# To Clip Or Not To Clip



## Elishiva (Aug 23, 2013)

I have had a few people tell me who own birds that if I clip my babies' wings they will not be able to fly around. Sunny and Luna are getting good with navigating the room without smacking into the wall. (that scared me at first but then they learned to turn and land on curtains and chairs etc). I don't mind them flying but would it make them bond with me more if I clipped them? I do have problems that when I go to fetch them and put them back in their cage, they step up but fly off my hand. I do not like 'capturing' or 'cupping' them in my hands... they peck at me some but don't really bite hard. Still I don't want to 'trap' them like that. 

I am asking for your expert advice because you all have so much to share.


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## ollieandme (Mar 25, 2013)

clipping is a VERY controversial topic here and everywhere 

people do clip for behavioural problems. but it doesn't sound like Sunny and Luna have any issues with obedience etc. and in my opinion, if they bond more when they're clipped, than that's a forced bond. they're only bonding because they have no other option.
my three are unclipped and that's the way I love it  one's ultra bonded, one semi, and one not that much. but that's their personal choice and i love them to have that choice. when they come to spend time with me, it's cause they want to and that's special. plus i love seeing them fly - it's their favourite thing. 
i figure, unless you have a very good reason to clip, it's not ideal at all. flight is a bird's natural inclination and it's a wonderful thing.

and on the practical side, my clipped bird (Bjorn came to me clipped but grew his wings out) flew into walls everywhere! it's the scariest thing ever to just hear them smash into things. for some reason he lost all steering control when he was clipped.


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## Elishiva (Aug 23, 2013)

I love it when they fly too and I have 27' ceilings. At first, because they never left their cages as babies, when they started they smacked into the walls and slid down to the ground. I was so afraid they would get hurt but now they can manoeuvre around and up. Since they still aren't trained, it takes me some time to get them back in the cage but I know they are just enjoying their freedom of it. Which leads me to my next dilemma...
Because they aren't clipped, they fly away when I'm trying to get them back in. My cat, Tazz, is 15 and a chunk so he can't move ultra fast but be can still move in spurts and watching them fly gets the kitten in him revved up. I don't want to leave them out, though I would if Tazz weren't around. 

Any tricks of the trade to get them to not play 'keep away from mommy'?


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## ScarredEclipse (Apr 1, 2014)

I clip my bird's wings. I do it so they won't fly around the room, get into trouble, or hurt themselves by smacking into objects (such as the wall). I had to clip their wings a little shorter than I normally do because they were still managing to fly around the room no matter what. Turns out I was clipping their wings wrong.

I respect people who don't want to clip their bird's wings, because I can see why it bothers some people. But I've seen with my birds that they depend on me more and are a little less stuck up about themselves (we all know how birds are).


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## dianne (Nov 27, 2013)

I have two budgies and two cockatiels. I have struggled with the issue of getting them back into the cage. One of my cockatiels is stubborn and won't let me carry her to the cage. Yes, she's very "stuck up about herself" LOL. She has never been clipped. The budgies are the same.

What I have come up with, that is working, is out of cage time for an hour every morning, before breakfast. Then, I put a flat plate of seeds on the bottom of the cage and wait. Three of them go in readily. The remaining cockatiel sits on top of the cage for a minute or two, just to make me nervous, then goes in. The plate is large enough that the four of them can crowd around it eating together.

In the afternoon into early evening they get two hours of free flight. I take the food away when I let them out. When it is time for them to go in, I turn off any lights close to the cage and present another bowl of seeds. They are getting better and better about going in. They have about an hour in cage before I cover them.

I do also give them vegetables and pellets. But, I put them in after they have had their seed treat.

Keeping to a schedule has been working well. I think it's like with children. However, it has taken us some time and false starts before we all got into the rhythm.


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## Elishiva (Aug 23, 2013)

Thank you... I am going to try the plate of seeds today!


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## CookieTiel (Feb 6, 2012)

If they don't have any behavioral issues, there is no reason to clip (just my opinion). I clip my Cookie's wings because she flies into walls and screams nonstop when she has the ability to fly, so it's better to keep her safe and nice.


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## M'éanín's Mommy (Jan 20, 2014)

My P'lets are unclipped and my 'Tiels have partial clips (enough to get a bit of distance, but not enough to get truly high). I do it for safety reasons. My house has extremely high ceilings, multiple ceiling fans and I can't rely on the kids to make sure that every door stays closed. IMO it's a safety issue based on our home, the kids and potential hazards. I think you need to do what is best for your particular situation. Also, clipping isn't permanent, you can always do a short clip, see how it works. The feathers will grow back when they molt.


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## ollieandme (Mar 25, 2013)

haha yes it's sometimes tricky to get the flighted ones back in!
i bribe with veggies or spray millet or seeds usually  and as mentioned, having a schedule is a great thing. my birds are VERY schedule oriented so they just know when they are going to go home, and they sometimes put themselves back in.
i recall trained Bjorn which is so helpful - he flies to me when i call him so than he goes back in. it's tricky to get them home though but it's possible once you learn what works


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## Elishiva (Aug 23, 2013)

I clipped then just a bit as well. Now they don't fly off my finger when I get near the cage. Bribing with food/treats doesn't work. They can take it or leave it. Since their wings were clipped, I've noticed a marked improvement in the male's attitude. He steps up and had even fallen asleep on my finger while I watched TV. I was trying to catch the female and she was waddling away from me till I said "step up" and she stopped and got on my finger. It really does seem like a game of keep away with them till I say"step up" then they mind. Uhhh I hope I'm doing this right.


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## ScarredEclipse (Apr 1, 2014)

Please don't feel bad. Sometimes you need to clip the wings for behavioral _and_ safety reasons. I do it for both. Skittles (my crank pot) behaves better, is less cocky, and doesn't nip too hard when he can't fly around the room like a plane. Sunny still manages to fly around. Freckles can fly around but not *nearly* as far or fast. Skittles can't fly very far at all and can't circle the room. He's more dependent on me and behaves well.

As for the safety reasons.. sometimes my tiels _do_ smack into the wall, get stuck behind furniture, and scare themselves. My screens aren't the best (though I never let them out of the room when I'm gone) and I don't want them getting outside and flying away, and getting killed by a predator or not being able to feed themselves.

But I do believe my tiels are better behaved when their wings are fully clipped. They're more dependent on mama and, like I've said, are much better behaved.  Please don't beat yourself up.


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## Elishiva (Aug 23, 2013)

Thanks


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## Pippitha (Mar 27, 2011)

I had my birds unclipped for a few months, but they still kept flying into walls, so I clipped them this morning. I've seen a wild bird fly into the window and just about break his neck (he was bubbling from the mouth and puking and it was really scary. don't worry, I took care of him and he lived :3 ).
It's just safer to me to have their wings clipped when they're living in a house. Out in the wild where they're not going to bump into things as much if at all is great for flight, but not in my house.


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## CourtneyKay (Dec 26, 2013)

Both of my cockatiels both came with clipped wings ! I originally wanted to let them grow their wings out because I felt bad that they couldn't fly, so I did. Their wings grew back and they started flying into walls, and mirrors at full speed. Every time they did this I could just imagine one bad smash & their little necks snapping 😩 I couldn't deal with the dangers lol so I immediately clipped their wings again. Also it was kind of annoying that they pooped on my curtains and around my room in all different places. I also saw dangers everywhere such as accidentally flying out of the house and getting Lost, or flying into a spinning fan. I've heard that birds with wings are more independent and therefore become less bonded with you. However, my birds have always acted the same towards me wings or not.


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## Elishiva (Aug 23, 2013)

I am officially PRO Clipping now 

Thank you everyone!


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## moonchild (Jul 29, 2012)

I wasn't going to weigh in on this thread, because I'm sure everyone is tired of my opinions...but since you said you are now pro-clipping, I figured I'd offer some good for thought. 

This is one of my absolute favorite articles on flight. http://trainedparrot.com/Clipping/
It goes over every point I usually make in favor of flight, but worded better than I could manage. It's long, but very much worth a read if you're researching the subject.


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## moonchild (Jul 29, 2012)

Also, to quote someone on another forum on the subject: "Would you rather be able-bodied, or handicapped?"


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## Elishiva (Aug 23, 2013)

I read the article.
I do see the the pros and cons of each option.

I still choose clipped but thank you for sharing!


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## Amz (Apr 10, 2013)

Elishiva said:


> I have had a few people tell me who own birds that if I clip my babies' wings they will not be able to fly around.


I don't have much to weigh in on the subject, since I think clipping is not a black-and-white issue. I think some birds do better clipped, and some do better flighted. In my opinion, each bird is an individual and there is no way to know if that individual does better clipped or flighted until both are tried. My tiel is extremely aggressive and moody when he's flighted, and calmer when he's clipped - his bond to me stays the same either way. But I know that some birds can get depressed or otherwise put into worse health with a clip.

BUT, what I meant to say with this post, is that if it means anything to you, my tiel has a full clip and can still fly almost as well as before. He can still reach the highest places in my house and has no trouble at all getting to where he wants to go. He's a really strong flyer, even though he was clipped before fledging which usually leads to weak, clumsy flying skills.


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## Elishiva (Aug 23, 2013)

Ya... at first, they fluttered and fell to the ground but now, they can still fly just not as high or as far.

I just feel like (this is my own opinion and not to be regarded as derogatory) if we are worried about a bird being put upon by being clipped... that we are handicapping them, then maybe having a bird in the house is wrong too. I mean honestly, wouldn't they love to be in Australia flying around in the sun? So we have taken these guys on as a responsibility to protect and love them. To me... clipping is protecting them. My two avian vets say it is very important to clip your bird. Though they can maneuver around they can still smack into something and break a wing very easily. Their bones are brittle. I trust my vet very much... both of them but especially my female vet. She has 7 birds and has been a bird owner since she was 15. She LOVES birds and all of hers are clipped.

I agree with both points of view though... I just feel I myself am being a better bird mommy if I clip them.


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## Tisena (Sep 28, 2013)

Elishiva said:


> we are worried about a bird being put upon by being clipped... that we are handicapping them, then maybe having a bird in the house is wrong too


But birds have been domesticated and bred within countries they wouldn't be wild in


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## dianne (Nov 27, 2013)

I am not sure I understand the above point. The second point doesn't seem to logically follow the first.


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## Tisena (Sep 28, 2013)

Yea I just re-read it, edited it a little

I had a brain-hand malfunction


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## Elishiva (Aug 23, 2013)

Haha they happen


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