As published in The Pet Directory NSW & ACT Edition by Resident Avian Vet Dr. Michael Cannon BVSc. MACVSc. Grad Dip Ed
Why Not?
Birds that are allowed to fly freely are generally more physically fit and healthier than those confined permanently in a cage. If the wings are clipped incorrectly there is a greater chance of the bird crash landing and injuring itself. If flight is restricted the bird is less able to escape from danger if it needs to.
When is it a good idea?
• To reduce the chance of escape: eg when there is a risk of doors and windows accidentally being
left opened when the bird is loose.
• To limit access to potentially hazardous household items
• To prevent injury from flying into mirrors, windows and walls
• To make training and taming easier by limiting mobility
• To prevent dominant behaviour by preventing the bird from reaching a higherperch than you
• In an aviary situation where a dominant bird is persistently aggressive towards others clipping the aggressive birds wings allows the other birds to escape
Will clipping stop all flight?
Clipping will not prevent the bird from trying to fly. Nor will it stop the bird from being able to fly altogether. The aim is simply to slow down and reduce the amount of lift the bird has so it can’t fly as high or as fast. Some strong flying species such as budgies and cockatiels may still be quite mobile. These birds, even though clipped, may still escape if taken outside. Always do a test flight at home each day for the first few days after the clip to allow the bird to adjust to its altered mobility.
One wing or two?
Both wings should be clipped evenly to allow more balanced attempts at flight. Clipping only one wing can throw the bird off balance resulting in crash landings and severe injury to the beak, keel (breastbone) or legs.
How should the wings be clipped?
The type of wing clip used needs to be tailored to the individual. It is important to discuss with your vet what your requirements and expectations are. There are certain feathers on the wing that should not be clipped. If you wish to clip your birds wings yourself please ask an experienced vet to show you how first.
Is the procedure permanent?
No.New feathers will replace the cut ones at the next moult. When the bird is moulting it should be treated as fully flighted.
Usually a full wing clip will be required approximately 8-12 weeks after moulting starts. If you are unsure of timing the bird can be brought in every 2 weeks during the moult to have the feathers that have regrown trimmed.
More Q&A With Dr. Cannon
Is it okay to kiss my bird or let them share my dinner?
This is a common question. Many of the pet birds that come into my clinic are in the habit of kissing their owner. Most bird owners think their bird is so sweet and loving that it seems natural to want to kiss them. The biggest danger in kissing is the risk to your bird’s health. While they will not catch our viruses like colds and flu, they frequently get yeast or bacterial infections from the normal yeasts and normal bacteria that are present in our saliva and on our skin and hands. These organisms are very different from those that birds would be exposed to in the wild and so they have not developed good immunity to fight them.
Likewise there are organisms that birds carry than can make people ill – the most important being Chlamydophila psittaci which causes the disease Psittacosis. I would recommend you teach your bird to kiss you on the cheek and never letting him eat food that may have been contacted by your saliva.
If you must kiss your parrot, just rub noses like an Eskimo, or do the “high society” kissing on the cheek technique.
My bird scratches a lot, is this likely to be mites or lice?
It is uncommon for pet birds to get lice or mites unless they are exposed to wild birds.
These insects are extremely tiny. Lice are just visible but mites can be invisible to the naked eye. You are more likely to detect mites by an itching sensation you feel when you handle or work around your birds. They tend to stay hidden, under feathers or in crevices and cracks in the cage, most of the time.
It is normal for birds to scratch and preen a lot more than usual, when they are moulting so check to see if this is the cause of what appears to be an increase in itching. You will see or feel these new feathers, often called pin feathers or blood feathers. They look like small sticks, because they are covered by a sheath that wraps around the fluffy feather, to protect them while they grow. When the bird preens and removes the sheath it will fall to the ground and look like dandruff on the floor and in the feathers.
Should I Have My Bird’s Wings Clipped?
As a general rule, vets see far more birds that have been injured when they can fly well than when their wings are clipped. The trick is to have each bird’s wings clipped appropriate to its individual needs at home,
Birds that do not have their wings clipped may hit ceiling fans, get shut in doors, fly into windows or sliding glass doors, or escape outside. When a pet bird flies loose outdoors, it will often become disoriented and scared, and may fly away even when the owner is standing nearby calling to it. They want to come home but they are lost and have no idea where home may be.
There are people who argue that it is cruel to trim a bird’s wings, but I feel it is a safety issue. The aim of a wing clip is not to stop the bird flying but to reduce its ability to gain height, so if it tries to fly it will quietly flutter down to the ground. This is safer for the bird as it removes access to many of the “nasties” that exist in most households and it also reduces the ability to fly away and get lost.
Birds that have their wings clipped may become more bonded with their owner since they will depend on a human to pick them up and take them where they want to go. Aggressive birds may feel less dominant when they can’t fly to attack.
Wing trimming is as painless as a haircut, and the feathers will regrow during the next moult. It is important to check the wing feathers once a week to be certain that they have not grown back before taking a bird outside or exposing it to an area where flight may cause problems.
Leave Comment Below