Atlanta Veterinarian Clinic

Clipping Your Bird’s Wings

Birds are popular pets that can be enjoyed by many people. They are pretty and capable of many funny antics. While this is true, as they are birds, they are capable of flying. Many people feel that birds’ wings should be left unclipped so that they can continue to fly. They also feel that clipping wings is inhumane. While their points are honest, they are not necessarily true. A pet bird’s wings should be clipped for a variety of reasons.

Safety is the first reason to clip a bird’s wings. A bird with unclipped wings is capable of flying into a variety of solid objects around a house like windows, mirrors, walls, and doors. In addition, it is not unheard of for smaller birds to land in a toilet and drown. They can become trapped behind refrigerators, in drawers, and in cabinets. They have also been known to land on hot stoves which is, of course, also bad for the bird.

Loss prevention is another good reason to clip a bird’s wings. On top of being pets, some birds are extremely expensive. Some types of parrots can cost well more than $1000. No one wants to see $1000 or more fly out the window or away from the car at the vet’s office. Aside from money, people are attached to their birds and typically would hate to see their friend fly away, particularly when it could have been prevented by a simple wing clipping.

Behavior is another reason to clip a bird’s wings. Some birds are aggressive. In many instances, simply clipping the bird’s wings has helped the bird to become less aggressive.

For more information on wing clipping and other aspects of bird ownership, please contact your Atlanta veterinarian.