How to Teach a Rainbow Lorikeet to Fly

Rainbow lorikeets are pollen and nectar eaters from the parrot family. While many bird owners choose to wing-clip their parrots, other owners use flight training and exercises to reduce the need to wing-clip. While most birds learn to fly just before leaving the nest, an older wing-clipped bird can learn to fly if its wings are given time to grow and gain flight strength.

  1. First Steps

    • The first step to flight training is recall training, which is teaching the bird to come when called. Practice recall training throughout the day such as calling the bird to cross the inside of its cage to the other side for a treat. Once the bird has successfully understood the concept, call the bird from the cage top to your hand, but keep your hand a few inches away from the cage. Keep distancing your hand each day during training time until your bird can comfortably navigate itself across the room when called.

    Wing Exercises

    • In the wild, baby birds will sit in the nest and flap their wings weeks before flying. This is to increase the strength of their wing muscles. Wing and flight exercises can help a fledgling lorikeet increase enough wing strength to carry its body weight and navigate sharp turns when startled as well. Flight exercises may include simply letting the lorikeet hold on to the cage top and beat his wings or hanging upside down from your hand and stretching.

    Consistency and Treats

    • Natural treats such as diced fruit or organic nuts are healthier than processed foods.

      Being consistent is the most important concept in bird training because birds can learn that if you don't follow up with a treat the command is not worth doing. In short, always use the same command and always follow through with positive reinforcement. The best way to train is to simply incorporate training into the daily routine such as offering a treat to perform morning stretches while changing food dishes.

    Tips

    • Keep training sessions short - 5 to 10 minutes - and always provide positive reinforcement the first day and every time after the command has been followed. Also, provide safe perches throughout the house to prevent injury sustaining crashes. Flight suits and leashes are recommended when birds are out of doors, but should not be used until the bird has been properly trained to wear and respond to the limitations they impose on the bird.