Keith the cockatiel's first time flying outside wasn't just a short trip in the local area - but a more than 60km journey across the North Island.
Keith hadn't been outdoors before, when, on December 23, his owner Peter Champion forgot the bird was sitting on his shoulder and walked out the front door for work.
"He made a startled squawk and flew up about 80 feet in the air," Champion said.
"I called him, he was straight above me. He hesitated, then kept going."
Losing Keith made Champion feel "absolutely rotten".