The bird harness (aka bird leash) allows your bird to do what nature intended – to fly!
It allows you to walk around with your bird without having to build a super sized aviary or bird cage. Flight is essential to the health of any bird and a bird harness allows your pets to do this safely. Using a bird harness does require a small amount of training for your bird, but when this is complete, both you and your bird will be able to enjoy the great outdoors together. In fact, birds are known to love and bring their harness over to their owners in anticipation of an outing.
Continue reading our guide below on which is the best bird harness, how to train your bird to wear a harness, plus safety tips you need to follow.
Comparison of the Best Bird Harnesses
| Name | Image |  Our Rating | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aviator Bird Harness |  | 5/5 | Check Price |
| Fred Bird Harness |  | 3/5 | Check Price |
| Feather Tether Bird Harness |  | 3.5/5 | Check Price |
Reviews
Review Of: The Aviator Bird Harness from The Parrot University
- Name: Aviator Bird Harness
- Company: The Parrot University
- Sizes: XXXS, XXS, XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL
- Colors: Black, Blue, Green, Red, Pink, Purple, Silver
- Available in 8 different sizes to match many different species of pet bird (see the size chart below) and a range of different colors. Plus you can replace it for free if you choose the wrong size.
- Elastic material that stretches as the bird flys to the limit of the cord. This prevents sudden snap back.
- Escape proof design, no stitches so the birds cannot chew and break apart the harness with their powerful beaks.
- Very lightweight so it doesn’t hold back or irritate your bird.
- Some users report issues fitting their harness to their species of bird, so double check the size chart to ensure you order the correct size.
Verdict
The Aviator Bird Harness is the world’s number one bird leash for many good reasons. It’s available in every size you could possible want for your pet birds, it’s made from quality materials that are bird safe and escape proof, there’s clear training instructions on how to use it with the DVD provided and there’s a number of great accessories that are available as well. The people at The Parrot University clearly know what they’re doing. Highly recommended.
Alternative Bird Harnesses
The Fred Bird Harness
Our Rating
Is an alternative bird harness product that also comes in a range of sizes and colors. However, some user’s have reported issues with the quality of the materials such as the plastic parts and the fabric of the leash and stitching.
Feather Tether Bird Harness
Our Rating
Another bird leash alternative. Comes with a slightly different styled design and is of better quality than the Fred bird harness but still not as good as the Aviator.
How to Train Your Bird to Wear A Harness
Watch the video from Barbara at GoodBirdInc.com for people to see instructions on how to get your bird to wear it’s leash.
Are bird harnesses safe?
Harnesses have many benefits which makes them worth it, however there are a few dangers you need to avoid. Luckily, you can bypass these dangers by following some of the safety advice below:
- The first few times that you use the harness, it’s best to keep the bird indoors.
- Don’t ever leave your bird on it’s own when it has the harness on. Make sure the bird is placed back in it’s cage or carrier when you have to go off and do something else.
- Dropping the harness by accident is a possibility. You may get startled by something and then drop the harness and the bird could fly away. Because of this, it’s a good idea to provide an extra level of security. A simple way to do this is to tie one end of your harness to your belt or other part of your body/clothing. The same is true if handing off the bird to a trusted friend.
- If outside, only give the harness to someone you can absolutely trust. For example, if you’re going to bathroom then it would be unwise to hand the bird to a child or stranger.
- Make sure your bird is comfortable. Don’t get lost in the excitement of walking around with your bird and forget that they may be scared of predators (dogs or cats in the area). Look at how the bird is feeling and if they start getting scared, comfort them and consider making your way back to safety.
- If having problems fitting a bird harness on very small birds such as budgies or parrolets, then some owners have had success by putting the belt behind the legs and with the tail, not the waist of the bird.
- Train your bird with the “drop technique” which is where you train the bird to drop whatever it has in it’s mouth. You can then use this technique when your bird is chewing the harness and trying to take it off.
- Don’t use the harness when travelling at speed, such as in a car, motorbike or bicycle.
- Check that you have the right sized harness and that it is not too tight. You don’t want your bird to have difficulty breathing.
- Check the harness is not too tight and creating sores or damaging any feathers. To prevent this, make sure the bird is not wearing the harness for long periods of time. Train your bird to get used to the harness by wearing it for short periods of time, then increasing this amount over a few weeks/months.
Accessories for bird harnesses
Bird Harness Leash Extension
Instead of using the bird harness at it’s default sized length, you can provide even more flying space for your birds with this leash extension accessory. Available in the following sizes: 10ft/3m, 20ft/7m and 40ft/12m.
How to make a bird harness
It is generally safer and easier to buy a bird harness. However, some larger sized birds have powerful beaks and they’ll make short work of traditional harnesses. In the video shown below, an owner has used a material called Dyneema for the leash with the line being 1/8″ thickness and 7ft long. This is very strong and will be able to withstand the beaks of larger parrots:
However, we recommend being extra careful when creating a homemade harness – especially when creating any loops that you place on your bird.
Your Turn
Pick a choice from the 3 best bird harness options:
Related Posts
If you’re looking for other methods of preventing your birds from flying then you should check out our article on clipping bird wings.
Or you might want to consider people that free fly their birds without even using a bird harness in our guide here .
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