Never had a parrot before, which type should I get?

[Truepacifist]

GUYS HELP

I went to visit the conure again today who I've already bought and paid for (waiting for all supplies to be here before I bring her home) and they had CLIPPED HER WINGS in preparation for her going to a new home?? Is this normal?? I did not ask for it!

 

[TheofficialParakeet]

Yes, if its a store or breeder they will clip. The wing feathers will grow back.

 

[Mulligan]

Hi I'm new to the forum and have joined to decide which parrot to get. I have a budget of $1500 for initial expenses (the parrot plus cage) and 2 bunny rabbits, who are very senior, Alice and Peter. I live alone but don't own my house.

I was thinking of a smaller species but I heard budgies, lovebirds and cockatiels aren't very smart and can't learn many tricks. So I was thinking of a grey, an Indian ringneck or an eclectus.

Research to see if they are screamers! Important as some people end up covering the cage or putting them in that back room. Birds are social. The more time you spend with them, the more they will respond. At first, let them observe you even if it takes a month. Don't try to pick them up too much at first. Treat them as you wish to be treated. I know only Grays and cockatiels. The cockatoo was precious until she didn't like my husband, he said she would scream when I was at work. Their scream can be heard down the street! I gave her to a reputable breeder. I cried alot.

 

[onamom]

GUYS HELP

I went to visit the conure again today who I've already bought and paid for (waiting for all supplies to be here before I bring her home) and they had CLIPPED HER WINGS in preparation for her going to a new home?? Is this normal?? I did not ask for it!

Yes it’s normal

 

[ravvlet]

GUYS HELP

I went to visit the conure again today who I've already bought and paid for (waiting for all supplies to be here before I bring her home) and they had CLIPPED HER WINGS in preparation for her going to a new home?? Is this normal?? I did not ask for it!

Oh geez! I had no idea that was normal actually, but I guess I can see the logic? You don’t want her to get injured flying in an unfamiliar home.

So sorry to hear they surprised you with that one though! I promise they’ll grow back. Even our old-as-dirt boy Kirby grew his back finally. In the mean time you’ll need to be cognizant of where she is & ready to help her out if she flutters off and gets stuck.

As an aside, I also sew and Kirby is really tolerant of the sewing machine noises, which I thought he would hate. He mostly ignores it completely although he’s flown toward it to check it out before while it was off! He doesn’t really “fly” as he has spent so much of his life clipped but now that his wing feathers are in he’s a great glider.

 

[Truepacifist]

I just read that clipping wings is bad for parrots mental and physical health how long does it take to regrow them? My home is perfectly safe for flight and I wish they'd asked me.

 

[ravvlet]

It can take a few months to a few years depending on the age and species of parrot. I think small birds like conures will get them back faster. It didn’t take our tiel any time at all to grow his out; he came to us with a light clip also. I want to say 3-4 months for him, maybe? It also depends on the season where you are at, as they molt at certain times of the year. A seasonal molt should be coming up soon for us North American folks I think!

 

[Cottonoid]

Ack, that is a total bummer they didn't check with you!

It shouldn't affect her long term flight skills, at least. My Quaker was clipped when I brought him home, and it didn't stop him from flying all over the place. He couldn't go long distances without slowly getting lower and lower, and he flapped VERY VERY FAST, but he could get around. Now he's a champ flier and turns quickly and can go all around the house without stopping, and he doesn't even have all his flights back yet!

Since your girl is also still young, hopefully it won't be too traumatic for her since she'll be so focused on getting used to your house and getting to play with you

 

[onamom]

If it makes you feel any better my conure came home clipped too and I wouldn't say it's been traumatic at all for her. She's as happy as can be as long as I'm with her. In some ways it has made bonding even easier. Hers are still in the process of growing out now. It can take some time - babies especially are clumsy and can have a harder time growing them in (Ona's problem). But they will eventually.

 

[Truepacifist]

Thanks guys, I've calmed down a lot now. It was just a bit of a shock.

She's the sweetest thing. I did not want to leave her again when I went to visit. So excited for her coming home. I did a big clean out of all my nonstick stuff today. The saddest thing to go was some muffin tins I got as a gift, but I have my mom over and she bakes from time to time, and I just imagined her using them without realising and agh... better safe than sorry.

 

[ravvlet]

You can replace those tins! You can’t replace your bird. I stick with ceramic, stainless steel, and cast iron.

I love this brand for ceramic stuff - we beat the crap out of it and it’s held up beautifully, and they recently started offering bakeware:

Muffin Pan | Ceramic Non-Stick & Non-Toxic

The essential 12-cup Muffin Pan for baking healthy cupcakes. Caraway offers a non-toxic, non-stick ceramic coated pan to make healthy baking and clean up easier than ever before.

www.carawayhome.com

from the manufacturer:

• Free of PTFE (such as Teflon®)
• Free of PFOA
• Free of Heavy Metals
• Free of other PFAs

Our bakeware's coating does not include potentially toxic materials like PFOA, PTFE, other PFAs, lead, cadmium, or toxic metals. We also refrain from using any form of hard anodization.

 

[Truepacifist]

You can replace those tins! You can’t replace your bird. I stick with ceramic, stainless steel, and cast iron.

I love this brand for ceramic stuff - we beat the crap out of it and it’s held up beautifully, and they recently started offering bakeware:

Muffin Pan | Ceramic Non-Stick & Non-Toxic

The essential 12-cup Muffin Pan for baking healthy cupcakes. Caraway offers a non-toxic, non-stick ceramic coated pan to make healthy baking and clean up easier than ever before.

www.carawayhome.com

from the manufacturer:

Learning about Teflon and human health made me want to get rid of it even if I didn't get a bird tbh... nasty stuff. Don't know how it's legal. Thanks for the rec!

 

[Birds lover from Hawaii]

I just read that clipping wings is bad for parrots mental and physical health how long does it take to regrow them? My home is perfectly safe for flight and I wish they'd asked me.

Based on my own experience, my Senegal who passed away a year ago had his wing clipped for 27 years. We did not see any behavior that indicated he was suffering mentally. He had been the sweetest, cuddly and happy bird ever till he was very sick.

We have had some rather heated debate on our forum on this topic. There are always pros and cons in many things. There is no right or wrong answer. For myself, I would rather have his wings clipped so he wouldn't be startled by sudden noise or movement and flew out the door. I have heard too many sad stories of lost birds never been found or watching their bird flew right into a pot of boiling oil or water or flew right onto a glass window and got a concussion or got killed by the slamming door. Some got killed by cats or dogs. Our vet only clipped the primary flight feathers so in case he fell he could still balance himself onto the floor. He couldn't just fly upwards but will land like a plane slowly so you can pick him up.

My BB never knew he could fly as I got him when he was only 2 months old from the breeder. He was so used to climbing and hopping around and he was out of his cage many hours either on his playgym, on the kitchen island or on our shoulders. Since he couldn't fly, I would make him do the up and down flapping movements daily for his cardio health. Some birds who had already learnt how to fly may possibly have mental issues and probably not a good idea to clip their wings. However, for young birds who have never learnt to fly would probably won't have any mental issues such as my case.

The bottom line is really the owner's choice what you feel most comfortable and safest for your bird. If you don't have other dogs or cats in the house and you will be watching your bird whenever he is out of the cage, then not having his wing clipped may work out just fine. I still wish to warn you accidents do happen no matter how careful you think you will be.

 

[Truepacifist]

Based on my own experience, my Senegal who passed away a year ago had his wing clipped for 27 years. We did not see any behavior that indicated he was suffering mentally. He had been the sweetest, cuddly and happy bird ever till he was very sick.

We have had some rather heated debate on our forum on this topic. There are always pros and cons in many things. There is no right or wrong answer. For myself, I would rather have his wings clipped so he wouldn't be startled by sudden noise or movement and flew out the door. I have heard too many sad stories of lost birds never been found or watching their bird flew right into a pot of boiling oil or water or flew right onto a glass window and got a concussion or got killed by the slamming door. Some got killed by cats or dogs. Our vet only clipped the primary flight feathers so in case he fell he could still balance himself onto the floor. He couldn't just fly upwards but will land like a plane slowly so you can pick him up.

My BB never knew he could fly as I got him when he was only 2 months old from the breeder. He was so used to climbing and hopping around and he was out of his cage many hours either on his playgym, on the kitchen island or on our shoulders. Since he couldn't fly, I would make him do the up and down flapping movements daily for his cardio health. Some birds who had already learnt how to fly may possibly have mental issues and probably not a good idea to clip their wings. However, for young birds who have never learnt to fly would probably won't have any mental issues such as my case.

The bottom line is really the owner's choice what you feel most comfortable and safest for your bird. If you don't have other dogs or cats in the house and you will be watching your bird whenever he is out of the cage, then not having his wing clipped may work out just fine. I still wish to warn you accidents do happen no matter how careful you think you will be.

This is really interesting! Thank you for offering another perspective. From my reading the dialogue seemed really one sided on the issue but that might just be the info I happened across.

Obviously I have no hands on experience, but theoretically it *seems* sad to deprive a bird of flight because flying is kind of just what birds DO. Like fish swim, cats climb, etc. But if there's safety issues, I can see how a grounded bird is better than a dead one, to put it bluntly. I guess there is always a balance between safety and freedom though and the sacrifices you're willing to make to optimise either, since you can't have equal amount of both... so if a bird enjoys flight and is the kind of bird who flies to get about, maybe only clip that bird as a last resort, but if they were never flighted it might be safer for it to stay that way if the risk is crashing into walls as the bird learns?

 

[Truepacifist]

Another thing... how do I make sure I don't train my bird wrong? I keep hearing little tidbits about how some people train their birds incorrectly but what's an incorrect way to train?

 

[Birds lover from Hawaii]

This is really interesting! Thank you for offering another perspective. From my reading the dialogue seemed really one sided on the issue but that might just be the info I happened across.

Obviously I have no hands on experience, but theoretically it *seems* sad to deprive a bird of flight because flying is kind of just what birds DO. Like fish swim, cats climb, etc. But if there's safety issues, I can see how a grounded bird is better than a dead one, to put it bluntly. I guess there is always a balance between safety and freedom though and the sacrifices you're willing to make to optimise either, since you can't have equal amount of both... so if a bird enjoys flight and is the kind of bird who flies to get about, maybe only clip that bird as a last resort, but if they were never flighted it might be safer for it to stay that way if the risk is crashing into walls as the bird learns?

This is the reason why I wrote so you are aware of the other side perspective to help you to make the decision. Bear in mind, we are not getting our birdies from the wild and they are all bred in captivity by human which means they may never be fly free in the wild. Simply letting them fly free with limited space inside the house which may encounter danger, in my opinion, not necessarily make them happier compared to their mates in the wild who can fly freely in large open space. However, if you are able to confine him in a special bird room set up with lots of safe landing perches, food and toys then it may work out both ways if you are so worry about being cruel by clipping his wings.

One more thing to add is since they are bred by human and never seen their own parents, they would think they are also humans and not bird and not able to fly may not really hurt their feelings as much as you think it will be

 

[Mulligan]

Yes it’s normal

Depends on what their sale policy is. However, an Avian Vet once said that clipping wings doesn't keep them from flying away. I, personally, clip the tips of long-flight feathers on my CAG for safety. Lately, she flaps really hard and though she is now 25 years, I don't want her to get brave and fly to a glass window. Their wings are powerful. They can hurt themselves. My cockatiel hit a window 30 years ago and broke her neck. It was devastating!

 

[Cottonoid]

When Opie first started to explore the house by flying, I just took him around to all the windows and tapped on them and let him tap with his beak. I do the same for any visiting birds.

I think as far as training goes - you totally will make mistakes but it's rare that any behavior or pattern can't be changed. Preventing behaviors you don't want is often easier than correcting behavior later, so doing things like bite pressure training early on can be really helpful.

I've definitely screwed things up here and there, and sometimes it affects our relationship for a few days.

When I first joined the forum, I read through all of @wrench13 's thread about Salty and him like it was a favorite book. They have a ton of videos of their nightly training, too. It was so helpful for me to see that everything takes time and just a little bit of work every day really adds up to an incredible bond over the years.

The longer you know each other, as long as you're putting the effort in, the better things will get even with a bobble here and there.

 

[Truepacifist]

Depends on what their sale policy is. However, an Avian Vet once said that clipping wings doesn't keep them from flying away. I, personally, clip the tips of long-flight feathers on my CAG for safety. Lately, she flaps really hard and though she is now 25 years, I don't want her to get brave and fly to a glass window. Their wings are powerful. They can hurt themselves. My cockatiel hit a window 30 years ago and broke her neck. It was devastating!

Interestingly enough my friend who has cockatiels has one who softly crashes into things a lot, but she just sort of looks disgruntled and walks away and pretends she didn't? It's really amusing, I've seen videos and she's never been hurt or anything

When Opie first started to explore the house by flying, I just took him around to all the windows and tapped on them and let him tap with his beak. I do the same for any visiting birds.

I think as far as training goes - you totally will make mistakes but it's rare that any behavior or pattern can't be changed. Preventing behaviors you don't want is often easier than correcting behavior later, so doing things like bite pressure training early on can be really helpful.

I've definitely screwed things up here and there, and sometimes it affects our relationship for a few days.

When I first joined the forum, I read through all of @wrench13 's thread about Salty and him like it was a favorite book. They have a ton of videos of their nightly training, too. It was so helpful for me to see that everything takes time and just a little bit of work every day really adds up to an incredible bond over the years.

The longer you know each other, as long as you're putting the effort in, the better things will get even with a bobble here and there.

It seems like such an amazing journey! Like a developing friendship with a human being. With a lot of pets, like dogs, they tend to love you from the start and are then pretty much devoted to you endlessly. While that's endearing and wonderful you don't really need to work to earn their love as long as all their basic needs are met. My mom has pomeranians, they're potty trained but apart from that, they don't even know how to walk on a leash...they sit on her lap all day or run around at the dog park and she puts them in her bag to take them home. They just want cuddles 24/7 and that's it. I can see the appeal of that but with breeds like that, they seem to be engineered and made to only be capable of that behaviour... while birds are not domesticated, so their trust seems more special? I hope I'm making sense.

 

[Cottonoid]

I agree. Humans created dogs to be our companions.

Parrots are SO complex socially and emotionally, on par with people IMO, and not domesticated at all. And I don't even see how we'd go about breeding for temperament when each parrot is SO individual in their personality and wants/likes. If we are so lucky to have one choose us as a friend, well it's a miracle to me every day!