To clip or not to clip....that is the question

[Christol]

Hello all,

 

I have had Lillie for almost two weeks, she has settled in nicely and seems to be very happy. I was told by her previous owner that Lillie did not know how to fly....boy was she wrong LILLIE FLIES....into walls, into doors, into celiling fans (they are not turned on) into people, into just about everything! She sees my husband going out side and she tries to follow him and BAM she hits the glass door! I am afraid she is going to seriously hurt herself. My question is, will her flying abilities improve or is she just naturally this clumsy? She has an appointment with the vet on Monday for a nail clipping and an overall checkup, should I inquire about a wing clipping (I know this is a personal choice) and I have never clipped any of my birds wings before, but none of them have ever flown into things on a regular basis. I am just looking for honest and sincere opinions to help me make my decision. Thanks in advance for any help given

[Talon]

Thisbis a hot topic and there are many threads regarding this question. My answer would be NOm do not clip her. Others will disagree with me. It sounds like she needs help in her landings. Could you keep her in one room, hold her on your arm, and encourage her to fly by dropping or lifting your arm, towards a soft couch, so she can practice her landing. When she flies, try to encourage her to land on something you have made available to her. Do you have playstands, hanging gyms, perches, things around that she can land on? As for following your husband out the door, when I leave, I always listen for the sound of fluttering wings, and if they are coming towards me, I stop, and I allow them to land on me, then I place them on a tree stand and tell them I will be back soon and to stay. Maybe with a few more details, we can help you a bit more.

[judygram]

I see from a previous post of yours that Lillie is 8 years old but her former owners may not have allowed her the opportunity to fly when she was with them so she has not had experience in learning how to fly and land properly but I think she can learn and you can do some things to make it easier for her as she transitions to being flighted. You can get decals for your windows and doors to make it appear as if there is something there and make it less likely she will fly right into it. You may need to put her back into the cage if he goes outside if she is following him but I think with some more practice she will get somewhat better at flying, after all she has been denied it for so long and she needs to build up the muscle she needs to power those wings for greys are heavy birds.

I hope you continue to keep her flighted, I know the bumping into things, flying into walls and glass doors is frightening to you but it takes time to build the muscle mass needed for flight and she is not a baby any longer so it makes it more difficult, she will never be as proficient as greys who were flighted to begin with she should be able to fly without bumping into everything along the way. I imagine your other birds were never clipped so they started out flying and that is best, they become more confident and excellent flyers if allowed to from the start.

[Luvparrots]

My parrots are all flighted so, I am an advocate for flighted birds, but do believe it is a personal choice and only the people around a bird know it's personality the valid reasons for a bird not being allowed to fly (ex. constant door opening). Lillie is practicing her flying because she wants to fly. In your place, I would see that there are proper landing places for her. Talon has given some great advice. I have made my own window/glass decals from colored saran/plastic wrap. Works great. I know a parrot that was not allowed to fly for 7 1/2 years, he was clumsy and it took a couple of years of practicing but his determination to fly has him flying now. The sound of a flighted birds flapping wings to me is pure beauty.

[kins2321@yahoo.com]

I believe in clippimg. Clipping doesnt mean a bird cant fly. On the contrary.My birds have all learned to fly. Their feathers get trimmed. Nancy

[Christol]

Well Lillie survived her visit to the Vet, he was very impressed with her her weight is good, her overall feather condition is good, (except for the ones shes plucked out), no mites, she is in perfect health and he seems to think that after we have had her a bit longer and she settles in her plucking will eventually stop.....but i know how these birds operate so I'm not holding my breath on that one! LOL! I did have her nails trimmed, those babies were like hyperdermic needles, I have puncture wounds all over my hands!! But since the trim all is good. I did NOT have her wings clipped thanks to all of the good advice I received here and from my Vet, he agrees that it is always best to leave them flighted, so after a few days of practice Lillie is starting to get a little better at her landings and not crashing into things so often. Thanks everyone!

[Talon]

Yay! I'm so happy you are allowing her to have free flight like she was intended. I would almost bet that once she has mastered her flight abilities, and she will, that her plucking will definitely stop! Let us know and keep us posted on how she's learning with her new wings!

[Elvenking]

I am a strong advocate for letting them fly, but do know that the level of responsibility goes up tremendously. I can see the reasons people have to clip birds, I just don't follow that school of thought due to my personal views of birds and how important flight is to them whether they are aware of it or not. I can see how a bird might not miss that which it has never had, but if I could fly...I would want to be allowed to. I tell you...the moment I saw my baby flap his little way off the ground, I was so proud of him that my decision was pretty much made for me. Also, the way he simply seeks me out for companionship by flying to where ever I am when he wants to come see me, is really a good feeling. Flight is beautiful in itself.

 

The biggest downside of having a flighted bird is ensuring that he\she never gets out (away). For this, I establish the best relationship with my bird so he knows where safety and love is. Freedom for a home-raised bird is usually not a good prospect. Many a good-hearted-owner have lost their bird. If you are like me, there is a constant moral battle as to what is right and if keeping birds as companions is really an evolved thing to do beyond just wondering if you should let them have flight. The relationships that are built with these birds will draw you closer to understanding them and feeling for them if your heart is in the right place.

Edited March 9, 2012 by Elvenking

[kins2321@yahoo.com]

IF i Had a brand new baby, I wouldnt clip. Let them develop chest muscles, learn to fly. Practice, flight. Once my birds got out of control with flight, I slowly trimmed them, so they could focus on learning. They could still fly two rooms.This was the period I established parenthood. They learned to focus, and understand, I was the parent, they were the child. LOTS of teaching, during this time. Once the " trust", was established, the flight feathers grew again, and were encouraged! I was always there to encourage them.Its like "setting the rules", being there to let them know, they have done a good job, and you are proud of them.Of course my plan doesn't work for everyone, but it worked for us. Nancy