It is true that clipped birds can fly!!!

So today, as usual, I took Ozzie out in his harness like I do everyday. We were out in the backyard because it's a bit late. Anyway, I was standing there watching the wild cockatoos flying back to their nest, that's Ozzie's favourite part of the day. We just love watching the cockatoos, and there's always a galah that comes down to us. It's a wild galah, but it just know I'm a bird person and is not scared of me! It would eat from my hand, and even sometime stand on my arm and play with Ozzie! And I SWEAR it's not a pet galah, because it has always been there since I moved into my new house, which is 2 years ago. I saw it hatched as it's parents thought my house's roof is a nice place to nest!

Ok, getting a bit off topic! Lol Now, as that galah flew off to join it's pack after staying with us for 15 min, Ozzie opened his wings and decided to fly (he is clipped). I know he would just fell down onto the ground so I was ready to catch him. But he didn't! He took off, and he actually was flying! I was shocked! He flew so high that he was nearly the same hight as my house's roof, which is probably around about 2.5 meters! After flying for about 10 second, he landed on my hand! I just stood there, looking at Ozzie. And Ozzie turned his head around and looked at me as he was saying, why are you so shocked!?

I have always heard that clipped parrot can fly, but didn't believed it 100%, maybe like 80%. But after today, I can tell you, at the right time and right place, also the right weather, a clipped parrot can still fly! I'm 110% sure!

Luckily Ozzie was wearing a harness, and that's why recall training is so good! Ozzie just flew back onto my hand without even me telling him to come back, because I was so shocked that I didn't know what to do!!!

And yes, clipped parrot can still do recall training, but it has to be shorter distance and you kind of need to stand below them, because most of the time they can't fly upwards, unless its very windy like today!

I'm just telling everyone that clipped birds can fly. And I know a lot of people who bring their clipped birds outside without harness and have never done recall training. There are risk that you can lose them.

So make sure you get a bird harness (clipped and flighted) if you decide to bring your birds out (unless you are 110% trusting your parrot with recall training, then go ahead without the harness ) and recall training is ideal because if the harness does get broken, your parrot may fly away and never come back! Nothing is worser than losing your feathered friend!

Wow! That's so cool you have a wild galah buddy. and that's great he had that much confidence and just went for it. kinda scary too, imagine if he wasn't on his harness. Even with recall a bird flying outdoors isn't fit enough or experienced enough to fly in wind. It's a great thing to share so people don't loose as many birds. You should try getting a photo of Ozzie flying, I usually use a timer and just hope Rosie's in the right spot as she is coming in for a landing.

Here's a photo of Rosie flying with only 2 finger feathers, and the rest of her wing is over clipped. She has like 10 clipped feathers in this photo. Flapping constantly to stay aloft.

So make sure you get a bird harness (clipped and flighted) if you decide to bring your birds out (unless you are 110% trusting your parrot with recall training, then go ahead without the harness ) and recall training is ideal because if the harness does get broken, your parrot may fly away and never come back! Nothing is worser than losing your feathered friend!

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awesome advice, I'm always telling people to harness train birds no matter what if they plan to take them outside.

Copperarabian said:

Wow! That's so cool you have a wild galah buddy. and that's great he had that much confidence and just went for it. kinda scary too, imagine if he wasn't on his harness. Even with recall a bird flying outdoors isn't fit enough or experienced enough to fly in wind. It's a great thing to share so people don't loose as many birds. You should try getting a photo of Ozzie flying, I usually use a timer and just hope Rosie's in the right spot as she is coming in for a landing.

Here's a photo of Rosie flying with only 2 finger feathers, and the rest of her wing is over clipped. She has like 10 clipped feathers in this photo. Flapping constantly to stay aloft.

So make sure you get a bird harness (clipped and flighted) if you decide to bring your birds out (unless you are 110% trusting your parrot with recall training, then go ahead without the harness ) and recall training is ideal because if the harness does get broken, your parrot may fly away and never come back! Nothing is worser than losing your feathered friend!

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awesome advice, I'm always telling people to harness train birds no matter what if they plan to take them outside.

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Yeah, that little galah hang out with us every afternoon! He now even tries to follow me home when Ozzie and I go back! Lol

I'll try to take a photo next time, I have a iPhone, so don't expert it to be clear like yours!

Wow, Roise's wings were badly clipped! Here at Vic, it's illegal to clip a parrot's wing without except on a guidance of a veterinarian experience in working with birds. So that's pretty good, but I'm pretty sure some or perhaps most people doesn't know that.

And the other thing to think about free flight is other dangers, like hawks. Here at Australia, well at lease Melbourne, I don't need to worry about them. But we do have a lot of magpies which can kill small parrots. One of my friend's budgie got killed during free flight by a magpie. But I think Ozzie is a little big for magpies, but I do need to keep an eye on him.

Yes clipped birds can fly ! My Ruby stays clipped but she sure flew Saturday night. My son had gone fishing and caught 2 large catfish. I fried up 3 of the filets and poached the 4th one for Ruby. I sat my plate of 1 fried filet on the table, and returned to the kitchen to get Ruby's poached filet. When I returned Ruby had flown from her cage to the table, and had began eating my fried filet. She knows she isnt allowed fried food, but for an indulgence I allowed her to keep her Loot. I ate the poached filet. Needless to say, lesson learned, don't leave your food unguarded !

You Aussies are so lucky to have such beautiful wild birds! I thought I was lucky to have a blue jay buddy, lol. My little GCC loves to watch him from the window, when I go outside to feed "J.J." peanuts.

And your story makes me VERY glad that I got a harness! I havent put it on him yet, but we are going to work on it this weekend.

Boysmom said:

Yes clipped birds can fly ! My Ruby stays clipped but she sure flew Saturday night. My son had gone fishing and caught 2 large catfish. I fried up 3 of the filets and poached the 4th one for Ruby. I sat my plate of 1 fried filet on the table, and returned to the kitchen to get Ruby's poached filet. When I returned Ruby had flown from her cage to the table, and had began eating my fried filet. She knows she isnt allowed fried food, but for an indulgence I allowed her to keep her Loot. I ate the poached filet. Needless to say, lesson learned, don't leave your food unguarded !

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Hahaha, yeah, Ozzie onces opened a bag of Cheerios and ate some! It was place on a very high cardboard, like 1.5 meters. But he still got it! Next time I really need to hind the food!

Some can,

My amazon came clipped from the rescue and he flies perfectly, shocked me very much. Our African brown head is clipped but she only manages to flutter to the ground. I would always be careful for this very reason.

I bought an aviator harness this weekend for the amazon, now wish me luck LOL
He is 35 and I have my doubts he will wear it.

Agapornis said:

You Aussies are so lucky to have such beautiful wild birds! I thought I was lucky to have a blue jay buddy, lol. My little GCC loves to watch him from the window, when I go outside to feed "J.J." peanuts.

And your story makes me VERY glad that I got a harness! I havent put it on him yet, but we are going to work on it this weekend.

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I feel lucky too that there's wild cockatoo here at Australia, cockatoo are one of my favorite parrot.

Good luck with harness training! It's not easy!

Yep, Audrey can fly very well and she is clipped lol!

Just be careful with the wild bird around Ozzie, you don't want him to pick up anything

I learnt this the hard way about a year ago, I clipped my parents tiel, took 6 feathers off and he couldn't fly but landed ok on the ground, he's 10 years old and is cage bound and I wanted to give him a little adventure, I had been taking my GCC outside to play in the trees for weeks (all clipped) when it was time to go back inside I went to get the tiel and he flew up the tree, then flew onto the neighbours garage. We got him down at sunset and all was good, but I definitely learnt my lesson that clipped birds can still fly!

I'm suprised Ozzie flew, I saw his clip on that vid you posted (which Nimbus loves! I'll have to link you a video when I upload it!)

SandyBee said:

Some can,

My amazon came clipped from the rescue and he flies perfectly, shocked me very much. Our African brown head is clipped but she only manages to flutter to the ground. I would always be careful for this very reason.

I bought an aviator harness this weekend for the amazon, now wish me luck LOL
He is 35 and I have my doubts he will wear it.

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Good luck on harness training!

kc_y0 said:

Yep, Audrey can fly very well and she is clipped lol!

Just be careful with the wild bird around Ozzie, you don't want him to pick up anything

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Yep, I'll keep an eye on ozzie. Specially the magpies!

Yes clipped birds can fly
Also remember that alexandrines have their long tail which gives them more of a lift.

Ash said:

Yes clipped birds can fly
Also remember that alexandrines have their long tail which gives them more of a lift.

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Yeah! I was so shocked that Ozzie flew so high! Lol

Depending on they are clipped, yes they are able to take off or glide. But there's another clip, not the bad clip where you chop off all the secondary feathers near by the body(never do that), it's a clip of the line along with the secondary on where you clip the primary and they won't take off period. It's a method I learned from a old book 16 years ago. I personally don't clip any of my adults, only the babies when they go to their new homes, for training and safety reasons before they go to their new homes. As my adults flies to me on their own.

MikeyTN said:

Depending on they are clipped, yes they are able to take off or glide. But there's another clip, not the bad clip where you chop off all the secondary feathers near by the body(never do that), it's a clip of the line along with the secondary on where you clip the primary and they won't take off period. It's a method I learned from a old book 16 years ago. I personally don't clip any of my adults, only the babies when they go to their new homes, for training and safety reasons before they go to their new homes. As my adults flies to me on their own.

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That's cool, I never heard of the second clip style. Learnt a lot. Thanks

Just a word of caution but wild birds can have disease and mites. I've heard of a lady's macaw getting diseases from wild cockatoos.

khaiqha said:

Just a word of caution but wild birds can have disease and mites. I've heard of a lady's macaw getting diseases from wild cockatoos.

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Thanks for reminding. I don't actually allow Ozzie to be too close to the galah. about 5 meters away, and I always wash my hand afterwards. Thanks again.

Monty can also fly if it's been a while since he has been clipped. If he starts getting too much air, perhaps it's time to clip him again

BradGC said:

Monty can also fly if it's been a while since he has been clipped. If he starts getting too much air, perhaps it's time to clip him again

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Have you thought about only clip to half way? Ozzie seems to be much happier after flying around in the backyard this few days! And seems to be more cuddly.