To clip or not to clip

[czgheib]

I got my Conure 4 months back un-tame and with his loyalties residing with a Brown Throated Conure (old lady bird) with a mangled leg. So I sold her and kept Polly. Since then I have successfully tamed him; he does not bite or nip anymore. He knows and responds to my "tsks" as no. And respects them. He even responds to poop as a command. He is also ok with being pet and will fluff up with pleasure when doing so.

Now I am faced with a conundrum. I am not sure if I should clip him or not. I want him to be able to fly around and be free (even outdoors). I see clipping wings as selfish but of course see the other side of the coin: Safety. As of now he is able to fly and does so pretty well with no accidents. I trained him outside to fly to me by wiggling my fingers and now he knows thats the command to come to me. When he is startled outdoors he will fly around and come back when I call to him. He also will also fly around in the backyard sometimes on to the top of the house and back down. I give him food and love and most of all freedom so I don't see him flying away. I do see him acting out when I want to grab him but not flying away to leave for good.

Also would be super cool to call to your bird and have him fly over.
So to clip or not to clip.

 

[czgheib]

Nevermind, I'm probably gonna trim them. I read some previous threads and can definitely see him flying away when I want to put him in his cage. Not worth the hassle. I guess I answered my own question.

 

[cdog]

Why would you trim them if he loves to fly outside and he comes back to you. Do you understand that it's mean to teach him its ok to fly and you did all that training with him to let him fly free and then you take it all away from him. I dont understand why you would take that away from him.

 

[czgheib]

He has been pretty good you are right. But if he fly's to get away from me thats when I will clip him.

 

[greycloud]

Why are you flying this bird outside with out a harness? Free flight training is very specific and not casual. Your bird is going to leave you or be taken by a hawk. I am not one to attack people for clipping wings but it has to benefit the bird not the person.

 

[oled]

Why are you flying this bird outside with out a harness? Free flight training is very specific and not casual. Your bird is going to leave you or be taken by a hawk. I am not one to attack people for clipping wings but it has to benefit the bird not the person.

Do to wing trim Ville can be outdoor in the garden clipling in Cherry tree etc. I am training him for a harnes but it will take one more year or more so i thing this is benefit him.

 

[czgheib]

Explain specific and not casual. I dont understand. He has been flying for a few weeks and the better he is at flying the better he is at coming back. I doubt he will leave me. When he is out of sight which has happened he squaks. He has been startled off my shoulder and flew about ten feet away and came back. I'm not justifying myself, only stating the facts so bird owners can help me make this decision. I feel it would be more rewarding if he can fly but I understand the risks involved. If there is something I need to know or if someone feels strongly on a certain point then I'm all ears.

 

[solobaby]

i think if your bird is coming back even if starteled there is no reason to clip

 

[oled]

When a perrot is frightend the normal reaction is to fligh away from the situation and the risk is that he will not return to the place where it happent. I am talking from one experiance. I had a YNA and was free fligh for 3 years. He got frighten and never came back. But if you will take the risk then of cause it is fun for the bird and for you. The better he is at flying the better he can fligh away from you

 

[greycloud]

What I meant was there is a difference between between playing with your parrot outside while unclipped and specifically training free flight recall. A bird that flies off and lands in other areas is not recall trained and should not be free flighted outside until recall training inside is executed in a very successful manner. You are going to lose your parrot!
Furthermore, clipping him is not going to train him for recall.

 

[czgheib]

Once he flew onto an electrical line and flew back down. Anthoer time he flew on top of the house and flew back down. Another time he got scared by a dog walking by the house and flew to the fense at the tip of the house and stopped. Another time he got scared because I was holding a ladder and he flew out of sight out into the air space of the street and docked at the fence of the house. Another time still i was at the civic center and he flew around and when I called to him came back to me.

Those are the good things that he doesn't fly away. Even when scared.
Other times like now when I was in whole foods market he gets antsy and flies onto ppl, he doesnt hurt them, just flies to them.

Maybe he is curious. So I find that with his wings I am on his agenda. "polly pls dont fly away, be cool"

It's a little nerve wracking. I want to give him freedom and stuff but taking him out I find that I become a little attraction show with this little devil and its more attention that I care to get. On the other hand I want him to lead a good life full of freedom. Bah!!