To clip, or not to clip?

[Chrischan67]

In my case would you clip or not?
I just rescued a Goffin's cockatoo (Intro of his back history on intro page if you are interested) that has many issues. He was never let out of his cage hardly even saw the light of day. I want to do my best to earn his trust and enrich his life, but I have to say I am nervous with him as he has in his past been a known nose biter. I know I would feel more comfortable if he were clipped as I attempt to befriend him, but what do you all suggest?

[laducockatiel]

I think that you should keep your cockatoo flighted. it is a rescue bird so it might be frightened, so clipping the wings would make it even more frightened because it can't retreat if it gets too scared.

I want to do my best to earn his trust and enrich his life?

What better way to enrich it's live than to let it fly around and in your house freely. It will hopefully enjoy coming out and flying around in your house! Hope this helps and good luck in earning your parrots trust

[Michael]

It depends on his past experience, capabilities, and what your goals are. In the long term I would definitely encourage you to keep him flighted but in the short term I say it really depends. If he has never flown before, is terrified of you, and you don't know what you're doing, flight could end up being a recipe for disaster. It's much simpler to begin flight training on a baby, trained, or at least already flight experienced parrot. A parrot that has been clipped and caged for too long and possibly never fledged, could end up hurting itself with no way for you to recover it if it panics whenever you try to pick it up. Think these things through to help you make informed short term decisions.

[liz]

I clipped my Meyers when she was about one year old (and I thirteen), since she had flown away.
Nowadays, I never understand people who have their birds outside, then it flies away and they immediately clip its wings, as if they're thinking "Oh, it could fly?"
But I did the exact same thing myself.

She was then clipped for about three-four years. It was just a convenience thing, I had never understood or been properly educated about how important flight is for parrots.
When I got my cockatoo in 2006 (I was fifteen), I thought right away that he will never be clipped. But when he was one year old, I had to since he had already ruined his flight feathers himself (we had had a tough time and he got depressed), and because they were so trashed I had to cut the ruined parts, because his wings tangled every time he stretched them.

After that, he couldn't fly for a few months, and got SO happy when he finally could do it again, even if it only were one foot from my arm to a chair or something. You could see the pride shining from him.

I've written articles on the subject in the later years and would never again clip a bird. They are after all BIRDS. My thoughts are that if you can't have a flying creature in your house, you should have a dog or something.

And you don't put your one year old child in a wheelchair for life if he stumbles and scrapes his knees when he tries to walk? Sure, the wheelchair will keep him safe from some things, but only expose him to other dangers. He might have some happiness without his legs, but it will never be the same thing as being able to run and jump all he wants.

Good explaination of how they must feel.