Rio the parrot is a high-flyer during lockdown

It's not every day you see a parrot flying in Thornton, but during his daily exercise amid the coronavirus pandemic one man ensured his companion was free as a bird on King George's field.
By Rebecca Beardmore
Published 14th Apr 2020, 17:00 BST
Updated 14th Apr 2020, 22:00 BST

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Matthew Arnold, 34, from Cleveleys, is the proud owner of Rio, a one-year-old Bolivian blue and gold macaw.

During the hour of exercise the Government recommends during the current Covid-19 pandemic, Mr Arnold, an IT manager, takes Rio flying during his lunch break every day.

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But remarkably, Rio requires no tether and flies freely before returning on command to Mr Arnold, much to the surprise of onlookers and dog walkers, who the parrot likes to land sometimes.

Matthew Arnold from Cleveleys has trained Rio the macaw to fly freely without a tether.Matthew Arnold from Cleveleys has trained Rio the macaw to fly freely without a tether.
Matthew Arnold from Cleveleys has trained Rio the macaw to fly freely without a tether.

Mr Arnold is a volunteer at Birdman Parrot Rescue on Lichfield Road, North Shore, and rehomed Rio as a fledgling in June 2019 after working with him there.

"Many people are unaware of just how expensive, time consuming and demanding parrots can be, which is why there are 70 birds in the rescue at the moment," he said.

"They can live to between 50 and 80 years old, so you need to be committed to looking after your parrot for life."

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Matthew said he does not believe in clipping birds' wings, or keeping them locked up, so he decided he would allow Rio to fly and set to work training him using a harness, documenting his journey on Facebook.He continued: "I started walking with him along Cleveleys beach, to get him used to an outdoors environment with buildings and traffic.

Matthew Arnold from Cleveleys has trained Rio the macaw to fly freely without a tether.Matthew Arnold from Cleveleys has trained Rio the macaw to fly freely without a tether.
Matthew Arnold from Cleveleys has trained Rio the macaw to fly freely without a tether.

"Gradually, I lengthened the harness to give him more flying space each time, then around a month ago I finally let him free and he came back to me.

"Now I allow him to fly around i the open, knowing that he trusts me enough to return to me each time.

"Parrots are a huge commitment, and it costs us thousands of pounds every year to keep them at Birdman parrot rescue, so I trained Rio with the hopes he would become a show bird to educate people about them.

"The rescue does amazing work and it's completely not-for-profit, so I hope Rio can help to raise money for us through education about his species."

Related topics:ThorntonGovernmentCleveleysCovid-19