There are many decisions that are made when owning a Parrot. One that is very important is the decision of whether to clip their wings or not. Everything about a Parrot is designed for being able to fly, from their hollow yet strong bones, and their crazy fast digestive system to their three eyelids (one which is thought to be clear and cover their eyes so that their eyes don’t dry out mid-flight). Not only are some bones of birds hollow, but many of the hollows are connected to the respiratory system. An average bird devotes about one-fifth of its body volume to its respiratory system, an average mammal only about one-twentieth.
When making the decision to clip or not clip, there are several things that you need to think about. The most important is if you have a Parrot-safe environment and what hazards your feathered companion might encounter. With this in mind, let’s review some of the risks and benefits.
Are there risks with flight?
Fly out the door – this is normally only a risk if there are children living in the home;
Fly into a window or mirror – Parrots are incredibly intelligent and will learn to avoid windows and mirrors, simply hang strips of paper towel on the glass for a few days so that the paper will move as they approach as well you can tap the glass in front of them;
Fly onto a hot stove or pot of food on the stove – whether a bird is clipped or not they should be kept safe in their cage when there is any activity where they can injure themselves and especially while cooking on the stove or using rotating tools;
Fly into a rotating fan – if a member of the household is absent minded enough to turn on an overhead fan while a flighted Parrot is out of its cage, then disconnect the power or put tape over the switch to remind them to check on the whereabouts of the Parrot.
Are there risks with clipping?
Unable to escape a predator – there is nothing that can prevent or reduce this risk if a bird is clipped;
Get hurt or stepped on from walking on the floor – even flighted Parrots will sometimes prefer to walk across the floor, we need to be aware of their location at all times;
Get caught under recliner – same as walking on the floor, know where your Parrot is before making a move;
Get sat on – this can happen to any Parrot, clipped or not;
An incorrect wing clip can do more harm – it may result in a loss of control during a fall to the ground that can manifest into a fear of falling, cause an injury, pain or psychological trauma that leads to behavioural problems between the owner and the Parrot;
Increases dependency on the owner – due to the Parrots limited mobility it becomes more dependent on the owner to get around and therefore requires much greater interaction with their owner;
Stress and possible pain experienced during the process of physical restraint – most general pet stores that provide clipping services will not have trained their staff in the proper way to restrain a Parrot for wing clipping and injury may result from that. We also know of several cases where Parrots have died from the stress of being restrained. Always ensure your Parrot is healthy before subjecting them to any potentially stressful situation or have an avian veterinarian do the procedure.
What are the benefits of flight?
Healthier for the Parrot, flight develops the breast and shoulder muscles and allows the air to flow to and through the hollow bones;
Flying is a great way to burn off excess energy often displayed by Goffins and Caiques;
Helps maintain better weight especially for Parrots prone to obesity;
Allows a bird to escape a predator inside or outside the home;
Provides a Parrot with greater confidence, flight is instinctive to escape predators and there is evidence that suggest clipped Parrots display more fear. One should not overlook the possible psychological damage from being rendered helpless as a result of clipping.
What are the benefits of clipping?
Prevent a Parrot from getting too far away if a door to the outside is left open;
In some cases clipping may subdue a Parrot that displays aggression however a Parrot does not become aggressive because it is flighted.
Conclusion
It is important to understand that a proper wing clip is intended only to eliminate the possibility of upward flight, and that a Parrot will retain some ability to fly horizontally, and may even gain lift in the wind. In every circumstance that I know about a Parrot escaping from its owner, the owner had the Parrot outside and was under the false impression that it could not escape because their wings were clipped. In a few of those cases, the Parrot was lifted off by a predator right in front of their owner. The majority of the flighted Parrots were eventually reunited with their owner. Therefore clipping a Parrot’s wings so that they will not fly away while outdoors is a false sense of security.
Every Parrot, every home and every family is different. Consider your own unique situation before making a decision to clip or not. It should be your decision and no one else’s, not your veterinarian or the breeder. Most reputable breeders will fledge baby Parrots once they are weaned and some breeders encourage the owner to leave their baby flighted for up to a year before clipping.
Regardless of your decision, when acquiring a baby Parrot you should insist that it is fledged so that they learn how to properly land by flaring their tail and lifting their wings, otherwise even if clipped, they could injure themselves if startled off their perch or cage by breaking their beak or keel bone.
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