Birds On Board

[sledjockey]

Glad to see people cruising with birds. We have a patagonian conure and an Indian ring neck parrot that we will be living with, once we make the move. Ironically, this last weekend my wife and I were discussing the birds and how well they would fair on a boat. Ours live mainly in their cages due to their chewing and troublemaking tendencies, but do get out a lot to poop everywhere that would be annoying. Bird stuff

How well do birds adapt to boat life? I don't want my buddies pulling out their feathers or hurting themselves an any way.

[Doodles]

Originally Posted by sledjockey

Glad to see people cruising with birds. We have a patagonian conure and an Indian ring neck parrot that we will be living with, once we make the move. Ironically, this last weekend my wife and I were discussing the birds and how well they would fair on a boat. Ours live mainly in their cages due to their chewing and troublemaking tendencies, but do get out a lot to poop everywhere that would be annoying. Bird stuff

How well do birds adapt to boat life? I don't want my buddies pulling out their feathers or hurting themselves an any way.

We've never had any problems with ours. The cage we use on board is smaller than their cage when we are living ashore, which I'm sure they prefer, but they spend a lot of time out of it and playing on top. I think the trade off is in the close confines of the boat the whole "flock" is right together and they like that a lot.

We do make sure and keep their flight feathers clipped. Many years ago something spooked one and she took off out the companion way and ended up in the water a couple slips away. She was clipped but not enough so she got out but couldn't go far. Fortunately, we were at a marina and not underway.

[sledjockey]

Originally Posted by Doodles

We do make sure and keep their flight feathers clipped. Many years ago something spooked one and she took off out the companion way and ended up in the water a couple slips away. She was clipped but not enough so she got out but couldn't go far. Fortunately, we were at a marina and not underway.

This is actually a pretty big concern. Ours are fully flighted. My conure is also known as a "burrowing parrot" and thus likes to walk around a lot and has a "wonderful" sense of humour. He does tend to do anything that he thinks will get a laugh or annoy so it might fall well within his bag of tricks to fly up the mast, to another person's boat, or run around the deck while laughing at us....... Basically he is a bit of an $$hole at times and is proud of it, but we love him.

The ring neck is much easier to deal with.

[Tori]

We have been on board a week and everything is arranged and now that we are settled birdies coming home Sunday! They have been at my work ( I manage a vet clinic) and they are a littler peeved at us

[sailingirl]

I have an African Grey that I will bring aboard when we make the big switch from house to boat. I need a cage to hang under the canvas and any ideas that will be helpful. Her wings are clipped but she loves to climb.

[zeehag]

i think i have a brown booby with yellow feets on my boat at night--it squawks loudly when attacked by my cat.....they(the birdees) are great fun to watch hunt fishies, tho...

[charliehows]

every year flocks of little swallows go hunting round my bay for places to nest, a couple setup their nest in the ceiling in my main cabin last year - cute but they **** on everything so i reluctantly evicted them. Now i have to make sure every little crack and cranny is closed at nesting time so they dont get aboard again. Awhile ago i was wafting up the harbour and spent an amusing half hour watching a trio of them checking out my main boom for a nest - they seemed to like it but they didnt count on the boat eventually moving out of their area...

[Tori]

After nearly two years and two birds became four and went back to two! Two birds live full time on the boat cage free during the day and in portable crates at night...one bird lives in my office and a rescue macaw was rehomed. We have a Scarlet macaw and Congo African grey that live aboard full time! The amazon stays at my office :-). A success!

[rigalio]

We are gonna take our african gray with us in 2014 to live on board for 2 years he is comming for shur.

[aspenhouse1]

We are about a week out from finalizing our boat purchase. The deal is made, surveys are completed and have been selling everything for months. We have two green cheek conures and two white bellied caiques. All 4 are going with us but they are all small birds and can live in two houses. They are great companions and I think they will love living on the sea. I worry about losing one but that could happen anywhere. It is good to see others living with birds. I would like to see more about cruising out of the country with birds. I have read if you have your ducks in a row (pun intended) that it isn't too bad.

[geosailing]

I have a quaker parrot who stays aboard with me.
Have had a few issues over the years....He used to be cage free ... But got into trouble when I'm gone to I work..,. Chewed thru some wiring once...got worried he was going to get himself electrocuted... So now he is caged when I'm gone.... Roams free when I'm home....
His wings are clipped but with a nice breeze he can still fly...
So only allowed outside under strict supervision...Got spooked and flew off my shoulder once... And once hanging out on the mast got spooked and flew off...Both times required many hours searching docks to find him..And quite stressful for us both..

[sailingirl]

Thanks!

[parrotsailor]

I have no info to give you but Rick Moore on youtube sails with a parrot and has for years he keeps a cage hanging from the bimini so the birds can see out but they seem to roam around the boat while at anchor. I dont think they will like it in your forepeak much.