On the ground, their owners stand proudly as they watch their feathered friends soar against the backdrop of the blue sky and wait for the winged ones to fly back to them.
This is the Kuala Lumpur Free Fly Community (KLFF), a group of bird lovers who meet on public holidays and weekends to allow their birds to freefly – meaning they are allowed unrestricted outdoor flight and are trained to return to their owners.
KLFF president Ale Muhaydor founded the group in 2020 with just 10 people. Its member base has since grown to 40.
He owns three birds: green-cheeked and sun conures, and an Eclectus. “I simply enjoy seeing my birds freefly with others as I believe they have more fun when they do it together,” the 34-year-old told FMT.
Izmil Zulkipli, 35, has been a member since September and is the proud “parent” of two beautiful macaws.
“We all look forward to the weekends when we can allow our birds to freefly. It is safer when they fly in flocks because of predators such as eagles,” he said.
He explained that the group usually gathers in Bukit Antarabangsa or Gombak, and in the early mornings. “We have a saying: ‘from 7am till it’s hot’. That’s because our birds can’t stand the heat, unlike wild birds who have adapted to it.
“When it gets hot, they will perch on trees instead of flying.”
Izmil has personally seen the benefits of allowing his birds to freefly. “Previously they would always nip at my hand, which is a negative behaviour; but once I started bringing them for free-flight activities, they don’t do it anymore.”
Regarding the criteria for joining KLFF, Izmil stated the obvious starting point of owning a bird.
“It doesn’t matter what kind, as long as it’s not a predator and it is healthy,” he added, pointing at a pigeon named Momo who appeared at home with the other parrots.
Free-flight training
Awie Muhammad Shafri, 31, has been training birds to freefly for the past two years. He told FMT that the training process usually begins indoors with “target training”.
“This is where I put the bird in a big cage and call out to it from various sides of the cage. If the bird responds and moves towards me, I give it a reward,” he explained.
“Following that, I move on to ‘recall training’, where I train the bird to fly to me. I also do ‘blind recall training’, where I hide and call out to the bird to determine whether it would fly to me when I am out of sight.”
Only when he is satisfied with the indoor progress of the birds does he proceed to bring them outside for further training. It usually takes one month to complete the indoor sessions, and approximately two weeks for the outdoors.
One can’t help but wonder: have there been instances when a bird got lost during a free-flight session? According to Izmil, yes.
“Once, my birds got shocked by the sound of firecrackers and flew away. Thankfully, the people who found them were able to contact me as my number – as well as the birds’ license numbers – are on rings attached to their feet,” he shared.
He likened the experience to “losing a child”.
‘Be a responsible pet owner’
The members of KLFF also aim to create awareness in parrot owners on how to look after their birds and share their knowledge with one another.
“Parrots are an endangered species, so you need to know the rules and regulations before getting one,” Izmil said. “Almost all parrots require a license from the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan).
“Make sure you do proper research beforehand so you will know how to best care for your bird. It’s a major commitment because it’s like adopting a child, and you will need to spend enough time with it.
“Don’t just get one because you think they are cute. Be a responsible pet owner,” he advised.
Learn more about the Kuala Lumpur Free Fly Community via its Instagram profile.