Now that Bella has more flight control I've noticed she's gotten more confident with herself. She had fun attacking my toes too lastnight and just seemed extremely happy this week. She's always been pretty happy but seems happier now that her flights are coming in.

And, she now has a new word. Lets go! She was in heaven this past week with watching the run for the play offs with the Phillies. The background fan sounds and having a good announcer had her doing the grey head bob. Still I credit her more happy side to her wings coming in. The more and more I know she's even more happy the harder it's becoming to want to clip but I'm concerned for her safty too.

Sure sounds like she's having a great time! I know what you mean about the confidence level just soaring right along with the wings.

I understand your concern for her safety. I am going to start a thread in the Bird Safety forum where everyone can post their safety procedures and tips.

I know exactly how you feel. My Peanut can fly and will recall about 80%. I worry about safety as he comes out with us and can remove a harness. He was without a harness last Saturday and had a bit of a fly around the supermarket. He was startled by someone trying to pet him which he hates. It was a scary experience, but he did return to me from a top shelf. I carry him inside my shirt when outside.

Bella is harness trained. I made sure that I got her used to being in it. I never took her outside without it other than the short little stint but that will never be.

I know it's very important for grey's to learn to fly for that very reason. Bella was a pretty go get'um grey to begin with but it just doubled now that she just has that 'little' bit of flight to go along with it.

I've seen remarkable confidence in all 3 of my birds when they all learned to have flight control. And sometimes I read that people will experience an attitude with their birds when they are flighted, and I did experience this with Jerry for a few weeks, but in my opinion any attitude will subside and only confidence will remain.

I don't believe I've ever heard of a bird becoming less-confident when becoming flighted, or even remaining at the same confidence level. There seems to always be an increase in confidence. Sometimes it is felt that they can become too confident, leading to independence and willfulness. Personally I think that's just a parrot's natural character!

Oh she's probably just a baseball fan and excited LOL. I'm so glad you see the difference in happy and "happi-er" that's so hard to explain till you experience it.

My opinion is besides the natural psychological and physical happiness of being "normal" and being able to get around easier without having to beak their weight around on everything....they are just intuitively "relieved" that if a dangerous predator (like your towel or something lol) comes near OR they simply stumble while walking....all they have to do is a natural little side step type of flight about 6 inches and all is well.

Not to mention they have their FULL BALANCE with their full wings and everything is operating as nature intended. Even if they are learning or fledging late or whatever.

You aren't really seeing the "end result" with her yet it'll be a few months before the whole feeling settles in imo and she gets actually "skilled" and figures out what to do with herself. If she's got freedom around the house. So any little quirks I'd encourage you to overlook untill she is more experienced.

I feel a parrot with "choices" is better adjusted and calm (confident) even if they don't use those choices. Like a simple thing of flying on the spur of the moment from a cage to a boing versus having to CLIMB all the way down...walk across....climb all the way UP blah blah blah....or worse have to beg the human for everything.

I hope things continue to be fun for you both and it opens a whole new area of activities for enrichment for Bella. Thank you for letting her fly.

She enjoyed the excitement that came with the crowd of the game. Tonight she was out on her stand and she's just HAPPY. I have pictures of her doing something she never did before. Scale down the vet wrap on her playstand to go attack my dad's toes.

More, more, more, and more points to better for her to being flighted. After reading on one of the other boards about someone's poor birds being stolen I'm more reluctant to bring her outside anymore due to the neighborhood just taking a nose dive. I simply don't feel that's worth the heart ache. So she'll enjoy her UVA light and flight.

Yep she will. And I'm guessing she'd trade a coupla hours outside for full time wing use. Bella's like a rockclimber now cuz she's not afraid she'll fall probably. That's cute.