A BIRD LOVER is beating the coronavirus lockdown blues by free-flying his stunning parrot during his daily walks on the beach.

Cole Doran and his feathered pet Orion have become a regular feature on the sands near his home in Prestonpans.

The popular duo have been gathering admiring fans when Cole lets the three-year-old Green Wing Macaw loose during their daily exercise.

Cole, 20, admits he has “enjoyed” the reaction of shocked passers-by to the now-regular sight of Orion taking to the skies untethered.

He said: “I have had Orion for more than two years and I started training her to free fly as soon as I brought her home. In total it took around six months dedicated work with her.

“I got her when she was just six months old from a breeder in England and she is around five generations from the wild.

“Parrots are more intelligent than dogs and are not domesticated, which means they can be quite difficult to train as they really do have minds of their own.

“To train them to free fly requires a strong bond with the bird, an understanding of their behaviour and how to work with their natural instincts.

“Training them to come to you on call is very important and you need to learn how to guide them to fly in various environments safely without speaking the same language.

“She never flies further than 100 metres from me and if it is a warm day she will fly for around ten minutes and cover a couple of miles in that time.”

Cole is currently flying Orion only on the beach near his home due to the lockdown but says she has previously enjoyed flying above Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh and parks in London, and he hopes to take her to the Highlands when the lockdown is over.

And the bird owner admits he doesn’t have any worries about Orion being targeted by other birds, as she is the one who is a bit of a bully.

Cole, a sushi kiosk assistant, added: “Gulls will sometimes have a go, but Orion is usually the one that starts it. She loves chasing other birds and loves it when they chase her back.

“I just hope that seeing her out and about helps people understand that parrots are not just ornaments that can be locked in cages for their whole lives.”

Green Wing Macaws are known as the ‘gentle giant’ of the parrot world and can live between 60 and 80 years.

The birds can grow up to three feet in height and are mainly found in Central and South America.

 

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