Grooming/Cipping question! :-/

[BirdCrazy1988]

im not sure if this is the right place for to post this i think it is , i am not new to birds, but i am new to parrot forums, sometimes i will post on meettheparrots.com but it seems as though there are many more people on this site that could answer my questions if i had any,even though their responses are pretty much live.
anyway..
this pet store located by me told me that you should clip the birds wings....for safety since they can run into glass and such and so i did and now they ...i dont think are comfortable with themselves...should i clip them again? do they get used to it?
thank you

[Michael]

My parrot is fully flighted and has never been clipped. He flew into a window for the first time a few days ago. He just bounced off and then flew back to me. He got away with nothing more than a scratch between his ceres. Fact is, this is how they learn. My other parrot used to be clipped but I let her feathers grow back in. She has never crashed into a window. They just figure these things out. From all the people I've talked to, it seems like more clipped parrots end up getting hurt or lost in flighted related accidents than normally flighted ones. Anyone who says they clip parrots for safety doesn't know what they are talking about and has probably never had a flighted one. Furthermore they are probably doing it for their own convenience foremost.

[BirdCrazy1988]

interesting...but they told me there that there are lots of horror stories of birds flying into things breaking their necks, flying out, landing on stoves, etc....
so im just a little confused about whether or not i should clip them or not

[Michael]

The only people I have heard telling stories like that are people who clip their parrots. Ask them if they clip. I bet you they say yes. Bird/pet store people LOVE clipping parrots because it makes they job easy and not because it's right for them.

It's most often the clipped parrots that crashed and got hurt or got out because the owner was complacent and the parrot was unskilled at flight. Clipping does not solve these issues but often makes them worse.

As for flying out or onto a stove. It doesn't matter if it is clipped or not. We must protect all birds from these risks by putting them away while cooking or opening doors. Even a clipped bird could fly onto a stove or out the door (as others here can tell you). It is a matter of having safe precautions either way rather than clipping.

Now I'm not saying that a parrot won't ever crash while learning to fly. It surely will. But these bumps and bruises teach it what it can and cannot do. My Senegal crashed a few times and so did my Cape and neither got too hurt but definitely learned their lessons. The injury my Cape got was my fault and not the result of the clip/flight debate. He's pretty much recovered now. The reason he crashed into a window was because it was a much bigger window than any he had ever witnessed. Well now he'll know... Anyway after a few days, the skin there is healing and he is just fine.

Here's a few videos to show you how thrilling it is to own a flighted parrot:







I don't think keeping a parrot flighted is optional. It reflects on their physiology and psychology. They need both the physical and mental exercise that flight provides as they are evolved to have it. Furthermore, their self confidence and well being as a bird depends on it. Flighted parrots are less likely to have problems such as feather picking, aggression, and phobias.

[pchela]

The idea of clipping parrots to keep them safe is an old one. Many people who clip do it with the best intentions because that's what they've been told by experts. I worked with people at a pet store who considered it abusive to not clip you parrot. But, people also used to think that we should eat red meat three meals a day so...

Anyway, it's a personal decision but I would highly recommend doing some research on keeping your bird flighted before you clip. At least you'll know what your options are. I'm sure Michael can point you towards some articles explaining why a flighted bird is actually safer, even if it gets outside. It just takes a little more effort (not a lot) on you part... i.e. turning off ceiling fans, being very careful with doors opening, putting the bird away when cooking... stuff like that.

[ptuga72]

Clipping is a personal decision and is best made in consideration to your situation. I clip because our house simply too small for all our birds to be flighted. Also Jake never fledged at the breeders so he is very bad at it, when we do let him grow the flight feathers grow I am going to train him extensively. Our fosters are clipped because they have brain damage, they would be a danger to themselves if flighted. Scarlet is currently clipped, however I am re-evaluating that as she is super clumsy, it seems flight would so beneficial that it would out weigh the risks (even though there really is no where for her to fly right now).

BUT that doesn't mean that everyone should clip. It is good to remember that a properly clipped bird can still fly, just not gain as much lift. A clipped bird is at the same (if not higher) risk of injury. Either way, you still need to teach your bird what mirrors and windows are. You would still need to bird-proof your home. Even a clipped bird is not safe in a room with open flames or in proximity of someone cooking. I am more worried about my clipped birds hurting themselves than if they were flighted. A clipped bird can (and will) get lost if taken outside without a harness.

Clipping can be a good tool in teaching your bird and yourself how to be safe in your home, but it's not a cure-all that will guarantee your birds safety.

[gizmo101]

i know most people have large parrots but clipping claws for a cockatiel?? how far to clip them? to clip them at all? no one i know can tell me

[pchela]

If the cockatiel has sharp talons then it is fine to trim them. Only trim the very tip with either specially designed clippers or a file. If you go to far they will bleed. You really will barely take anything off.

[Azure Hanyo]

*Napoleon Dynamite voice* Do cockatiels have large talons?

Sorry I could't control myself.