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To Trim or Not to Trim
Whether
or not to trim your pet bird’s wings is controversial.
Proponents
of keeping a bird’s wings intact argue with some
justification that a fully
flighted bird is “happier” because he can employ
his natural means of
locomotion. Some
even argue that
depriving a bird of flight causes or contributes to potential neurotic
behavior
on the part of the bird. Whether
either
of these claims is true or not remains to be proven.
What
has been proven repeatedly, however, is that fully flighted
pet birds often suffer serious injury, death, or escape leading to
death as a
result of having the ability to fly freely.
Some of the hazards that await the fully flighted pet bird within the
home are: ceiling fans, hot kitchen stoves and ovens with their
attendant pots
and pans being used for cooking; wood stoves, fireplaces, open toilet
bowls,
unattended sinks and tubs of water including large vases; and mirrors
and
window glass that the bird flies into not being able to perceive it as
a solid
object. But open doors or windows
present the greatest hazard of all. The
most frequent story we hear regarding a bird’s escaping
involves his flying out
a door that someone has opened only momentarily. “I
was just bringing in the groceries when…” or
“I didn’t realize
the bird was out of his cage when I went to answer the door.”
or “My
son/daughter/husband was taking out the trash
when…” Hardly a week goes by, no matter
what the season, but we get a
call from someone whose beloved pet has flown away.
As
a pet bird owner, the choice of trimming or not trimming your
pet’s wings is
yours to make. Having
long weighed the
choice in our own minds, we advise strongly that any pet bird that is
allowed
out of his cage should have his wings trimmed.
With birds that are not allowed out of their cages extreme
care should
be taken to prevent their escape.
Some
owners not only keep their birds fully flighted, but take them outside
unrestrained as well. Advised
that this
is not a safe practice, an oft repeated response goes something like,
“Oh, I’ve
been doing this for ‘x’
years, and he’s
never flown away.” or, “But he loves being with me
and would never fly
away.” Unfortunately,
this is misplaced
confidence. Tragically,
we have heard
and read all too many stories where some sort of unexpected incident
startles
the bird, and he flies off and is rarely recovered.
One
more time: For the
well being of your
bird, keep his wings trimmed.
Wings
trimmed or not, if you take him outside, keep him in a cage or carrier,
or restrained
by a bird harness. Even
if your bird
has had a recent and proper wing trim, he should not be taken outside
unrestrained. Wing
trimming does not
prevent flying; it only limits it.
Should there be a slight breeze, your bird may still be
able to get
enough “lift” to fly into the woods, where he might
be difficult or impossible
to find, or into the road, or to a nearby tree where he will
instinctively climb
to its topmost branches. Panicked
and
disoriented by the unaccustomed wide-open spaces many pet birds seem
incapable
of finding their way back.
Bottom
line: Keep his
wings trimmed; if taking him
outdoors, keep him confined or restrained.
It may not be as much “fun,” but it
will ensure your bird’s safety and
your peace of mind.
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