# to clip or not to clip?



## CookieTiel (Feb 6, 2012)

I am debating whether I should clip Cookie's wings. She always had clipped wings, but a few months ago she became completely flighted. I let her fly around the house but eventually had to clip her wings because she was crashing into everything and I was afraid she would get hurt. She became very upset and depressed for a few days when I clipped them. Then she went back to normal. Now, she is flighted again, and is doing the same thing - flying around the house like a crazy bird. She has had a few minor crashes, but nothing serious. 

I don't want to clip her wings because being able to fly makes her so happy! I am wondering if your flighted birds do the same thing- fly around the house crashing into everything? Or how do you train them not to crash, or to fly "responsibly"? 

Thank you


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## SunnyNShandy (May 24, 2012)

Sammy was clipped when I first bought him. I alternated between his being flighted and being clipped the first few years. When I let his wings grow out he only "crashed" when he was inbetween being clipped and flighted - the awkward learning to fly again stage. Usually once they learn to fly, the crashing stops. Can you make the room a bit more flighted bird safe? Maybe hang things in the windows, etc? 

Sammy did stop crashing and even when I moved across the country, he learned his new room and lived flighted for the last 12 years of his life.


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## CookieTiel (Feb 6, 2012)

So they eventually stop crashing once they learn to control their flight again? 
I always put the shades down when Cookie is out of the cage, so that she won't crash into the window. But she still crashes into walls. I stick out my arm for her to land on it, but I don't think she understands what it is.


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## SunnyNShandy (May 24, 2012)

I honestly dont remember how long it took with Sammy as it was so many years ago, but yes he did learn. I think it also depends on to what extent they learned to fly as babies before being clipped the first time.

One thing that might help is to have something for them to be a focal point. Perches across the room. Stands. Curtain rods  Things to fly towards vs the interesting things on the walls and then...crash....


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## bubbleslove (May 27, 2012)

I'm debating the same thing

My tiel had his wings cut when he was about 5 wks old. Then I left cutting his wings and trained him to fly first to my hand and then to my shoulder on demand. He's just turned 1 year old. 

He had a lot of crashes and incidents like following me around the corner into a sink full of water (missing my shoulder) or into the window which can be very dangerous I e could result in broken neck or broken wings

Now he's flies like a star. I would hate to take away his freedom and good exercise but one little mistake and I could lose him

What do the Experts recommend ?


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## mouseb (Aug 2, 2012)

My cockatiel was clipped when I first got him/her. S/he crashed a lot and couldn't really control him/herself but now s/he flies in a "smart" manner.


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

everyone here is right  cockatiels when first learning to fly or havent flown in a long while after being clipped, they can be very clumsy for several weeks or some months, but it is like riding your bike. you crash a lot at first because you are not used to it. once you get the hang of it, you are good at it. it is the same way with birds flying


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## CookieTiel (Feb 6, 2012)

Interesting....yeah, Cookie is very clumsy when she flies. She does some weird flips in the air, goes up and down, flies sideways...but I don't know if it's because she never learned how to fly properly, or because she only has 2 flight feathers fully grown on each wing (the others have not molted yet). I guess I will try to teach her to land on my arm, and provide some stands for her to land on. She likes to fly mostly in the morning when she wakes up and is very excited. But sometimes I think she flies to get my attention. If she starts screaming calling for me and I don't answer, she will fly to me and then fly back immediately to her cage.


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## Twitter09 (Dec 14, 2009)

*Wing-clipping*

While wing-clipping is useful for taming, the unfortunate downside is that birds flying skills suffer and they have to relearn to fly. And I think the process of relearning to fly is made harder by the fact that their wing feathers may come back somewhat randomly and so the "aerodynamics" each week's flying experience is different. The result is a lot of crashing and the bird losing confidence. But I don't really know any way around this, if your tiel was wing-clipped - and I do see the value in initial wing-clipping for taming.

All I can suggest is to give your tiel a quiet and safe room (e.g. windows and mirrors covered) to practice flying in and do your best not to scare him/her during free flight times. Be very calm and initially, have no other birds flying around to spook your newly flighted cockatiel. Give your tiel 30 minutes or more, for each session, so he/she will relax and start exploring - and thus will fly around a little in a very calm way.


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Clipping or not is totally up to you! I would say that it might be best to give her a chance to figure out the flying thing first. It gives her a chance to learn that skill and then once she gets better at it the crashing will be less and less. Some of my birds are flighted and then some are not. I have some that get an attitude when flighted and so they are clipped. Hope she figures it out soon!!


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## Janalee (Jul 25, 2012)

I lost my first cockatiel when she flew out on a mid-winter late afternoon. She flew high up in a big maple. I whistled. begged, pleaded and brought out her cage, but she would not come down. It got dark and I never saw here again. I'd like to prevemt that from ever happening again, so I clip my birds.


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## CookieTiel (Feb 6, 2012)

Yeah I think she'd learning again how to fly, and the fact that not all of her wing feathers have grown back makes her fly in a strange way. But she's doing better  Sometimes she comes very close to crashing into the wall but then she diverts at the last minute and I am so relieved! She's also good at doing rounds in my living room, and goes right back to her cage. I want to giver her a chance to learn to fly but I'm so worried about deadly crashes


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## CookieTiel (Feb 6, 2012)

Janalee said:


> I lost my first cockatiel when she flew out on a mid-winter late afternoon. She flew high up in a big maple. I whistled. begged, pleaded and brought out her cage, but she would not come down. It got dark and I never saw here again. I'd like to prevemt that from ever happening again, so I clip my birds.


I'm so sorry for your loss. Must be terrible to see your birdie just fly out.


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