how to teach him something like that.

 

[WillowQ]

Maybe you could gently toss him onto a large bed? I remember people used to teach their baby parrots to fly like that. Otherwise have you seen if you can get him to flap by dropping your hand (that he’s perched on)? My Quaker likes to do that when he gets antsy but he doesn’t want to go back to his cage.