New York Bird Club
Wing Clipping
Viewpoint:
Proponents of wing clipping claim that birds in captivity do not need to fly Others consider wing clipping cruel and a form of abuse, destroying the essence and spirit of a bird,
Ethics:
When humans bring birds into their homes they do so because they are beautiful and This is the question. To decide the answer for yourself, you
Forced Bonding:
Well Being:
To truly understand the circumstances of a clipped bird, you might consider Your bird has no means of expressing where he For intelligent creatures who are destined to be masters of Would you consider cutting off a toddler's legs to keep her
Physical Health:
How does the act of flight help keep your bird healthy? The respiratory system of a bird is complex; it extracts oxygen The digestive system of a bird is composed of not one stomach, but When a bird is involved in flight, even short flights, his body is
Solutions:
- Keep windows closed, or have a screen barrier in place.
- Keep doors to the outside locked to prevent an - Close doors to the bathroom and other high-risk areas.
- If you do not have a kitchen door that closes, take precautions - Supervise your bird as he enjoys his freedom to make sure - Provide a specific flight area. In this regard, many people Why should you deprive your bird the joy of flight and punish him because you do not want to take responsibility for his safety. Birds are creatures designed around the act of flight. It is
Comments:
Sincerely,
Marc Morrone
"Further to wing clipping, I have over two dozen birds, and all of them are either To me, some of the most pathetic body language a bird can engage in I believe that if we choose to have birds live with us, it Madeleine Franco, President
"There is probably no sadder sight than a bird, given wings to fly by the Creator, Zelda Penzel, President
"Excellent article by Manhattan Bird Club. I completely agree with you all. I Dr. Karen Cantor, D.V.M.
"Many folks clip their birds because they feel the need to control them by Fly on folks!"
Greg Glendell
"God loved the Birds and Invented Trees. Man loved
the Birds and Invented Cages."
At the present time, there are strongly held views on whether to clip the
wings of your companion bird or leave him flighted.
since they have no enemies to escape from, do not have to migrate or obtain food, and that
flying puts the bird at risk since he can escape from his home.
and rendering him helpless and handicapped. A bird whose wings have been altered has limited ability to destroy your property
and is easy to control, however, wing clipping is done for your convenience only, and has nothing to do with the well
being of your bird, but robs him of his identity and independence.
One must consider that in this, the heart of the matter truly lies. A bird is an agile, graceful, soaring
creature of flight. Wings and feathers are astoundingly beautiful to behold, and they are, in fact, the essence of
flight. What is a bird, one might ask, without flight? What is a butterfly? What is a horse without legs to allow the breathtaking
gallop, what is a fish without fins, a person without legs that walk, hands that grasp?
entertaining, however, we take from these creatures many things. We take away their natural environment-the sun,
the rain, the trees, the sky, the airways. We take from them the companionship of their own kind: the natural understanding of
their own kind, the comfort and sense of safety in the flock, the mate they select for a lifetime, the young they would raise and protect,
love and care for, til grown. We take from them control of their own lives. We take these things away and give our birds
a cage, toys, a diet we think is probably good for them, and finally-the grace of our attention. Taking so much
from them, and giving so little in return, on our terms, do we have the right to take their wings-the
joy and essence of their existence-as well?
must look into the eyes of your feathered companion, and into his mind and
his thoughts and his heart and the soul of the creature that, indeed, he
is and was born to be. You must look at his beautiful wings, extended
in the joy of flight, and decide, in your own heart, if you have
the right to take the power of those wings away.
Some people clip their bird's wings believing it will force the bird to bond with them. Wouldn't it be nicer if
your bird flies to you because he wants to, not because he cannot fly away from you, and he has no choice.
How does lack of flight affect a birds emotional health?
In many situations, companion birds wait all day for you to arrive home from
work, and for you to attend to them in your busy day. During the long hours of the day,
frustration builds. Some birds feather pluck or self mutilate out of anxiety, frustration and boredom.
what life would be like for you if you were unable to walk and confined to a sofa (a perch
in a cage), waiting through any number of hours for your friend (caregiver) to arrive and help you from the
sofa to your wheelchair. Imagine then, trying to communicate where it is you would like to go
without speaking a verbal language. Imagine your frustration when your friend
fails to understand you. Imagine that this is your life, day after day.
wants to go - on your shoulder, his playstand, in another room,
by the window or with another family member, and he becomes entirely dependent upon
your ability to recognize his desire of where it is that he would like to be He is at the
mercy of his caregiver for his every need. By keeping him flighted, you are
giving him the ability to make choices and be somewhat independent.
their environment and are born with means of flight, wing clipping
is a depressing state indeed. Even more so, if you consider that they cannot escape
from threatening or dangerous situations should they arise.
safe, yet that is what you are doing to your bird by altering him to make
him fit into your environment and lifestyle.
Deprived of the rigorous activity of flight, companion
birds often become overweight and lethargic from lack of stimulating exercise. Their
muscles lose tone, and become flaccid. The heart of the bird, a muscle, grows unhealthy from
too rich a diet, and too little stimulation. Very much like a person in a wheelchair who eats too much, the
bird body slips into decline. Flying strengthens the bird's chest muscles and is a healthy
and vital form of exercise. When you alter his wings, you prevent him from
exercising the way that nature intended to stay healthy, which can
lead to weight gain and illness.
To answer this question, one must first understand how the act of flight, and the fact of
being a bird, are related. The bones of a bird are thin, and some have air sacs. The internal organs of a bird are
abbreviated, designed to keep a bird light, and comfortable while airborne.
from the air as it inhales, and exhales, and in addition to lungs, it has air sacs extending throughout his
body, to keep the birds blood oxygenated during the rigorous exercise of flight.
three: the holding tank of the crop, the glandular stomach called the proventriculus, and the
muscular stomach, called the ventriculus, or gizzard. These systems all work to keep a bird
unburdened by food in its digestive tract as he performs the act of flight.
performing in the way it was designed to perform. Physically, the birds muscles
are exercised in a way that cannot be duplicated in any other activity, and all of the birds organs
are allowed to operate, again, as they were designed to operate under the conditions that
prevail when a bird is being a bird. There is no exercise in captivity that serves as an
acceptable substitute.
It makes more sense to control the bird's environment than
alter the bird's physical structure. There are safe alternatives to wing
clipping if you are concerned about your bird's safety and potential destruction of your
household property. You can provide a safe place and time in your home for your bird to exercise where he will not be vulnerable
to household dangers. This reduces the risks for both you and your birds, while providing an opportunity for your bird to fly.
unexpected visitor, or a family member, from entering.
in the kitchen; i.e., no open pots of water or hot stoves, etc.
he stays out of trouble, and does not have interactions
with other family pets who may harm him.
have a room that is bird proofed so that their bird may be
allowed out, and yet does not have to be strictly supervised.
A room such as this would have unplugged electrical wires,
and non-toxic, bird-friendly furnishings.
If you will not accept the responsibility of having a bird in your home, perhaps you should consider not having a companion
bird or getting another type of companion.
part of their genetic makeup and crucial to their life experience. It is no wonder millions of people are
awed by these magnificent creatures and their abilities. Human beings have spent hundreds of years trying to emulate
flight. Why? Because it is a fantastic and exhilarating gift and experience.
Don't deny your birds their birthright -- their inherent right to fly.
"Although the trimming of a pet bird's wing feathers will certainly make life
easier for the bird's guardian, it has been my experience based on over 40 years of intense study
of all types of pet birds in many different situations that pet birds that do not have their wing feathers
trimmed do seem to have less health and behavioral problems. Of course this is just my opinion, and is not
based on any scientific studies performed by legitimate scientists and or veterinarians. It is my recommendation
that every bird guardian should try to allow their birds trimmed feathers to grow back fully at least one
time in the bird's life and see if having a flighted bird as a pet complicates their lifestyle or compliments
it - if it does not work out you can always get the birds wing feathers trimmed again,
but you should at least try it one time and form your own opinions on the
situation based on your own experiences."
flighted or working on it. Though two of my flighted birds have gotten loose and were returned to me, I now
would not ever change my basic position on flight.
is flapping his clipped wings when he wants to get to me and his instincts tell him flight could get
him there, but he's afraid for fear of an aborted flight. This gesture is what started my rethinking the problem.
And, too, improper clipping, which leaves bristly stubs of feathers can actually cause a bird to pluck.
I used to be a zealous wing-clipper, and now I am among the converted.
is incumbent upon us to make the adjustments concerning their ability to fly, not vice versa."
Southern Nevada Parrot Education
Rescue & Rehoming Society
imprisoned in a cage; or, for that matter, any wild animal chained or behind bars in a
tiny enclosure; a sea animal forced to perform in a marine amusement park, or those spending their
lives in the "fish bowls" we call aquariums (both public and in private homes). These are cruelties forced
on birds and other species because of the selfish, greedy and narcissistic instincts of members of
our own species.
To intentionally keep any wild creature (bird, mammal, amphibian, etc)
as a "pet" is grotesque and simply unconscionable, since they deserve to live their
lives as nature intended; and to deprive a bird of flight by clipping its wings is
cruel and unnecessary, unless the health and well
being of the bird dictate otherwise."
PEACE~People for the End of Animal Cruelty and Exploitation
usually discourage wing clipping unless the bird is a poor flier in captivity. Some birds are clumsy and don't do
well in our envirnonment. Most birds do fine as long as the house is bird-proofed."
New York, NY
reducing their mobility. However, this is not needed. Instead, all you need to do is simply
*teach your bird to accept some basic flight requests from you*. This is done using reward-based training
techniques such as applied behaviour analysis. The process takes about 5 to 7 days with most flying birds. Any
so-called pet parrot care book which does not tell you how to train birds to fly to and from you on request is more or less useless
in this aspect of basic parrot care. If you want a book which does tell you this, you can have a copy of Pet
Parrots Advice Direct from me; see website:
http://www.greg-parrots.co.uk/
for more info or email me privately.