Too clip or not to clip

I may be getting a parrot in the future (10 years) And I do not know to clip or not!

Now when I get my bird I will live in my own house(rural hopefully) And I want to not clip my birds feathers because it gives them freedom(may be harder to train) and mental stimulation. Also in the house I live in now my parents have a plant company and our door gets knocked on and opened a lot. So in that instance I would have to clip.

Now I will make the necessary pre cautions are met in my home( no non stick oil pans and evil Teflon blowdryer, ceiling fans etc)

So I ask you this, if I get a parrot can I clip its wings at first; so he/she can get use to my house and give him steady training( I won't force him to do anything) and a lot of patience as well during training.

So would that be okay? Clip first so he can start off a good training base. then let his feathers grow back and give him flight training? Or just not clip his wings.

btw the bird will most likely be a baby budgie(I need some experience!) And if I was a bird pro I would adopt an abused budgie.

Sounds good to me!!

That sounds good. Rosie is fully flighted and I love the fact that she is lean, fit, and healthy

Since you are thinking about a young bird, be sure that is has fledged and had a little flying time before its wings are clipped.....sometimes clipping birds that have not fledged before they are clipped have a hard time learning to fly properly later.....

Good luck.....

weco said:

Since you are thinking about a young bird, be sure that is has fledged and had a little flying time before its wings are clipped.....sometimes clipping birds that have not fledged before they are clipped have a hard time learning to fly properly later.....

Good luck.....

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I agree, they should never be clipped before fledging. Hopefully you get a weaned baby, in that case it should have fledged.

Well, if you don't want to force your new bird to do anything, then you shouldn't get his/her wings clipped... cause by clipping the wings, you are forcing the bird to depend upon you.


Most pet stores sell clipped budgies, so, well, you really don't get the choice.




PS, you can train a flighted budgie to look forward to interacting with you daily even if the bird can fly, and you don't need to be a pro trainer!

clipping is all about having a safe, controlled enviornment. My conure got out a total of 5 times and at least 3 of those were people not watching what was going on and leaving the door open, and startling the bird into flight. 2 were him trying to go to work with me.

other than stupidity, there's ovens, ceiling fans, cats, dogs and mirrors that can all end your babies life if mishandled.

I know many are pro-clip, but on the flip side, a clipped parrot can't fly out of a trash can, a clipped parrot can't fly away from a cat or a dog, some clipped birds have a higher chance of flying into things because they can't control where they fly, a clipped parrot can *STILL* take off and get lost outside (two owners on this forum both lost clipped birds outside - and both owners no longer clip), and if improperly clipped (a common occurrence) a bird may be more prone to beak, keel and leg/foot injuries.


There are pros and cons to each side.

Should you clip your parrot

Basil was clipped when he came to us (and not at all tame) and I had him clipped once during the first few months after he became partially flighted. Almost a year later, he is fully flighted and I intend to keep him that way. Having him clipped was useful when we were getting to know each other. But I like that he is able to fly now. It's good exercise for him and it is what he is meant to do.

However, we have to be extra cautious when he is out of his cage. He only comes out when I am home (kids know that) and never when I am cooking. We have to anticipate situations that could put him in danger, like open doors or extra people in the house. He is fairly predictable when flying (he wants to come to me) but he is a bird and can be spooked into unpredictable behaviour.

My 8 year old says that letting him grow flight feathers was the best gift we could have given him.

It is so much easier for a new family to get acquainted to the new bird when they're clipped. They will grow back during molt if you want them to grow out you can. There's really no harm done! It does not mean if they're flighted they can escape the wreath of dogs and cats if they want to go after them. I had a flighted parakeet that escaped one time and I watched my dog jump up and grab him from mid-air and killed him. My cockatoo Dixie is fully flighted. And one of the dogs got a hold of her yanking her tail feathers out one by one and I was able to rescue her before the dog mauled her. I just make sure the dogs are put up these days in a separate room away from the birds period.

Mango was clipped when we got him, and Im glad he was. He had a light clip and still got around the house OK, but he couldnt get into places where he wasnt safe or where we couldnt get him. He basically glided around and could get about 2 feet of height. We let his flight feathers grow in with his first molt (only a year old) and he is learning to fly. We worked really hard to train him while he was clipped and now he always comes when we call him. I really wanted to have this basic training instilled before he was allowed to fly and I dont regret it. He is not a very good flier, still just learning. He doesnt fly a lot, and when he does it is always to us, not away from us. We keep sunflower seeds in our pockets and he gets one EVERY time he comes when we call. Mango was terrified when he came to us and I think that if he had been able to fly away whenever he was scared he wouldnt have bonded with us as quickly or easily, but thats just my opinion as a first time parrot owner. I think it made it easier for us, and I really dont think it hurts to clip in the beginning. Unless we feel he is genuinely unsafe we wont clip him again.

Thank you everyone If I get one I will let him fly when he is young(so he will not forget how to fly) then clip him for steady training and getting him used to the environment(mirrors,windows etc) I will cover windows if I have too and then when he molts he can learn flight training!

I had the breeder keep Valentino flighted for several reasons. I am a person that does not have the birds wings clipped. Before Valentino came home I rearranged my home to accommodate the free flight he was going to be doing in my home. RFM's are such efficient and talented flyers half the stuff I did to my home (putting away breakables for instance) was really unnecessary. I kept Valentino flighted because it leaves him to be such a more confident baby and for the training.

I free fly Valentino in my home every day two to three times a day. I need for him to keep in shape so he does not develop heart disease or fatty liver disease. Valentino can fly from downstairs up to my office or bedroom to find me when we play hide and seek.

I believe if you can handle it and train the parrot to keep them flighted for their mental and physical well being.

yeah that is why I would like to keep him flighted thanks!

Don't get me wrong with okay with clipping, I do allow mine to grow back after training. I allow all my birds to free flight. Its just over the years of raising chicks I find it easier for them to cope with new family when they're clipped. Then allow to grow back after first molt.