Wing clipping…
By Abi Strachan
The subject of wing clipping is a highly emotional topic, with both sides of the argument having their own strong beliefs on why they do it their way.
Cheeky Beaks Parrot Rescue is of the belief that birds should remain intact whenever safely possible. It is also important to note that birds with clipped wings can still fly and get lost.
The argument for clipped wings is that of convenience to humans. It is easier to manage a bird that you believe cannot fly away, safety measures become less important, and you inevitably become more relaxed in your bird security. This is a huge contributor to the number of strays as well as the number of missing birds that we learn about daily. Complacency will lose you your bird. No bird, clipped or intact, should ever be taken outdoors without either a harness or in a cage.
There is an option to do a “hard clip” rendering the bird flightless, but even still, the very structure of the wing allows gliding, meaning that any gust of wind could quite easily carry the bird away.
The dangers of clipping wings are numerous and extreme. The sudden loss of their flight capabilities can lead to severe psychological trauma, resulting in behavioral issues, plucking, and even illness due to the inability to efficiently lose weight and exercise. Flight offers metal stimulation that humans cannot replicate, and the sudden loss of this could potentially have a devastating impact on the bird. Bad wing clips are unfortunately also far too common. Many people claim to be able to clip wings appropriately, but also believe that simply cutting the wing feathers does the job. There is a science to wing clipping, and an appropriate clip should not leave any bird flightless.
Improperly clipped wings could leave the bird in pain, or permanently disabled. Permanent feather damage may also occur, making it impossible for the feathers to regrow, and the bird to recover.
Quite often birds that have been clipped improperly are left with uncomfortable and even painful feather shafts, that not only irritate the follicle, which may result in plucking but also actually hurt when the wings are relaxed. The shaft digs into the bird’s body, and this may result in behavioral issues (often aggression), or even plucking.
Anyone will tell you that it is not easy to stop plucking and feather destructive behavior, and psychologically based behavioral issues are even harder to manage.
It is vitally important for birds to learn how to fly, as this action develops muscle crucial in not only general wellbeing but also injury prevention. A common injury to birds who never develop this is a broken keel bone. Without the muscle development, the bone is left exposed, covered only by flesh, skin, and feathers, meaning the first bad landing or accidental fall could well be a death sentence.
If you do choose to clip your bird, it is crucially important to not only have this done by an expert avian vet but also only after the bird has developed these muscles, whenever possible.
In certain circumstances clipping is done for the bird’s own safety. Certain medical conditions make it unsafe for a bird to fly. We currently have two birds in our system that are permanently brain-damaged and would be a real danger to themselves if they could fly. (Check out Neo on our website, he’s available and honestly so amazing) Another valid reason is an anxious, flighty bird. A sudden fright causing unplanned flight can result in severe injury or even death, as happened with one of our very own.
As much as we prefer birds to remain as they were made, we do accept that some birds are better off clipped, we just ask you to do it responsibly and with an expert avian vet.
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