08/10/2026
Let’s discuss one of the ugly subjects in the bird world… to clip or not to clip wings.
This is a VERY touchy subject and everyone seems to have an opinion.
Do we clip wings here? Absolutely not.
As soon as our babies fledge, we encourage them to FLY! We start working on recall, flying to a certain area, calling them back to us and teaching them how to properly use those wings they were born with.
We have many clients who eventually free fly their babies, but that comes after MANY, MANY hours of training. Free flight is not something you just walk outside and try because your bird has good recall in the house.
One of the biggest misconceptions is that a clipped bird can’t fly. They absolutely CAN.
A clipped bird can still catch wind, get lift and get much farther than you ever thought possible. The difference is now you may have a bird in the air that doesn’t have its full flight feathers to maneuver, control speed, navigate safely or get itself out of trouble.
If they ever accidentally get outside, those missing flight feathers can also put them at a huge disadvantage when trying to maneuver away from birds of prey or other dangers.
There’s also another side of clipping that isn’t talked about enough. Taking flight away from a bird that already knows how to fly and LOVES flying can be extremely stressful. Some birds can show major behavioral changes after being clipped, including becoming withdrawn, suddenly barbering their feathers or even beginning to feather pluck. You’re taking away something they’ve learned, enjoy and use every single day.
This is why TRAINING is so important.
You don’t have to spend hours every day doing it. Start with 15 minutes a day. Work on target training. Work on recall. Teach them to fly to you from different distances and different heights.
Start in a CONTROLLED area. Don’t start training in a room with huge windows, vaulted ceilings, chandeliers or a million other distractions and obstacles. Give them a safe, simple space where they can focus on YOU and learn what you’re asking of them. As their skills and confidence improve, you can gradually introduce more challenging environments and distractions.
Find what motivates YOUR bird, whether that’s a favorite treat or simply praise.
Our babies absolutely thrive off praise. When they fly to us, we make a HUGE deal about it. Lots of excitement, lots of “GOOD BABY!” and they eat it up. Even better, the other babies watch all that attention happening and pretty quickly they want in on it too 😂
Now, does this mean there is NEVER a reason to clip? No.
There ARE certain circumstances where clipping may become necessary for the safety of the bird or the people around them.
If you have a bird that is repeatedly flying at someone specifically to attack or hurt them, there may come a point where temporarily limiting flight becomes necessary while the behavior is being addressed. A bird that is completely focused on attacking can also injure itself in the process.
An injured bird may also need its flight temporarily restricted to prevent it from flying, falling or further injuring itself while it heals.
These are completely different situations than clipping a healthy bird simply because we don’t want it to fly.
And in those situations, ALWAYS discuss it with a board certified avian veterinarian first. If clipping truly is the safest or only reasonable option, allow someone experienced to determine how much needs to be clipped and to do it properly. It should never be an all or nothing decision made with a pair of scissors at home.
Those wings aren’t just for getting from point A to point B. Flight builds confidence, coordination, strength and teaches a bird how to control its body in the air.
Our first choice will always be flight, training and education. But above everything else, the safety and wellbeing of the bird comes first.
