Our hosts, Alexis Highland and Avery Voress, explore the science of flight, from the dinosaur origins of birds to the anatomy and physics that make flying possible. They break down feathers, bones, muscles, lungs, lift, and wing shape, then connect it all back to why flight is so important for parrots’ physical and mental wellbeing.

This episode also covers how recall, return, stations, and harness training can help companion parrots safely use flight as enrichment, exercise, and confidence-building. The species spotlight is the Pacific Parrotlet (Forpus coelestis).

Links:

Visit Us: https://www.parrotstars.com

Parrot Stars on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parrotstars/

Parrot Stars on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@parrot_stars

Parrot Stars on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@parrotstars

Learn More:

Castro, J. (2018, March 14). Archaeopteryx: The transitional fossil. Live Science. https://www.livescience.com/24745-archaeopteryx.html

Caton, E. (n.d.). How did birds and other dinosaurs learn to fly? Natural History Museum. https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/how-did-birds-and-other-dinosaurs-learn-to-fly.html

Cornell Lab Bird Academy. (n.d.). Everything you need to know about feathers. https://academy.allaboutbirds.org/feathers-article/

Focht, L. (2022, September 19). The physics of flight. Schlitz Audubon. https://www.schlitzaudubon.org/2022/09/19/the-physics-of-flight/

Hartman, S. (n.d.). Fully flighted birds. The Aviator Harness. https://www.aviatorharness.com/blog-feed/fully-flighted-birds

Massen, J., Malone, K., de Vries, R., Beekmans, M., van Zeeland, Y., & Spruijt, B. M. (2023). Do birds enjoy flying? An analysis of affect after flight in galah (Eolophus roseicapilla) (Version 1) [Preprint]. Research Square. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-2386013/v1

Tobalske, B. W. (2016). Evolution of avian flight: Muscles and constraints on performance. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 371(1704), Article 20150383. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2015.0383

---

Support the Parrot Stars Podcast! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2376122/support

Follow the Parrot Stars Podcast wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an episode. Watch the video content on YouTube. Follow us on Instagram and TikTok for regular updates about all of the thrilling things happening at Parrot Stars!

Enjoy the episode? Download each one and don’t forget to like, subscribe, and review! Your support helps us with everything we do and we genuinely appreciate it.

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Learn more about Parrot Stars and shop online at parrotstars.com