What you're doing is so beautiful. More bird owners should do this and let their beloved pets experience true freedom like the wild birds instead of being cooped up in cages all day long.
Chris you might find this amusing. I was determined to film every species of parrot in Australia. I was down to literally my last day in Australia and was still missing Glossy-black Cockatoo. I was just about to head out when I heard an unfamilar cockatoo cry way up in the sky. Just specks in the blue sky were 2 or 3 Glossies and of all things routing or chasing some species of hawk! It was amazing to see. These are noisy powerful birds so I am thinking the raptor was unnerved.
Chris I was wondering if you would kindly tell me which Macaw has been free-flying the longest. Is she/he also the oldest of your flock? Just wondering how many years that this individual has been free-flying and what species or in the case of hybrids what two species. Many thanks
@polytelismedia My oldest macaw flying is Ariel (Scarlet), about 7 years. My oldest flyer though is Obee (Pattagonian conure), since 1993. Obee was the first bird I trained with the focus on starting with a baby bird. I don't have much video of him but there is a shot of him in the laundry video. Chris
Chris thanks for your videos. I have had the joy of filming wild Scarlets in Costa Rica on the Osa Penninsula for two winters. Breathtaking to see them flying against the backdrop of the blue Pacific Ocean.
In your videos it appears to me that Ariel the Scarlet is a bit more independently minded and a bit more aloof towards other macaws. Is this correct? Or might just be me with limited knowledge of your gorgeous bird.
@polytelismedia Ariel has a strong personality but I don't know if I would say he is any different than any of the other mature macaws. I scarlets are incorrectly labeled as more independent. From my own experience they are similar to most of the other large macaws. They are my favorite macaw due to their amazing coloration when flying. Chris
@mattxr2i They don't have cell phones or two way radios so they use their loud voice and sensitive hearing to communicate as they fly. This way they don't get lost from each other. Chris
@chrisbiro1 Cool. Yeah I noticed they pretty much stayed together the whole time. It's so great to see these beautiful creatures flying likr that. I want to flight train my 2 macaws. I think they will be very happy :-)
amazing! I have been looking into getting a military macaw as a pet. Although mine wouldn't be able to fly that far away (I live in the cold north of Norway so its probably too cold for macaw's to be outside for longer periods) this video is inspiring toward what I hoped my eventual macaw would be able to experience during his/our lifetime :)
That's awesome...I would freak out that they would fly away and not return but that's mostly because I've only owned cockatiels...I can't imagine training the tiels to behave like this.
Glad you enjoyed the video. It is not my goal to make people feel sad about other parrots kept in cages, but rather to inspire to realize they too can train parrots to do this if they take the time to learn the training skills involved. Chris
I wish all parrots could be free to fly like that! including mine after seeing that it makes me sad to think they may never have a chance.That was amazing thank you for sharing
This comment has received too many negative votesshow
Personally I think it would have been alot nicer to see these 6 MaCaws flying in their native habitat instead of in Utah and I'm sure the birds would agree with me.
These birds were all raised in captivity and would never be near their "native territory". Some of the birds shown in this video are almost gone from the wild and without captive bred populations would soon be extinct. Reintroduction efforts with domestically raised birds will only be successful if we learn how to teach them just the kind of skills these birds are learning. Some of these birds come from environments very similar to Moab, Utah. Chris
hello, I'm peruvian, congratulations I loved macaws and the parrots, sorry I don't speak english verygood, bye now in spanish
Hola soy peruano, felicitaciones,me encantan los loros y guacamayos, todos lo psitácidos, me gusta lo que hacen con estos animalitos muy bellos, he visto todos sus videos muy buenos, yo tengo cotorras y pericos, chau cuidence
Do they sell GPS setups for Parrots yet? I know that people have done it on birds before but I read (just joined your yahoo group) that they may not like wearing them and would pick at them?
It is reported that some research is being done using GPS with parrots. I have flown parrots without GPS since 1993 so it is hard to imagine spending the money on such a system when I so highly doubt my macaws would not destroy the thing in short order. But maybe some day I will try it. Chris
Flying these birds in this location is like nothing I have ever done before. It is an absolute blast! It also makes photography and videography much more interesting. Chris
That was so amazing - well done. It made me smile the whole time watching them. I hope others will learn about free flight. What a group you have - are they working on their 'V' formation - if they have one in the wild? Thanks for sharing.
I am not aware of a V formation for parrots. They do tend to fly in pairs. Often the pairs will fly together with other singles or pairs also. Flock dynamics are really interesting. Chris
Incredible! They flew so far off that my heart nearly stopped! I have 2 pigeons who free fly several times a week, as long as we haven't recently seen any hawks. We've had one close call in 11 years. I don't know that I'll ever feel comfortable flying my grey outside though!
This was not a particularly long flight. They were fairly high up on this flight but we have seen then fly higher. We have also seen them fly headed off toward the cliffs on the other side of the valley and not see them again for 20 minutes. They do sometimes fly really long distances but amazingly find their way home seemingly easily enough. Such flights do make me nervous but I am getting more confident in their ability to handle this. Chris
There is always that concern. But I have been flying parrots outdoors since 1993 and so far have not lost any to hawk attacks. We have had a couple close calls and over 30 hawk attacks but so far the birds have all made it through them alive. It can be tough to balance the benefits vs the risks and each of us must make that choice for ourselves. Chris
Highly illegal and highly unlikely to hit one when they are actually being a problem. If they are not being a problems then there would be no reason to bother them. We rely on the birds ability to react appropriately and evade the raptor. Chris
hey man i have a friend with a macaw he has had living in terrible conditions for a long time, i was wondering if there was a way that i could rehabilitate him, get him to stop plucking his feathers and eventually train free flight. basically im just wondering if free flight has to be something trained from a young age
Parrots of all ages CAN learn how to fly but that does not mean that all ages of parrots are as easily trained for flight. Training a baby bird at the same age it learns to fly in the wild is by far the easiest and safest, especially for someone with little or no flight training experience. Some older pet birds will learn to fly but you should expect to expend far more effort and time and face greater risk during the training process. Chris
This video is taken on the hill just behind our house at Porcupine Ranch. I took three of the birds to the hill and then sent them off flying. I had my Nikon set up on a tripod to try to catch them taking off and I was trying to video at the same time. 3 other of our macaws joined in from the yellow tall trees in the yard. Chris Biro
What you're doing is so beautiful. More bird owners should do this and let their beloved pets experience true freedom like the wild birds instead of being cooped up in cages all day long.
tiennumidori1 5 months ago
Chris you might find this amusing. I was determined to film every species of parrot in Australia. I was down to literally my last day in Australia and was still missing Glossy-black Cockatoo. I was just about to head out when I heard an unfamilar cockatoo cry way up in the sky. Just specks in the blue sky were 2 or 3 Glossies and of all things routing or chasing some species of hawk! It was amazing to see. These are noisy powerful birds so I am thinking the raptor was unnerved.
polytelismedia 5 months ago
Chris I was wondering if you would kindly tell me which Macaw has been free-flying the longest. Is she/he also the oldest of your flock? Just wondering how many years that this individual has been free-flying and what species or in the case of hybrids what two species. Many thanks
Don
polytelismedia 5 months ago
@polytelismedia My oldest macaw flying is Ariel (Scarlet), about 7 years. My oldest flyer though is Obee (Pattagonian conure), since 1993. Obee was the first bird I trained with the focus on starting with a baby bird. I don't have much video of him but there is a shot of him in the laundry video. Chris
chrisbiro1 5 months ago
Chris thanks for your videos. I have had the joy of filming wild Scarlets in Costa Rica on the Osa Penninsula for two winters. Breathtaking to see them flying against the backdrop of the blue Pacific Ocean.
In your videos it appears to me that Ariel the Scarlet is a bit more independently minded and a bit more aloof towards other macaws. Is this correct? Or might just be me with limited knowledge of your gorgeous bird.
thanks!
Don
polytelismedia 5 months ago
@polytelismedia Ariel has a strong personality but I don't know if I would say he is any different than any of the other mature macaws. I scarlets are incorrectly labeled as more independent. From my own experience they are similar to most of the other large macaws. They are my favorite macaw due to their amazing coloration when flying. Chris
chrisbiro1 5 months ago
where is porcupine ranch
TBIRDZ8 6 months ago
@TBIRDZ8 Porcupine Ranch is located in Castle Valley, Utah, hear Moab UT.
chrisbiro1 6 months ago
Gorgeous land, and gorgeous birds :D It makes me so happy to see them flying around like that, I'm sure they love it as well!
ebonifragaria 1 year ago
Why do they yell when flying? Just wondering.
mattxr2i 1 year ago
@mattxr2i They don't have cell phones or two way radios so they use their loud voice and sensitive hearing to communicate as they fly. This way they don't get lost from each other. Chris
chrisbiro1 1 year ago
@chrisbiro1 Cool. Yeah I noticed they pretty much stayed together the whole time. It's so great to see these beautiful creatures flying likr that. I want to flight train my 2 macaws. I think they will be very happy :-)
mattxr2i 1 year ago
@mattxr2i cos they love flying! it is the sound of pleasure!
beastinblack 1 year ago
This is as free as it gets, for a captive bird...
Bokkapooh 1 year ago
great, great, great - i love your videos so much!!!!
ratpinch 1 year ago
amazing! I have been looking into getting a military macaw as a pet. Although mine wouldn't be able to fly that far away (I live in the cold north of Norway so its probably too cold for macaw's to be outside for longer periods) this video is inspiring toward what I hoped my eventual macaw would be able to experience during his/our lifetime :)
Totto87 2 years ago
Awesome and beautiful. I have a cockatiel she fly at home but some day I would like to see her flying outside like yours macaws.
Thanks for sharing
SpaniardCockatiel 2 years ago
Amazing Videos
StreetsOfTomorrow 2 years ago
That's awesome...I would freak out that they would fly away and not return but that's mostly because I've only owned cockatiels...I can't imagine training the tiels to behave like this.
bean5 2 years ago
Glad you enjoyed the video. It is not my goal to make people feel sad about other parrots kept in cages, but rather to inspire to realize they too can train parrots to do this if they take the time to learn the training skills involved. Chris
chrisbiro1 3 years ago
I wish all parrots could be free to fly like that! including mine after seeing that it makes me sad to think they may never have a chance.That was amazing thank you for sharing
lucylovesdesi08 3 years ago
id love to free flight parrots i suppose il try when im older but i do free flight my zebra finches chek my vids if ya want!!!nice vid!!
irishmatty01 3 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Personally I think it would have been alot nicer to see these 6 MaCaws flying in their native habitat instead of in Utah and I'm sure the birds would agree with me.
punky3180 3 years ago
These birds were all raised in captivity and would never be near their "native territory". Some of the birds shown in this video are almost gone from the wild and without captive bred populations would soon be extinct. Reintroduction efforts with domestically raised birds will only be successful if we learn how to teach them just the kind of skills these birds are learning. Some of these birds come from environments very similar to Moab, Utah. Chris
chrisbiro1 3 years ago 4
Sounds like somone needs to pull the feather out thier butt to me.
shnookey1979 3 years ago
i have 15 macaws only 4 of them know how to free flight the rest dont seem to get that far its great to see this keep it up
BonitaChilenita 3 years ago
lol you have 15? wow post some videos
sk8ia 3 years ago
hello, I'm peruvian, congratulations I loved macaws and the parrots, sorry I don't speak english verygood, bye now in spanish
Hola soy peruano, felicitaciones,me encantan los loros y guacamayos, todos lo psitácidos, me gusta lo que hacen con estos animalitos muy bellos, he visto todos sus videos muy buenos, yo tengo cotorras y pericos, chau cuidence
leonardocuero 3 years ago
Awesome!!!
blakbanshee 3 years ago
Do they sell GPS setups for Parrots yet? I know that people have done it on birds before but I read (just joined your yahoo group) that they may not like wearing them and would pick at them?
monnie110 4 years ago
It is reported that some research is being done using GPS with parrots. I have flown parrots without GPS since 1993 so it is hard to imagine spending the money on such a system when I so highly doubt my macaws would not destroy the thing in short order. But maybe some day I will try it. Chris
chrisbiro1 4 years ago
That is so beautiful. Ultimate goal if you own a macaw is being able to free-flight it! That must be so exhilerating to watch your birds flying free!
myroosterwilleatyou 4 years ago
Flying these birds in this location is like nothing I have ever done before. It is an absolute blast! It also makes photography and videography much more interesting. Chris
chrisbiro1 4 years ago
MAGNIFICANT!!!!! Are you on One of the free flight lists?? I am teaching my U2 this and soon my other birds :)
EverettChick 4 years ago
That was so amazing - well done. It made me smile the whole time watching them. I hope others will learn about free flight. What a group you have - are they working on their 'V' formation - if they have one in the wild? Thanks for sharing.
Lakerbird 4 years ago
I am not aware of a V formation for parrots. They do tend to fly in pairs. Often the pairs will fly together with other singles or pairs also. Flock dynamics are really interesting. Chris
chrisbiro1 4 years ago
Incredible! They flew so far off that my heart nearly stopped! I have 2 pigeons who free fly several times a week, as long as we haven't recently seen any hawks. We've had one close call in 11 years. I don't know that I'll ever feel comfortable flying my grey outside though!
cfulhage 4 years ago
This was not a particularly long flight. They were fairly high up on this flight but we have seen then fly higher. We have also seen them fly headed off toward the cliffs on the other side of the valley and not see them again for 20 minutes. They do sometimes fly really long distances but amazingly find their way home seemingly easily enough. Such flights do make me nervous but I am getting more confident in their ability to handle this. Chris
chrisbiro1 4 years ago
Aren't you afraid of any raptors catching them?
klaverenvrouwke 4 years ago
There is always that concern. But I have been flying parrots outdoors since 1993 and so far have not lost any to hawk attacks. We have had a couple close calls and over 30 hawk attacks but so far the birds have all made it through them alive. It can be tough to balance the benefits vs the risks and each of us must make that choice for ourselves. Chris
chrisbiro1 4 years ago
I agree, but this must is surely the best way of keeping macaws as pets!. I wish more people would follow your example!.
klaverenvrouwke 4 years ago
You should always carry a Rifle with a scope just incase there are raptors near by closing in....
Radiator1991 4 years ago
Highly illegal and highly unlikely to hit one when they are actually being a problem. If they are not being a problems then there would be no reason to bother them. We rely on the birds ability to react appropriately and evade the raptor. Chris
chrisbiro1 4 years ago
hey man i have a friend with a macaw he has had living in terrible conditions for a long time, i was wondering if there was a way that i could rehabilitate him, get him to stop plucking his feathers and eventually train free flight. basically im just wondering if free flight has to be something trained from a young age
metallkopf 4 years ago
Parrots of all ages CAN learn how to fly but that does not mean that all ages of parrots are as easily trained for flight. Training a baby bird at the same age it learns to fly in the wild is by far the easiest and safest, especially for someone with little or no flight training experience. Some older pet birds will learn to fly but you should expect to expend far more effort and time and face greater risk during the training process. Chris
chrisbiro1 4 years ago
i want to train macaws like this, do you recommend any resources for learning how to?
metallkopf 4 years ago
This video is taken on the hill just behind our house at Porcupine Ranch. I took three of the birds to the hill and then sent them off flying. I had my Nikon set up on a tripod to try to catch them taking off and I was trying to video at the same time. 3 other of our macaws joined in from the yellow tall trees in the yard. Chris Biro
chrisbiro1 4 years ago
It would be harder to lost them, with all that NOISE! :-)
sweetiemcd 4 years ago