Isle of Wight parrot trained to fly in the wild

A parrot has been trained to free-fly with no harness.

One-year-old macaw Saffy lives on the Isle of Wight with owner Katie Balmer.

She began training the bird last summer using a harness. Saffy is now regularly spotted flying in the wild around Sandown.

There are thought to be about 40 free-flying pet birds in the UK, but Ms Balmer says its essential to carry out proper training and consult experts, in order to keep birds safe and ensure they do not get lost.

Follow BBC South on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].

12 February 2021