Harnesses for parrots
By Danielle Haupt
Taking a bird outside, even when they are clipped, is risky. Many birds have gone missing and their owners are devastated because they thought they had taken preventative measures. We highly recommend harness training your parrot. You will be able to take your bird with you on all sorts of adventures while knowing that they are safe and secure. It is very important to not just force your parrot into a harness. The feeling of a harness is often unusual or scary for most birds. Taking time to slowly desensitize your parrot to the presence and feel of the harness is the best way to let your parrot have a positive association with the harness. There are many harness training videos available online (check out our recommended harness training videos in our YouTube playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNfHqpdshN-ZF83T5QI3on7I2OPqS1-G3). There are 3 harnesses available for sale in South Africa: The Aviator, Leathers 4 Feathers, and the Reptile Garden training harness. We do not recommend using a harness that isn’t designed for birds as they might not be as secure or cause injuries due to incorrect design.
You can purchase these harnesses here:
Leathers 4 Feathers: https://www.southafrica.bevsbirdboutique.com/
Aviator harness: https://www.petfairy.co.za/
Reptile Garden training harness: https://reptile-garden-sa.myshopify.com/
Pictured below are:
Stitch in the Reptile Garden training harness
Ayo in the Aviator harness
Rango in the Leathers 4 feathers harness
Jewel in the Leathers 4 Feathers harness
Peedee in a harness purchased from Amazon
There are “leg harnesses” available but these are controversial. There are people who believe these are safe and others who believe these are dangerous. These are seen as an alternative to regular harnesses for birds who refuse to accept the traditional harness. These “leg harnesses” can be in the form of a leather fitting (as shown in the following images) or even just a leash attached to your bird’s leg ring. Also shown is Tom, a sun conure, practicing recall with a leg harness on.
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