# Budgie doesn't fly very well



## Sim (Apr 22, 2019)

Hello.
As you can assume from the title, my budgie Celeste can't fly very well, and I don't understand why. 
When she had just learned to fly (she was born in my house, I bred her parents), she was a good flyer, just like her siblings. She was able to fly for a long time and even to reach the ceiling while doing so.

But now when she files away from her cage (which is at a height of about five feet) she lands on the floor, and then not only she can't fly back to the cage from there, but she can't even fly on my bed (which is about one feet and a half tall). 
How is it possible?

Celeste spent a lot of time in the cage for about a month, from when she was about two months old (when I gave away her siblings) to when she was about three months old (when I decided to separate her from her parents because her mother attacked her), as she used to bite me very hard and didn't want to interact with me.
After that month (between March and April 2019) she showed difficulty in flying.
Could the lack of practice during that month be the reason why she lost the ability to fly like she did before?

I took her to the vet last month, and she didn't find anything wrong with Celeste, except for her handicap (slip claws), so I don't think her difficulty in flying could be related to a disease. 

Thanks in advance. :001_smile:


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## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

Two things come to mind, the first is that any muscle that is not used all the time will lose strength and atrophy a bit and need to be built up to be able to use it normally again. If she has not been doing a consistent amount of flying she may just need to strengthen her muscles. The second is weight, is she overweight, if so this could be a contributing factor to her not being able to fly well. How does she do at landing with the slip claws, does that make it more difficult for her to land smoothly?


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## Sim (Apr 22, 2019)

Thank you. :001_smile:

Yes, it does. When she lands on the floor, she "slides" for a few inches, almost like she has landed on ice. Luckily she has never crashed into anything. 
On other surfaces, I don't know/remember.

She is not overweight, I weighed her a few days ago and she weighed about 33/34 grams.

So I guess she needs exercise. I don't know how hard it would be for her to land on my hand (palm up), but if she doesn't risk to slip and fall, would it be a good idea to teach her to fly to me when I call her, slowly increasing the distance?
As you know, I love to teach her tricks, and I would be even happier to teach her a trick that is also a good exercise.


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## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

I think you have to make it easy for her because of her feet. For example, if it is easier for her to land on carpet maybe you could make a small platform and put a piece of carpet on it that you could hold up and see if you can get her to fly to that and gradually increase the distance or whatever else might make things easier for her. Maybe a small piece of millet on the platform for a reward.:clap:


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## Sim (Apr 22, 2019)

Thank you again.
Now that I think about it, Celeste indeed has a better grip on cloth surfaces, like blankets and t-shirts. However, her claws often get caught in the cloth, and I have to be very careful not to hurt her while I try to free her.
So I don't think it is a good idea to use that kind of material.


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*I believe teaching her to land on your hand is a great idea. 
Increasing the distance over time will be a wonderful way to help ensure she gets the exercise she needs to build up her strength and muscles so she can fly well again in the future.
:thumbsup:*


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