(epic orchestral music)
- Hey, I'm back.
I'm Alicia, and I have the blue-fronted Amazon, Bucco,
who's somewhere around 15 to 20.
And we're back out here flying at the dunes here in Nevada.
And it's really beautiful,
we have a little bit of the breeze today,
so that'll be nice.
He won't have to work so hard
since he's a lazy, lazy bird (laughs).
We've been working a lot.
My friend has a ranch in California,
about 30 minutes from where we live.
And we've been going up there
on the top of a mountain,
and he's just really going for it.
His longest flight now is maybe three minutes,
and it takes my breath away (laughs).
But it's so worth it
because he is so happy and he's so confident in his skill,
and he's navigating the winds,
and he's just so happy.
Oh, it makes me happy.
(gentle inspirational music)
Since I've been hanging out with Dave and Jamie
and getting into free-flying with Bucco,
I got to experience a whole new adventure with skydiving,
which is amazing.
It was just breathtaking,
and to get to jump outta that plane
and feel that power and that energy
and the control over my body and my muscles
falling through the air is just, wow.
I can't imagine what Bucco gets to experience
when he's out there and learning
and experiencing his natural state of being.
The skydiving has totally given me
a better understanding of what Bucco has gone through
through his learning process.
And I got to go work in a wind tunnel,
and just seeing how the slightest movement
from my body or my shoulder
or just the slightest movement of my hands
can switch my whole direction.
And when he's flying through the air,
just understanding how important everything he's doing is
and how his focus and control and happiness
just all has to be there.
(gentle inspirational music)
Since we were last in Vegas,
Bucco's made some huge progress
going from some smaller flights.
He has taken some large flights,
but every once in a while.
Since we've been working at the ranch and going out more,
he's been doing consecutively three and four-minute flights,
just really going and getting so far I can barely see him.
It makes my heart stop,
but I also have such a huge confidence in our training
and his ability to control himself
in the wind and around the mountains
that I know he's got this.
And he always comes back,
and sometimes he passes right by me
just to check and see what I'm doing (laughs).
He's like, oh, you're still there, I'm going.
So it's pretty amazing.
(gentle inspirational music)
(woman cheers) (bird squawks)
- [Woman] Woohoo, go Bucco!
- [Man] Bucco, like, waited.
- [Woman] Go Bucco!
Woohoo!
(woman cheers)
(bird squawks)
Go, go Bucco!
Go Bucco!
Good job!
(man laughs)
- The ability to give Bucco the freedom of flight
just means everything to me.
He's such a magical, beautiful creature,
and I know what his natural life would have been in nature,
and the luck that I have
to have him as a companion in my life
and to see him actually doing what he's meant to do
and being happy doing it,
and knowing that he's on the best diets
and getting the best, just, interaction for his brain
and seeing him stretch his wings
and use all of his muscles.
They're so smart and they're so able
and just knowing that I'm doing the best that I can for him
and he's really getting to experience his best captured life
and just enjoying it, he really does.
It means a lot.
Come here. (bird squawks)
(Alicia laughs)
- [Woman] What is he saying? (bird squawks)
- All sorts of nonsense.
(both laugh)
"Hi." - Okay.
- "What are you doing (laughs)?"
(bird squawks)
- [Woman] Yay!
(Alicia squawks)
How's it going, Bucco?
(Alicia laughs) Nothing (laughs).
(bird squawks)
- He's saving all of his energy to fly.
- [Woman] Yes.
(Alicia laughs) Yeah.
- [Woman] Comet, too, just kidding.