Harness for flighted parrots - To Nick and folks
This is not just for people with flighted parrots. This is also for people with clipped parrots who may like to take them out.
The assumption people made that as their parrots are clipped they cannot fly away. This assumption is so seriously wrong that it is painful to me.
It is not much use to test if the clip is sufficient. Most likely
the test depended more on seeing a calm bird can fly or not. If
calm, even a bird not clipped and is a flier as well just will not fly away.
So that clipped parrot may glide or flap the wings and flap and glide a longer distance. Those pseudo 'tests' give people false sense of confidence and thereby dropping their guard totally.
And those owners in their ignorant bliss pet themselves on their backs and nod that their birds have wonderful clips and is safe and cannot fly away.
BUT, in times of stress and when the bird is spooked, they will fly
away. Those people have never seen the power of a bird that is spooked. They never can test their clipped parrots when they are spooked, by a car horn going off suddenly, by a sudden gust of wind, by a dog barking, by that lady walking past with a strange hat, and they think all is 'safe'.
I reckoned more clipped parrots have been lost then flighted parrots.
Not all harnesses are equal.
When I lived in Taipei, a huge chaotic and fascinating city, I bought a commercial harness not knowing anything better to take Tinkerbell out for walks in the neighbourhood. That harness was so stiff and hard that after a few times, Tinkerbell resisted my attempts to put it on and I gave up.
At home in the apartment, she flew about happily flying to me on cue as well as flying to me because she thought it to be a good idea.
Eventually, I found a huge area, an office space under renovation, where I could take her to fly in what is termed as semi freeflight in enclosed conditions. That was in 2002 and with much discussions with Chris, Janet and others from FF list. (Free Flight list
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Freeflight/)
I documented that and I believe that was the first ever documentation in the FF list on semi freeflights as well as the disection of the mistakes made and solutions. Those reports can be read from Tinkerbell webpage
http://www.geocities.com/shanlung9 in the section "Tinkerbell and her semi-free flights in large building"
Those semi free flights are essential, AND MUST BE DONE, before you even think of taking your parrot out to free fly or fly on harness.
I never intended at the beginning to fly Tinkerbell on harness. I stumbled onto this path by accident and kind of developed along.
Eventually, we moved to Chiayi city at the foot of the Alishan mountain mastiff. But Chiayi is also surround by huge plains of padi fields. I thought it to be safe to freefly Tinkerbell in. The concensus then ( and it appears to be now still) was that parrot cannot fly more than 3 miles.
I carefully selected a site many miles from the nearest groups of building. I deliberately allowed a clump of trees about 200 meters away thinking this may act as a lure to Tinkerbell should she not fly to me. I thought I could go those trees at worse to get her back again to me.
I brought her there in carrier to show her around a few times. She hated harness so no harness for her.
The first time she came out it was ok. It was ok still for a while. Then she spooked and flew. My mouth dropped as she flew and flew and flew, way way way beyond 3 miles. Thought you folks better be aware of that especially when you all seem to be mesmerised that 3 miles is still the limit,
That was a nightmare that I do not wish on my worse enemy.
I wrote of that experience so that if anyone want to try to free fly, they can get a taste of how that could be like.
When I wrote those letters to the parrot mailing list on recovering Tinkerbell after two days and nights . I could not eat or sleep and did not know if I was alive or I was dead. If I had not recovered her, those letters would never be written.
Since those letters were very long, I had to break that into 3 parts. My friends around the world had a shock of their lives as they all grew very attached to Tinkerbell. They thought that she was still lost at that time when I send of that first letter. They did not see that it was 1 of 3.
You can read that experience and get a first hand taste of what it is like to be in the Overnighter's club below. You can also read my conclusion there and then.
Tinkerbell free flight report 1 of 3
http://www.geocities.com/shanlung9/free2.html
Tinkerbell free flight report 2 of 3
http://www.geocities.com/shanlung9/free3.html
Tinkerbell free flight report 3 of 3
http://www.geocities.com/shanlung9/free4.html
Tinkerbell free flight - In Retrospect
http://www.geocities.com/shanlung9/free5.html
Ultimately, it was my deliberate targetting of kindergartens and junior schools with fliers and
posters adding to my pool of eyes and ears with younger people more likely to see and talk among themselves that lead to final recovery. It was a kid that gave me the break I needed. Bear that in mind if you need to recover your parrot. Not that what I said help. I have seen so many recovery attempts here that did not seem to consider kids can be your most important assets as they are more honest and open.
Our vision and our hearing is nothing like that of parrots with their much superior senses. What you deemed to be 'safe' may be very threatening to them.
You cannot make assumptions on their behalf as to their surroundings. A few months after that incident, I came across an article in the local press that thousands of ducks in the farms around the area were dying. There was a military airbase in that area. To prevent accidents from birds striking the planes, the airbase used an ultrasonic device to scare away birds. That frightened the ducks leading to their death. It could just be that at that time when I took Tinkerbell for her truly free flight, that airbase might have activated the alarm scaring Tinkerbell and spooking her off.
Since then, I knew I had to take a different course of action. I gave up all further thoughts of free flying. But I love the mountains and forests of Taiwan, more beautiful than my words can describe and far exceeding my ability to capture on photographs. So even if you enjoyed the photos I and my wife had taken, they are only a shadow compared to the true reality of those places. I wanted to take Tinkerbell with me even if she will not free fly.
I decided to try using a harness that I designed. The commercial harnesses available for parrots then were, and still are, totally unsuitable. I strongly advice against buying them.
On a trip to the mountains shortly after that, and with my martial arts background, I made an inspired step by making radically different assumptions in harness to create the new Tinkerbell harness. That hard and strong does not mean the harness is safer when they hate it and will chew that off. Soft seemingly weak harness may be stronger as they will accept it and not want to chew it away. I do not know if your parrot is like Tinkerbell. But Tinkerbell who could chew wooden toys to bits hardly chew on her harness after an short initial stage. It is your choice to make. But I have walked that walk with Tinkerbell still around even if with her present caregiver, who by the way, takes Tink out every evening and fly her in her harness.
That harness was meant to take her out in and not originally thought of taking her to fly. That harness worked and Tinkerbell accepted it. So we went out with her in harness and a reelable dog leash. And of course, she flew a bit in it and seemed to be comfortable flying in that harness I designed. I did not expect her to fly in harness originally. Tinkerbell had different ideas and flew in that harness. I complied with her wishes and explore means to lighten her leash. That was how the harness was developed from just a harness to a flying harness.
Then I thought what if I used a lighter leash. I found this high tech high strength braided fishing line made from Dyneema. I also found that this material is also used for bullet proof vest and stronger than Kevlar.
Do see the report I made on the first flight of Tink with fishing line as leash in "Tinkerbell at Alishan Dinghu (first use of fishing line)"
http://www.geocities.com/shanlung9/wtink01dinghu.htm
We travelled high and low, far and wide after that. You can read and see the photos made of a small fraction of the trips we made. We were out almost every weekends. Tinkerbell was taken to fly from low down to me high up on a hill. She flew from up above to me several floors below. She flew in the mountains and forests. We went for walks to look at the stars and fireflies at night. She flew in winds near tyhoon force. She flew in gusty shifty winds. She was out from me at over 70 meters when a rainstorm suddenly hit. I gave the recall and she flew back in the rain.
In the temple grounds to parks to seaside to meadows. She flew in a freedom that you can only get a glimpse of from my reports.
She developed confidence and poise from outings to outings. I smiled when I read about how easily greys are spooked by even addition of a new chair in the house, or the color of a new shirt. I mentally contrast that to the thousands of new people she met in her travels and the new hotel rooms that she was introduced to almost every weekend.
At first she flew to me on recall only in straight line. Then she varied it as her strength and confidence grew. Her best flights were never captured by my camera. She may fly to me, than soar in a twisting flight upwards to circle around, then fly in a big circle and weaved down to me. The memory of my camera ran out as we tried to capture those long flights. A shadow of that beauty exist only in my words of those reports as I tried by best to describe what could not be photographed.
She rarely snag the line. Even when she did, I wrote in detail how to handle those snagged lines which seemed never to be read , or read and disbelieved in, or read and totally forgotten as snagging in trees pop up now and again as a snug reason as to why harness should not be used.
Yes, the other reason against harness is that 'they hit a brick wall' when they reached the end of the line. I am sorry for plagiarising from what I have written before but I thought I gather that into this letter as well as it is going out to all groups.
We need not worry so much about the flying to the end and the jerk.
In all the 'end of line' encounters with Tinkerbell, she just kind of
swivel onto a new direction. None of those 'hitting a brick wall'
scenerio'.
I wondered over that before and decided it was a matter of applied
mechanics.
First of all, our arm holding the line, the line, and her body all have
a certain 'looseness' and give to them. The jerk is not an
abrupt 'hitting of brick wall'.
When they fly, their center of gravity , CG, is not and never will be
at the point of tether to the harness. To be more explicit, that CG
will be at the point of tether if that tether can be threaded
physically through the heart. The stop will then be abrupt, but then,
with the tether through the heart, you need not worry about her flying
fast or even flying at all.
That meant the CG is off-set away from the line. The point of
attachment of the tether to the harness acts as a hinge. So when the
end of line is reached, the body kind of rotate around onto a new
direction.
Tinkerbell knew it. There had been many times she deliberately flew to
the end of the line away from me to twist at the end to fly in big
circles a few times before returning back to me again.
Tinkerbell love the harness I made for her. To the extent that when I did not take her out on the regular time, she would pick that up and flew over to me chastising me that I did not put it on to take her out in.
Now, as to that final step for people on the free flight list where you take your parrot to that first free flight in the open, do not just consider that just as one step of from step 3 . "semi freeflight in enclosed conditions" to step 4. "Freeflight in the open" just as step 3 "semi freeflight in enclosed conditions" is a step from step 2. "free flight at home"
Those steps are merely numbers. The chasm between step 3 and step 4 is ten times that from step 2 and step 3. Should you ever try step 3 "semi freeflight in enclosed conditions" for the first time, you will encounter pounding in your heart like never before even though you know the bird is flown in safe enclosed conditions.
People have free flown safely. My bird whisperer of Tsaoling, Chris Biro, Bart, Janet, Gay and a few more came to my mind. The conditions and most important, their temperament and the temperament of their flock are unique to them.
Harness can be a safe intermediate step between step 3 and step 4. Your parrot can be brought out to be familiar with the surroundings and to get use to the outside. With that harness on, you do not have fear in your marrow and your heart pounding away. Parrots are empaths, and your very fear of them flying away may cause them to fly away. If you take your parrot in a carrier, it will not be the same. Imagine you are a parrot and in a carrier as against you as a parrot wearing a harness. The view and perception you will have will be very different. You as the parrot will be more comfortable in that place.
Then if your parrot wearing the harness is given recall cues and flies back on short distance, that will further lessen the fear of your parrot and of yourself. Nothing is ever certain. But you have decrease the chances of spooking very much more by also training and getting your parrot used to the harness.
The choice of that final step is yours. You have her safety , and also her happiness in your hands and only you can decide if you are going to cross that Rubicon. You will only make that choice when you are ready to. You may not even need to go into step 4. Taking her out to let her fly in harness may be enough for you. Even if she is clipped, taking her out in harness and leash will give you a lot more security that not in harness amd leash at all.
Now, should you have removed the harness to let her fly freely, what about that lovely park in the next valley, or the lake side that you love?
Does it make more sense to take her there in her harness that she can fly a bit as well as the carrier cage to put her back into should it rain?
Or is free flight as flights in a closed warehouse or around your house only what you are contented with?
If your answer is no, either you are as good as Chris that you need not consider harness or you are as bad as me and think harness and leash can be your answer.
More important than the harness would be the training and bonding I and Tinkerbell had. I wrote that in detail, kind of road map for anyone who may
want to do what I have done.
I wrote of how to make safe the home environment and what you expect
from a flighted parrot at home in Tinkerbell Legacy. The URL pointer
to that is also in her home page.
I cannot recommend any of the harnesses that are now being sold
commercially. Even if you do not intend your bird to fly with them,
they have very serious design flaws.
I just list some of them.
1. They are stiff and uncomfortable for your bird. Even if they
tolerate the harness at the beginning, in time, they will not allow
you to put them on. I bought Kaylor harness. Tink was ok the first
time. Each time met greater and greater resistance and after 6
times, I gave up trying. Until Tink flew away on the free flight, I
had to rethink seriously harness again.
2. Some of the harness uses elastic which can stretch. In flight,
especially spooked flights, that may lead to their release.
3. The commercial harnesses relied on small teensy buckles that are
difficult to put on. It is not likely that your bird will tolerate
for long the fiddling that you need to do to put them on
4 . Correct fitting is of paramount importance. As CAGS ranged from 300 grams to 500+ grams, it is not possible one size fits all even just in that one species. You must size your own harness to your own bird. Or do you wish to rely on "one size fits all"?
4. All of them uses the spring loaded thingy wingy to latch the
leash to the harness. That may be satisfactory for dogs and cats or
even ferrets. Now, after Tink got the hang of it, she undid those
spring loaded thingy wingy in half second flat. I was walking on a
mountain road shrouded in mist when I heard that 'click' and realised
the leash was hanging down from my hand. You can read that full
account in
' More development of Tink harness during trip to Alishan mountain'
http://www.geocities.com/shanlung9/harness4.html
You do not want that happening to you. Can you allow the safety of
your beloved fids on those devices? Can you hope that they are so
much more stupid than Tink that they cannot figure out how to open
those thingy wingy?
I cannot but stress how shocked I am that those kind of fastenings
are used for for all harnesses for parrots
You need not do the design. I did the design, tested at each stage
by Tinkerbell and finally refined to the stage I can do that easily
even though I dunno how to sew.
All you need is either a nice thick shoelace or the soft lanyard that
you hang your mobile phone on and the high tech Dyneema braided
fishing line that I recommend using. That same fibre is used for
bullet proof vest and stronger than Kevlar. Do not use monofilament
as braided lines are much more flexible and resistant to abrasion.
If you are worried that your parrot or macaw or alex chew through those shoelace or lanyard, thread a couple of Dyneema fishing line through the center or the shoelace/lanyard for security.
I wrote on my design in detail together with URL pointers to step by
step photos. The most important part is the principle of it.
You may take 3 times as long as me to make that harness. But I need
10 minutes, of which much time was actually spend in photographing
the step by step. So you figure how long you need to spend.
If your bird is clipped and you like to take her out, you need not go
through all that I recommend for a flighted bird. No need for
recalls or prior flights in secure big space. But clicker training
is always a very good idea to train and bond with your fid even if
you have no intention of flying her.
But you must accustom your bird to the harness.
I am cutting and pasting a portion of Tinkerbell Legacy. See that
part that dealt with the harness and how to put it on.
Tinkerbell Legacy - Final Rant - Bringing it all together
http://www.livejournal.com/users/shanlung/5196.html
(if you like to read that in full, go to above URL. If you have not
done so, read the earlier rants I made on Tinkerbell Legacy dealing
from home environment to clicker training )
=========================================================
I also thought I should bring to a conclusion the legacy of Tinkerbell.
I had written earlier of clicker training and of the target stick. For more details of clicker training, it is strongly advised you join either of the two clicker training groups that I mentioned before.
The training that you will be doing together with your charge is a long term process. It is also a daily process. It is not so much as to training but a bonding that you do with your charge. In my view, they understand you much better than you may understand them. The training should not be a mechanical process that with enough repeats, you can get them to do things immediately like clockwork. Perhaps that can be done. But ask yourself, will that be enjoyable to her? and to you? that you can proceed to do such unenjoyable procedures on a daily basis? It is far better to have a routine that both likes and look forward to. If you got a flying bird, if she does not like it, it will not be possible to make her do it. It is much more important to keep it interesting enough for her to like what you are doing with her. Many repeats one after another is not going to fit that most important requirement.
Life must be more than mindless rote training on either side.
Clicker training session with Tinkerbell consisted of maybe 25% clicker training intersperse with lots of talking and headrubs. That may be sessions of 5 to 10 minutes long and about twice or three times a day. The daily outdoor flights with her were part of the training but not considered as clicker training here.
With that 'touch target' technique, you are onto a lot of other tricks that you can teach her.
I bought those different color and shape baby toys with the thought of teaching her color and shapes. I laid them out in front of her, use the target stick to touch one of them and told her to touch target. She immediately knew it was not the stick and the block being referred to. I had visions of getting her to pick up objects by verbally telling her the color and shape and she getting that right and dropping into the container. It went so well that first session that I thought it was going to be too easy.
She picked up the blocks as indicated by the target stick. She got clicked and treat a few times. I placed out my hand and told her to drop it there. She walked up to my hand and placed it. She got clicked and treat. What happened was a quirk of fate. HalfTail my cat and Zorro my ferret were also let out to play on the floor and they happened to be there at that time. The block slipped from my hand and fell near HT. HT had a fright and jumped up.
Tinkerbell thought it was so much fun to frighten poor HT even if that first time was an accident. At the next request to pick up the block with the target stick, she did that and deliberately threw it down near HT. HT had another fright and ran away. Tink then took another block and flew to aim at HT. I got excited myself and added my emotions to the situation and Tink felt it was a great game she got on to, taking blocks and hurling at HT and Zorro.
That ended the attempts to teach Tink to pick up blocks. That was another reason why I felt parrots, or at least Tink is an empath able to pick up emotions. I did not feel it fair (and I was too lazy) to want to lock up HT and Zorro everytime I teach Tink. Everytime I took out the blocks, she would pick one to throw at HT or to fly with it to bomb HT. That was Tink's interpretation which I could not correct or bring myself to correct.
I store those blocks away. But perhaps you may have better luck with that especially if you do not have other pets around to act as distraction.
My main aim at that time was to get Tink to fly back to me on cue. I focused on 'touch target'. But with variations of touching the target stick. To get her to bend up and bend down and walk or fly to the target stick was too easy. I had to use more complex variations to keep her interest. You can see that in an old letter together with photos of her doing that.
http://www.geocities.com/shanlung9/clicker-L-tinktouchtarget.html
This 'touch target' was the basis of how I taught her to fly back to me on recall.
http://www.geocities.com/shanlung9/w8recalltraining.htm
The above URL is an earlier letter that I wrote on recall training. Even if your parrot does not fly as yet, you should teach them recall training even if they walk to you now. You get them into the habit of coming to you when you call them. When they can fly, it will be that much easier.
If your parrot do not fly now, it may be possible to get them to fly later when new flight feathers are grown. This may not be a definate thing. If your parrot had not been allowed to fledge and fly for a few weeks before the feathers were clipped and if they are many years old now, they may not even fly after the flight feathers are grown again.
You cannot teach them how to fly. After all, you cannot fly yourself. BUT, you can give them a very safe environment for them to practise their first flights. The first flights can be very scary for them and for yourself. It was scary for me and very painful to watch her hit the walls and slide down. If I had to do that again, I would have prepared a special room with nettings along the walls for her to cling to.
http://www.geocities.com/shanlung9/wflyindoor1.html
Above URL is another earlier letter on teaching your parrot to fly indoors.
After your parrot is flying about inside your house and coming to you on recalls, you need to take her to fly in much bigger enclosed areas. If you live in a huge mansion, you should also take her to that bigger enclosed areas. You need to let her really stretch her wings safely and you need to gain the temperament and confidence in yourself and her. Your fear can affect her and this is a vital step before attempting harness on outside.
Go into Tinkerbell webpages and read all that I wrote under the main category of "Tinkerbell and her semi-free flights in large building" . You may find the mistakes I made so you need not repeat them. Most of all, you and her will have the fun of it.
With successful recalls in big enclosed areas, you can now think of taking her out in harness.
Do read what I think of harness usage in "Using Harness"
http://www.geocities.com/shanlung9/wUsingHarness.html
Your parrot must be ready to wear the harness. To wear the harness, she must allow you to stroke and touch her all over. If your parrot likes head rubs, you use that as a starting point. While giving her head rubs. extend your other fingers to stroke her back. At any point when she does not like, stop and do not go on and get back to just head rubs. Slowly, you get to stroke her wings, and under her wings, her back, and her stomach. Take it easy and as a game with her. You got many many more months and years ahead of you. Do not stress her or yourself.
Read all the letters I wrote on harness design. Each of those letters have been chronologically written with increment on the design but building up on earlier knowledge.
The very first letter setting out the principles of Tinkerbell harness is the most important of the harness letter
http://www.geocities.com/shanlung9/harness1.html
Even letters without harness in it contain matters relating to harness and touches on or was the foundation to later changes in harness.
The final letter on harness "Tinkerbell - Harness for Dennis" gave the photo by photo stages of the last version of Tinkerbell harness.
http://www.geocities.com/shanlung9/wtinkharnessdennis.htm
When I was out with Tinkerbell, I used two harnesses with her all the time. The first was the visible harness and line used more to reassure me that she could not spook and fly away. The second and most important harness and line is the verbal connections I maintained with her. I talked to her to reassure her and that was what kept her with me.
In outside recalls, and indoor recalls, or anything I need of her for that matter, I always talked with her until I felt she was ready to do that and then and only then, I gave the cue. If her eyes were not on me and mentally she not with me, I try not to cheapen the cue by using it. The cue should only be used when you know it would be effective.
There had been distinct times when I knew we were in mental connections (Please do not quote that con-man former magician and former escapologist Randi as if he is the final arbiter (read some of the articles I found on Randi in the links in
http://www.geocities.com/shanlung9/randi.html and demand I write a 'scientific paper' the way I was demanded to do after I wrote of Ivan my cat in "Tinkerbell Legacy - Start"
http://www.livejournal.com/users/shanlung/1564.html
and specifically in
http://www.geocities.com/shanlung9/ivan1.html
In the late evenings with Tinkerbell been recalled from over 30 meters away, I could not see her from that distance. I talked to her for a while and somehow I knew she was with me and I gave recall cue. And at that point in time, I knew she would take flight to me. If you have played at darts, there are some shots that felt sweet and that you know will hit exactly the point that you wanted the moment that dart left your finger. There is no mistaking that feeling. When you miss the mark, you never ever get that sweet feeling.
I need not raise my voice in that distance, but I knew that she knew. Its just a strange mental feeling that happened in about one in every 3-4 recalls when I could not see her. Perhaps I noticed visual aspects in that distant grey on grey. Perhaps I just did know. And your choice to interprete as you like.
That same person demanding that I submit a 'scientific paper' mentioned that she got bitten by her parrot as she tried to take note of the pinning of the eye before the bite. Now, the eyes may pin before the bite. The eyes may also pin very quickly before the bite. BUT, before the pinning of eyes, there are so many shades of feeling that the parrot will exhibit, that she is nervous, that she is unhappy, that she is very very unhappy, then they pin the eyes and bite. It is just sad that those entire range of emotional display from a parrot can be blissfully ignored and not taken noticed of.
That is why I kind of insisted that you treat the parrot as friends and not something to be 'trained' and that you are the 'alpha' and commander.
Before that, that had been occasional times I forgot to hook the line to the harness. I am sure she knew, but she never flew off from me and I had the feeling she was amused when I realised to my fright she was not hooked. It even got to a stage that harness and hooking of line was incorporated into a verbal check with my wife before we walked out of the apartment.
And this is not something I encourage. In the last month before I left Taiwan, when I reached my apartment and before I go inside. I removed Tinkerbell's harness when we were in the open. That was done rather deliberately by me. She knew she was free. But she flew back to me from her motorbike perch and we walked into the apartment.
Warmest regards
Shanlung
http://www.geocities.com/shanlung9/
