# Bird scared of flight suit



## pidgin (Jul 5, 2019)

So I got my tiel a flightsuit 3 months ago and he is TERRIFIED of it! I left it on the outside of the cage so he can get used to it but when it goes near him he does a little scream and gets away from it. How do I train him to get used to it?? (He's also terrified of his carrier!)


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## Cerusia (Dec 6, 2018)

Do you use the flight suit to bring your bird outside or is it just for the diaper aspect?

If it is to bring your bird outside, you may want to take a gander at a harness (in particular the aviator) as they don't restrict the bird as much and may make him feel a bit more comfortable.

I "tricked" my cockatiel into getting used to hers.

I left the flight harness outside of the cage like you did for a while, then began to train her by holding the harness and enticing her to stick her head through the neck piece to get a treat I dangled on the other side.

I repeated this until I eventually could let go of the harness and she'd be happy to have it around her neck to munch on her treats. This took quite a while, so take your time. It's better to take a few extra days than scaring your bird.

One of the biggest tips I can also give when it comes to this is to train your bird to allow you to touch and move their wings, since you will need to do so to get them into the suit.

Keep in mind that all this does take a long time. It took my cockatiel almost half a year to get to a point where she was comfortable and not scared to let me put it on.

Make sure that when the suit is on that you make it a special occassion. Give your bird something that they don't normally get, take them outside for a little bit (if the bird is comfortable enough in the suit / the suit is secured ) You want to make sure that it is associated with a positive memory.


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