Should we clip our african grey ?

Question

we only live in a small flat our baby parrot has just learnt to fly she really seems to have got the hang of it now, would it be best to have her wings clipped or not We dont want her to hurt herself but then at the same time dont want her not to be able to fly, how much does clippin their wings restrict them ???

Answer 1

Whether or not to clip a bird is a very personal decision. It's been my experience that bird owners outside of the U.S. aren't as likely to clip their birds as they do here; and even in the U.S. people are starting to do it less because there are so many health benefits to a bird who can fly.

Greys especially are prone to becoming overweight, and even without a drastic clip they won't fly much, so they need some way to exercise.

On the other hand, you need to consider the safety of your bird. If you always have people coming and going through your house, leaving doors and windows open, your bird should be clipped, for example. Some people also have birds who for whatever reason are terrible fliers - so if your bird is constantly flying into walls, it's probably best to clip  her. It doesn't sound like that's the case.

You do need to take more precautions with a flighted bird, but IMO people tend to be careless once their birds are clipped because they think that's all there is to it. Having your grey clipped is no guarantee that she won't get into trouble or escape somehow. That's why training is so important. (See the link listed under Sources)

Your bird needs to learn basic commands like recall ("come here") as well as "off", "go", etc.  http://bestinflock.wordpress.com/2008/03...

My smaller parrot is flighted and I think it's great. He's much more independent than he was before and I honestly believe he is happier. Yes, it's more of an inconvenience for me, and he CAN be a really big brat, but I don't make decisions about HIS quality of life based only on MY *convenience*.

When possible I think people need to consider letting their birds fly indoors. It's good for them physically and psychologically. But you have to be able to make sure they stay safe.

Recommended Reading:

There's man named Shanlung who is well known for free flying his African Grey Tinkerbell (Tink) - you might be interested in reading some of what he wrote. http://www.geocities.com/shanlung9/index...

I also recommend the Carly Lu blog about a flighted African Grey: http://likambo.com/flyblog/

Keep in mind, the two authors above are talking about "free flying" - which means letting your bird fly outside without a harness... something I do NOT recommend for anyone who does not have a lot of advanced experience in parrot training, but they do offer some insights into the importance of flight.

In short: if you can keep your bird safe, leave her flighted. Make sure she's not out of her cage when you're cooking or if there is a probability of people coming in and out of the front door. Always keep her in a cage or on a harness when you take her outside. (If you've got a mischievous parrot, check to make sure she didn't sneak into the fridge before you close the door and childproof your cabinets.) Train, train, train her so she comes to you when called!

Answer 2

YES!  We just had quite an experience with our Rose-breasted Cockatoo.  She was outside with us, and we did not think she could fly for a long time.  She ended up flying away, but stayed in our yard. (It is a large, open yard)  She kept going from tree to tree, but would stay up really high.  Then, it was around the 90s outside.  She stayed outside for three days, two nights (one night during a storm)  and no water.  She finally ended up flying on the end of our pool and we were able to get her, but it was very scary.  Our African Grey is also learning to fly, and we are sure to have him clipped.  Just make sure you watch if you have dogs and stuff.  When we got ours clipped a while ago, they were still able to fly but only for a second and to the ground.  They grow back, but I would have a bird vet cut them, bc they can bleed to death if you don't know what you are doing!

Answer 3

clipping their wings does allow them NOT to fly, but if they fall, the little feather left on their wings will def slow down their fall, so no worries =)

Answer 4

yes yes yes...clip your bird!

Is your bird hand tamed?  If not, clipping the wings will help hand tame him/her.

Clipping the wings will keep them safe!  

Do you run a ceiling fan? Cook in the kitchen?  Burn candles?  Those are things to consider if you keep your birds as a "part of" your family.

When I clip my birds and they try to fly...they will almost literally drop or only glide to the floor.  (I clip the wings myself with a holder/helper - it might be harder with a Grey, though)

They are quite able to get around and have a good time as part of the family.

Goodluck.

Answer 5

Clip the wings.  It will not hurt them at all.  Take him to a vet so they can show you how to do it and so that they clip the correct feathers.  The only time this hurts the bird is when they are not clipped properly.  Having clipped wings still allows them to loft a little.  I had a Pionus.  The pionus had clipped wings and he could get on and off the cage as he wanted

Answer 6

Its good to clip there wings. A clipped parrot is less likey to get away from you. Its also dangerous for them to fly in a home, the may fly in to glass, a mirror, or a wall. They are also easier to handle because it cant fly away when your trying to hold it. If the bird was to jump off of something they will glide down to the ground.