It’s a disheartening myth that if a parrot isn’t taught to fly as a fledgling, they’ll never learn. This simply isn’t true, and it’s crucial for parrot owners to understand: parrots of any age can learn to fly, even those who are older or have been previously clipped. It may require more patience and understanding, but the ability to soar is within almost every bird.
The inspiring video of Percy, a scarlet macaw, perfectly illustrates this point. Percy didn’t learn to fly until he was ten years old! Now, this magnificent parrot enjoys daily free flights outdoors. It took ten months of dedicated flight training for Percy to achieve this, and by the age of eleven, he was confidently free-flying. Percy’s story, and many others, demonstrate that age is not a barrier to flight for parrots.
Percy is just one example of older parrots defying expectations. Many parrot owners have shown incredible dedication, patience, and understanding, working through challenges that might make others believe flight is impossible for their birds. These stories are testaments to the resilience of parrots and the power of dedicated training.
Consider Bella, who joined her human companion Anne at an estimated age of 5-7 years old. Bella had a severely butchered wing clip. Initially, her chest was bare from plucking. As Bella naturally molted and new feathers grew, Anne began flight training. A remarkable transformation occurred.
Bella allowed her feathers to fully grow back, and within a year of adoption, she became a confident flier. Bella’s story is inspiring for owners of clipped, plucked, and older birds, proving that they too can experience the joy of flight.
Phoebe, a six-year-old green-wing macaw, had never flown in her life and suffered from severe plucking, leaving her chest bare.
Daniel dedicated a week to building Phoebe’s trust before even starting flight training. As the picture below shows, Phoebe’s feathers are now growing back beautifully!
Storm, an obese 35-year-old blue-fronted amazon parrot, dramatically changed his life in just 45 days. Through a complete diet overhaul and exercise, he embraced the challenge of learning to fly and transforming his health.
Ruby, a wild-caught green-wing macaw, was estimated to be around two years old and had a clipped wing.
Despite her clipped wing and initial circumstances, Ruby’s strong bond with a free-flight trained blue and gold macaw motivated her. Within a year, she was successfully free-flying.
King Arthur, an amazon parrot almost 18 years old when featured, had been clipped since he was a baby. He initially showed no desire to fly. After being adopted by Sarah five years prior and no longer being clipped, King Arthur overcame thyroid issues and a weak grip through diet and flight-based exercise.
Bella, at just seven months old, was already clipped. Her owners diligently worked with her multiple times a day to build her confidence to attempt flight once her flight feathers grew in.
By one year and eight months, Bella was free-flying for seven months, showcasing the rapid progress young parrots can make with dedicated training.
Yara arrived clipped, as seen in the before image.
Just four months after her feathers fully grew back, Yara was flying outdoors, demonstrating how quickly parrots can learn to fly once given the opportunity.
These stories collectively prove that parrots, regardless of age or past experiences with clipping or lack of flight, possess the innate ability to fly. With patience, understanding, and consistent training, you can help your parrot unlock their natural ability to soar. It’s never too late to teach an old bird new wings!
