by jeangaut » Sat Apr 07, 2012 11:15 am
Michael, this is a very well-done blog entry on the clipping 'controversy'. Thank you so much for the time you put into writing this!!!!
As Mona mentioned, once you go over to the flight camp, you tend to never go back, though I too have dealt with aggression issues in my large mixed flock and thought more than once 'maybe I should just consider clipping THIS one'. But when It came down to it, instead I chose other approaches. I do own birds who are too aggressive to be out at the same time together. For example, my Iris Lorikeet and my two small conures are simply not birds who can be in rooms together for fear of injury/death to the Half Moon and Aztec conures. Along with training, I believe that simple physical and temporal separation are important tools...installing doors to kitchens, multiple barriers to the main door to the outside, and alternating time when certain birds are out. Not to say mistakes never happen, but training yourself plus adding multiple safety lavers and rules and sticking to them has helped me tremendously.
As you said with Truman, it takes considerable effort to find a breeder who will allow a baby parrot to go to a home without ever doing a wing clip. Out of my 14 birds, I have one who I purchased from a breeder unclipped...my lorikeet, and I would say that is because fewer lories go to pet homes even when handraised, most wind up either being breeder birds or sent to zoo exhibits, both of which prefer flighted birds. Most of my other guys are second-hand birds who were clipped, some for many many years and in general their flight skills are less than optimal once they regain full wings. Molly (my Meyer's), Giggidy (my Greater Jardine's) and Nigel (my Congo African Grey) are the three I would say that despite some early clips, were able to become excellent fliers within a year of indoor flying. Everyone else I own is either incapable or substandard in their skills comparatively. To me, it wound up being a true handicap that frustrates my other birds' desires to simply move or go to where they want to...hesitation, begging behaviors, fear of falling or a poor landing, panicking needlessly...that's what I see in my handicapped and poorly fledged parrots. But even poor skills seem to be better than handicapping them further.
My Aukie Jardine's came to me with a severe clip, bit out of fear as she would lose her balance, and had repetitive screaming issues. Ditto for Donald, my male Eclectus. Both I worked with as far as increasing their flight skills and those issues diminished significantly with the comfort level being able to fly to the floor or beeline to me if startled. Neither ever have done joyful purposeful exploratory flights around a room like Molly, Giggy and Nigel do without thinking. BUT, remaining flighted I believe really MATTERS to their mental health.