Dress Like Your Bird Day

4 days ago (before toenail surgery) we had very warm weather. So I wanted to take my cockatiel Kiwi for a walk outside in the sunshine.  I would never consider letting him outside without a flight prevention harness.  Fortunately we ordered from Avian Fashions a 'flight suit' (harness attached to a birdy diaper garment) even before we brought Kiwi to live with us. After less than a week of getting Kiwi accustomed to seeing the flight suit, he began playing with it (chewing on and dragging it around his play table).  So we thought he would be ready to wear the flight suit.  He resisted every attempt to put him into the suit.  At one point he even stopped playing with the suit. However some touch training and millet rewards got him more comfortable with the garment.  However, with my hand recovering from injuries from the cast for my fractured elbow, I needed an extra pair of hands to get Kiwi into the flight suit. With my husband's help we got Kiwi ready to see the world outside our house. in his flight suit.


Because the weather was so sunny, I dressed in yellow jeans, tee, sweater and a straw hat with an orange band.  I wore Kiwi's colors!  After we got him into his orange flight suit, we took him outside immediately so that he would associate the flight suit with a good experience.  After a little pruning (a blueberry bush) in the front yard with him attached to my shoulder with harness, we decided to walk around the block twice to let Kiwi see new things and hear new sounds.   


Although Kiwi ate lots of millet (his favorite seed treat) as reward for getting into the flight suit, we needed lunch. So we went home, had lunch and set out for another walk this time around Greenlake.  We had just walked to the business area (restaurants) near the lake, when someone wanted to take a picture of me in my sunny yellow outfit. I told her today was 'dress like your bird day'.  Then she saw Kiwi and wanted to take several pictures.  So after we returned home I asked my husband to take more pics on my camera.  You can barely see Kiwi's flight suit, because it closes in back and attaches to the lanierd leash in back, but you can see the orange leash (which attaches to his flight suit) around my neck.  That should really be called an 'antiflight suit', beause he tried to fly off me, but only got as far as my wrist.


He wore the flight suit for almost 3 hours. The inserted diaper (cotton wafer) absorbed guano very well.  I feared we'd need to wash the flight suit, but the diaper protected it well and slipped out easily.  I hope Kiwi asociates the flight suit with good experiences.  He was 'cruising' on my shoulder as I walked the lake. Most of the time he was cuddling next to my cheek.  Sometimes he closed his eyes, but I suspect the wind bothered his eyes.  Nevertheless he was glad to get out of the flight suit.  I just hope he will tolerate it the next time we have a sunny day (and my toe surgery has healed enough for me to walk).