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windows

Posted: Fri Jan 17, 2014 3:35 am
by zentoucan
Has people know, I recently lost Bluey. I through that I would write a post on how I showed windows to Delfin and Bluey.

You know those perches for showers, The ones with suction cups on the ends. Well I stuck the perch onto the window and pull the curtains to around 150mm from the ends of the perch. Then I put either Delfin or Bluey on the perch and would tap the glass with my finger. Until they would tap the Glass with their beaks. I would leave them on the perch until they stopped tapping the glass with their beak Then I would move the curtains further from the ends of the perch and tap the glass again and repeated this process. When the curtains were around 1.5m apart I put a second perch on the window and move Delfin or Bluey from one perch to the other tap the glass and when they tapped the glass with their beak. I would tap the glass again then move them to the other perch and tapped the glass until they tapped the glass with their beak. This took me a full day to show the windows in the lounge room to Delfin and Bluey.

A couple of days later Bluey flew into the glass sliding door. But this was only from around half a metre away. So I show Delfin and Bluey the glass sliding door. Both Delfin and Bluey pick this up very quickly. around 15 minutes. Because the kitchen was sealed off by a curtain and this meant no access to the kitchen. They didn't need to be shown the kitchen window, I never realised the potential of an accident. Because if the curtain separating the kitchen and dining room was left open and Delfin or Bluey where flying around, then saw the kitchen window and thought it was a way to the big blue. They would come to a sudden stop with possible serious consequences.

Unfortunely this happened recently with Bluey and the results were fatal. I really Miss that bird. If you show your birds windows, show them ALL the windows.

Re: windows

Posted: Fri Jan 17, 2014 1:42 pm
by AJPeter
How often have we stepped off the kerb and be honked by a car becasue we did not look, it is the same with our birds in a moment of not thinking they fly into windows. Some are told about electric cables but when they find one biting it is fun they are like two years old human children who sample the bleach under the sink. It is good to show them (our birds) the dangers but sometimes we need to think for them and be more careful what we leave around.

I hope Zentioucan you will be able to get a friend for Deflin soon

Re: windows

Posted: Fri Jan 17, 2014 2:27 pm
by InTheAir
Thanks for bringing this to everyone's attention. It must be very hard for you.

I did a different strategy with Sapphire, as she was not particularly tame when she started having out of cage time (she stepped onto my hand the day before I think). I put up a sheer curtain in her room with a little gap at the end of the window. The gap was too small to fly through, so she climbed down the curtain to get to it and discovered the window was solid. The gap was increased after she had spent some time climbing around the curtain exploring.
When she moved into the big living area a few days later, we employed the same strategy, except on the sliding door, which only has a half curtain but has a mossie net slider door. Half the sliding door was covered by a curtain and half by a mosquito mesh door. She flew into the mossie net once quite fast, but it cushioned the impact enough that she wasn't injured! The next time she flew towards it you could see her processing the last incident and she made a last minute decision not to repeat it.
When we were brave enough to introduce her to the high window we can't reach to cover, which Nila had a major crash into when he was little, she landed on the sill and looked out the window from there. I hope this means she has associated the sill and shape with a no go zone (the window is higher than our ladder).
I seldom give her access to the room with the high window, despite her proving that she recognises it is a boundary. Nilas fright from a cockatoo outside and subsequent crash frightened me way too much.

Re: windows

Posted: Sat Jan 18, 2014 2:31 am
by zentoucan
it doesn't matter how you show your birds windows. use what ever method that will work. just make sure you show them all the windows. that was my mistake.

Re: windows

Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2014 10:44 am
by sanjays mummi
I have bamboo blinds, and Sanjay just doesnt go near my windows.

Re: windows

Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2014 1:34 pm
by AJPeter
I am not sure showing them windows is enough, but instead of glass they can see out put up fine net or lace curtains you can see out some light comes in, the neighbours cannot see in unless you have an electric light on you can always draw the drapes over the nets. The nets are visible to Billie she knows she cannot fly through them.

Re: windows

Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2014 5:23 pm
by zentoucan
it's not about what they can see, it's about what they can't see.
you are showing the curtains as the barrier (they can see) not the window, if the curtains are opened for what ever reason, then that Barrier is remove. but not the window (what they can't see) and if the birds are out. there is a possibility that the bird will fly into the window. if you're lucky your bird won't be injured. if you're unlucky your bird is injured and if you're really unlucky your bird dies.
you need to teach the bird to see what they can't see.
it only takes a split second for the birds environment to change from a safe place to an unsafe place.
How many people on this forum have had their bird fly into a window or know someone who has?

Re: windows

Posted: Mon Jan 20, 2014 1:39 pm
by AJPeter
I have been lucky or blessed becasue Billie has flown into at least three windows, twice into the kitchen window which is big and once into the luunge window which is quite small.

Here we keep the nets closed all the time, well most of us do

Re: windows

Posted: Mon Jan 20, 2014 2:43 pm
by InTheAir
Nilas crash I described above has been the only head-on in our household (touching wood).
Sapphire bumped windows sometimes when she started practising speed flights, but she had been in the process of slowing down and turning at the time. I think that was just the result of being a young and not very coordinated!
Her worst crash so far was the first time she attempted a high speed touch and go (where they dive so they almost brush the floor and swoop up) between the pool table and a jutting wall. She winded herself and took a couple feathers off, but kept flying to the tree. Babies fall over when they learn to walk, that's life, though she almost go a trip to the vet despite being back on form within minutes of it. :wink:

Re: windows

Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 9:08 am
by Skyes_crew
I think no matter what we do to prepare or teach our birds about windows is never foolproof. The shifting daylight, outside influences, or a sudden uncoordinated flight could undo everything. I have come to notice a certain time of day in my house that the birds seem to be unable to "see" the windows and so I cover them during that time. Night time is also hit or miss because of the reflections cast by indoor lighting.

Re: windows

Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 11:08 am
by MissK
I keep a lot of curtains in the house for bird control. I think at least most of them look nice, although it's a little weird living with curtains in the doorways. Rocky's never flown into the glass, but when he was still getting the lay of the land he would fly into thin white curtains covering the windows. I believe he was flying towards the light, since daylight is generally brighter than the inside of my house.

For this reason, when he's out, I like to pull the heavier curtains over the windows. Not only am I assured he isn't going to crash into glass, if he does go into the curtains (pretty much doesn't happen anymore) he has got a cushion of air as they don't swing to the glass very well. Because I use the same curtains at the doorways, I think and hope he now reads them as walls.

I am not going to discount those who feel the bird can learn to avoid flying into the windows, but I am also not willing to take the chance. I feel that I'm not in control or even cognizant of every little thing that could panic my bird. I also have some concern he could just be not paying attention. Everybody relaxes and gets distracted.

*****************************************************************************************************
For those in the United States who might like to put up bird curtains but balk at making their house look funny, I can recommend the heavy tab-top curtains from Martha Stewart Living that are sold at Home Depot. They are unlined heavy cotton that can be washed, and reasonably priced. At about $16 (incl tax) per panel, I did my entire living room (2 windows and 2 doorways) for under $130 - Not Bad for curtains. If you don't live near a Home depot, you can buy online or look for another venue. I'll get a picture up here sooner or later.

Martha Stewart's things are generally pretty good looking and nice quality if you stick with natural fibers. A safe (if non-adventurous) rule of thumb for picking curtains is to choose the same general colour family as your walls, but slighty darker. Patterns on the cutain make them a little dressier than just all one colour expanses of fabric, but this could get dicey if your have a pattern on your walls. If your walls are white, you can consider using the same colour family as your trim or furnishings, and don't go too dark. When all else fails, gently put up a set for a weekend and keep the receipt! If you buy tab tops but don't like the look, you can also purchase rings with tiny clips on them and just fold the tabs under. Shop around for those as prices vary a lot. Neither of these looks is what you would get from an expensive interior decorator, but you may be so happy with the savings that you don't care.

Re: windows

Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 11:29 am
by Skyes_crew
Interior decorating by MissK..has a nice ring to it. :mrgreen:

Re: windows

Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 1:33 pm
by AJPeter
You mentioned certain time of the day when there eyesight is affected Melissa, Bille does not like the sun low in the sky near sunset she sounds off a lot and her voice is worried, but after sunset she is okay again. I am glad to say she does not do any speed flying and that could be a cause of worry, hitting a pane of glass at speed is sure to break their necks but at slower speeds it will only stun them hopefully.

Re: windows

Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 2:17 pm
by Skyes_crew
Peter...when they sound off their flock call at sunset it is because it is their social hour. If you listen to the birds in the park, they are their noisiest just around dusk.

Re: windows

Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 2:31 pm
by AJPeter
Thank oyu Melissa should l play loud music, talk to her, why is she worried, maybe it is all in my imagination/

Re: windows

Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 4:11 pm
by ranechild
Our Quaker, Camo, flew into a window a few months ago. He is an agile flyer, can navigate through a door only open a foot wide-- super crazy good flyer. He was in the basement with my boyfriend and he nibbled a little too hard on my boyfriend's ear. Boyfriend reacted and scared Camo. Camo didn't know the lay of the land in the basement and panicked. He went into the unfinished part of the basement and hit one of the little windows above ground level. Boyfriend was there to recover him, but Camo was dazed and confused.
We kept tabs on him for the rest of the night and into the next day, but he recovered pretty well within an couple of hours.
I hear that you should administer shock treatment to birds in such circumstances (similar to human shock treatment). Keep the bird in a towel and close to your body for warmth. I'm going to research that some more.

Re: windows

Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 9:29 pm
by MissK
AJ, if she's calling her flock at sunset, and you are her flock, maybe you should answer.

Re: windows

Posted: Fri Jan 24, 2014 1:36 pm
by AJPeter
Perhaps Ranechild you should administer shock treatment to boyfriend. l always find those magical words "Kiss it better " work wonders with wounded pride.

What a good idea MissK l talk to Billie all day but will make a special effort to re assure her at sunset. You know that is a novel idea. I am a flock. A woolly jumper

Re: windows

Posted: Fri Jan 24, 2014 3:13 pm
by InTheAir
On the subject of window's, all our crash stories so far have been about unfamiliar windows. All my other window stories are about how my birds didn't crash. We have heaps of big windows in our house, mostly uncovered now the birds are familiar with them.

Nilas vet has a huge window in the consult room, when Nila had his check up last year he was sitting on the vet and I noticed he was thinking about flying around and pointed out my window paranoia. The vet told us to take Nila and show him the window. After that Nila did some laps of the consult room and didn't hit the window at all. He avoided it completely.

Re: windows

Posted: Fri Jan 24, 2014 4:39 pm
by sanjays mummi
Sanjay sometimes lands on the bamboo blinds, then takes off again, the side windows of my bay have muslin curtains which are thicker than nets or voiles, and he just ignores them. when I say "lands" he actually perches on the blinds.

Re: windows

Posted: Sat Jan 25, 2014 12:35 am
by zentoucan
in the air
you hit the nail on the head, it's not about the familiar windows it's the un-familiar windows.

Re: windows

Posted: Sat Jan 25, 2014 1:11 pm
by AJPeter
I am thinking that you can buy snow to spray on the windows, not all over but in places to deter bird flying at the window and nets or voile for the summer, maybe you can buy a plastic sheet that looks like frosting such as bathroom windows?

I think also that MissK has the answer in keeping the drapes closed when the bird is flying. Could bamboo blinds let the air in and not blow in the wind causing gaps that a bird could get through? Actually my idea of chicken wire with a small mesh nailed over an open window would allow air in and keep the birds safe.

Re: windows

Posted: Sun Jan 26, 2014 11:50 pm
by sanjays mummi
I always keep my windows closed when Sanjay is out, so I cannot answer that one, AJ. they are pretty heavy, but I wont risk it in case he wriggles through any gaps in the sides of the blinds. :(

Re: windows

Posted: Mon Jan 27, 2014 3:47 am
by zentoucan
InTheAir wrote:On the subject of window's, all our crash stories so far have been about unfamiliar windows. All my other window stories are about how my birds didn't crash. We have heaps of big windows in our house, mostly uncovered now the birds are familiar with them.

Nilas vet has a huge window in the consult room, when Nila had his check up last year he was sitting on the vet and I noticed he was thinking about flying around and pointed out my window paranoia. The vet told us to take Nila and show him the window. After that Nila did some laps of the consult room and didn't hit the window at all. He avoided it completely.
Nilas is a smart bird.

This is a answer, teach your bird about uncovered windows because once your bird knows what a window is, you can show your bird any window and it will recognize it has a window. like Nilas did at the vet's. if you can train your bird to step up, recall flight or any other trick then surely you can teach a bird to know and avoid a uncovered window.

Re: windows

Posted: Mon Jan 27, 2014 1:49 pm
by AJPeter
I think you have a good point there Zentoucan, much better to show the window than than to hide it. Because one day your bird might meet a window it has not seen before and that could be fatal.

Re: windows

Posted: Fri Mar 14, 2014 10:49 am
by P James
Hi

I have been reading through this topic and I understand it's called windows but I hope it's ok to throw in another hazard when letting your bird fly around your home

When we got our irn out for the first time we covered all the windows as we thought these were the main hazard but completely forgot about the mirror

Our irn wasn't a established flyer at all and quickly darted for the mirror which he crashed into a few times before we rushed to get a blanket to cover it

We now have a card that we use every time we get him out to stop this from happening

Hope everyone doesn't mind me saying but I wouldn't want this to happen to others If they are unaware as I was

Re: windows

Posted: Fri Mar 14, 2014 3:15 pm
by AJPeter
Thank you P James for the warning, but that has never happened to Billie. l have to wall mirrors in the Living room where her cage is and she does not fly into them. But it is wise to take senisble precautions l read a book on Amazons and the auhtor recommended that wall mirrors are taken down.