by Kaiit » Sat Apr 12, 2014 4:47 pm
I know this topic is a bit old and chances are you've worked something out by now, but this is exactly the problem I had with my amazon when I brought him home. He'd had his wings clipped as a baby, then spent 19 years thinking he wasn't able to fly. I know he could because, like your bird, he panic-flew. When he panic flew, however, he'd crash land into things, sometimes really hard, so I knew this was going to have to be something I worked on instantly.
First thing I ever tried was Michael's method. I had already got him to step up easily enough, and I was able to get him to cross a large gap between the perches, but he would not cross a gap that he couldn't touch with his beak! Not even for his favourite foods; he just did not understand what I wanted him to do. Lowering the perch from his height didn't work either. This went on for months, a little bit every day, and he never got it.
Eventually, and this bit is going to sound controversial, I tried a new technique. He loves his cage, it's his haven - his cage is where he safe, calm and comfortable. He loves his cage so much he used to flap his wings to, I don't know what he was thinking, maybe to move my hand quicker? Anyway, the point is the only thing stopping him from flying was that he was holding onto my hand. So I dropped my hand one day, suddenly - not very far but quick enough for him to let go. He wasn't expecting it and flew instantly. Now, I know this could have been terrible for our bond but it wasn't - nothing bad came out of it and he was rewarded instantly for flying to his cage. I reinforced our bond by picking him up again, shouting with him (y'know, in parrot noises, which he loves) and rewarding him with more food.
That hand-dip turned into his signal to fly, and it didn't take him long to learn it. I now have no problem with getting him to fly and I don't have to worry about him crash-landing and hurting himself. When he panic flies now (when he's seen a hawk or a crow or a pigeon!) he just loops the room and lands back on his cage/ stand.
It was a bit of a risky strategy and not one I've ever read about, but it worked for my parrot. The only reason it did though, I hasten to add, is because he was already flapping vigorously. Also, he is not a grey and doesn't take things personally. He still won't fly from perch to perch, but he will fly from hand to hand!