Sky’s the limit for Kirkby woman who taught her pet parrots to fly freely around a national park

A Kirkby woman has taught her pet parrot to fly freely above the Peak District.
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Motley, a Harlequin macaw, is a common sight soaring above the Peak District and in the skies above his home in Kirkby.

Owner Chloe Brown, aged 24, trained him from a young age to return to her and she now lets him free fly for several miles at a time.

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Motley is so keen for his daily flights, he even squawks and taps on the window with his beak until Chloe takes him out.

Chloe Brown, of Kirkby, and her parrots, Motley, left, and Echo, that she takes to fly in the Peak District.Chloe Brown, of Kirkby, and her parrots, Motley, left, and Echo, that she takes to fly in the Peak District.
Chloe Brown, of Kirkby, and her parrots, Motley, left, and Echo, that she takes to fly in the Peak District.

Chloe has started posting pictures and videos of Motley’s flights online and his videos on TikTok, Instagram and Facebook have already attracted tens of thousands of fans from around the world.

Chloe, a zoo biology student, said: “I got Motley when he was 21 weeks and started training him to free fly.

“It was important to me to let him fly in the wild as much as possible.

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“We started off with a harness and elastic line which got longer each time.

Motley the parrot that flies in the Peak District.Motley the parrot that flies in the Peak District.
Motley the parrot that flies in the Peak District.

"We progressed to free flying, so now when I take him out he explores the skies, but he always comes back.

“We’ve been everywhere, he’s been rock climbing with me, kayaking and on bikes – I love it and so does he.

“He demands to go flying. If I don’t fly him he will bang on the window and tell me he wants to go out.

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“I take him to the Peak District a lot, because it’s only a 45 minute drive.

Motley flying in the Peak District.Motley flying in the Peak District.
Motley flying in the Peak District.

“His absolute favourite place is Curbar Edge in the peaks. The thermals come straight up the cliff and he just loves it.

“You can hear him squealing with delight, so you know he’s having a great time.”

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Chloe started posting pictures and videos of Motley’s escapades on social media earlier this year.

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She said: “We started getting recognised going out and I thought it would be nice to let people know what he’s been up to.

“The response has been amazing. He’s got 4,000 or so followers on TikTok and a few thousand on Instagram and Facebook.”

Chloe is now using Motley’s profile to raise awareness to campaign against clipping birds’ wings or keeping them in cages.

She said: “Birds shouldn’t be kept in cages. It’s important birds are treated humanely.”