Companion Parrots and Flight:
Pros and Cons
By Sally Blanchard

Reprinted and updated from The Companion Parrot Handbook. This article is copyrighted and may not be reprinted without the written permission of Sally Blanchard or the PBIC, Inc. Contact us for permission.

An Unnatural Situation
While it is true that trimmed wings are an unnatural situation for parrots, many aspects of their lives as human companions are unnatural. Because of this, we must provide an incredible amount of guidance and a benevolent, stimulating environment for our caged parrots. When their emotional, nutritional, and environmental needs are properly met by the people in their lives, most parrots adapt well to their lives as companions and most adapt well to having their wings trimmed. This said, I talk to people who have parrots that I believe would be far more secure if he or she did not have clipped wings. However, I only recommend this when I believe the caregivers have the common sense and knowledge to understand ALL the implications of living with a flighted parrot.
 

Parrots with trimmed wings are far more dependent on their owners than are untrimmed birds. We must become their wings. We must take them from place to place and keep them with us when they want to be a part of our lives. Sometimes this dependence is at least a part of what encourages a stronger bond between bird and human. Some parrots have been so traumatized by botched wing trims that I can understand why their owners would not want to have their birds’ wings trimmed ever again. Before allowing anyone (including a veterinarian or professional bird groomer) trim your parrot’s wings or nails, ask them how they do it. If an unclipped parrot is relatively well-behaved (and it appears as if he will stay that way with continued guidance), I am not concerned about their caregivers having serious behavioral problems because their bird is flighted. He has the potential to be far more independent and his sense of security will most likely increase.  I also believe that parrots who are allowed to fly in their homes tend to be much healthier. Not only do their get more exercise their respiratory systems and musculature benefit greatly from flight

In some cases, with some parrots, whether it is because they have not been provided proper guidance or because they are just more willful birds, it may be essential to trim their wings at least partially to keep them tame as companions. I received a phone call from a woman who wanted to know what she should do because her Sun Conure would fly at visitors’ faces and attack them. The answer, in this case, was quite simple. The bird needed to have his wings trimmed to settle him down and to create a more dependent parrot. The woman answered that she could not do so because he was so beautiful in flight, yet she was seriously thinking of “getting rid of him” because he had become so aggressive. Clearly, trimming the wings to help her manage the aggression was a better alternative than finding him a new home. I suggested she have the wings trimmed and then work diligently to establish better behavioral guidance with him as his wings grew out. Then, perhaps, he would be less aggressive being flighted. Of course, I also suggested that she keep him in his cage when people came to visit.
 

If a person takes exceptional care of his or her parrot, is concerned with the bird’s welfare, and uses quality Nurturing Guidance, the parrot can become an exceptional companion. The key word I am using is “exceptional.” If a person has carefully thought about the positive and negative possibilities of having a flighted parrot with a common sense, cause-and-effect logic, he or she may become “the exception to the  somewhat outdated "rule.” Of course, the established rule is that all companion parrots should have their wings trimmed. Many rules are too arbitrary and more and more thought is being given to the idea that companion parrots should be allowed to fly. Unfortunately, some bird owners who have not thought this out carefully, and do not provide guidance for their parrots, are asking for problems if they do not trim their parrot’s wings.

Exceptions to Every Rule
 

I used to believe that it was essential for ALL birds to have their wings trimmed. That was until I met several owners of flighted birds who were the exception to the rule. One, a very tame and loving Blue-fronted Amazon, lived in a converted warehouse in San Francisco. He was fully flighted and the only problem was that he would not always come down from the high ceiling beams. By bribing him down with a treat, the owners were able to establish verbal commands for him to follow. The key was that the owners were always aware of where their Amazon was whenever doors were opened. Another client has an older Blue and Gold whose wings are not trimmed. The macaw always comes out with a sort of Tarzan yell before flying, and her caregiver is aware when the bird is out of her cage. The client also believes that she is less likely to let the macaw fly out the door because she is always aware of the flighted condition of her wings. Most good breeders now allow their babies to fledge and learn to fly with mastery before gradually trimming their wings a few feathers at a time. As part of their flight training, they are pre-introduced to mirrors and windows. An acquaintance of mine has a companion Hawk-headed Parrot. The bird is fully flighted. Her time out is structured and supervised because, as an independent and somewhat opinionated parrot, the Hawk-head does not particularly appreciate all visitors to her house. Breeders who let their bappies fly have noticed that they are much more secure and independent than the babies they raised without letting them fledge. My Double-yellow Headed Amazons, Paco and Rascal, live in their own bird-safe porch and are fully flighted yet I have rarely actually seen either of them fly in their room. They were not fledged as babies back in the late 1970s. When I do bring them into the house, I make sure all the doors are shut and locked first so that no one opens a door and provides a venue for their escape. At this time, none of my parrots have trimmed wings. Each bird is closely supervised when they are out of their cage and I have screens on all of my doors and windows.

Are You Really The Exception?
 

In considering leaving a parrot flighted, it is essential to analyze the situation carefully. Is everyone in the family aware of the potential dangers of the parrot escaping? Do you have children (or their friends) who might forget (or not know) the family rules about where the parrot is when they go in and out of the doors? It is not usually the owners of flighted birds who let them fly out the door; it is usually someone else who is not as careful or even aware of the bird’s presence. When I was a child, my visiting grandmother walked out the door with our beloved flighted budgie, Micki Finn, on her shoulder. Micki was quite a talented talker and had several phrases he repeated frequently in his squeaky little voice. One was “Shut the door stupid, the bird’s out!” It was only when Micki uttered these words that my grandmother realized Micki was on her shoulder. She quickly backed into the house and shut the door. We were very lucky. Many people are not this lucky. Over the years, I have talked with hundreds of people whose birds have flown away. Many of these people never found their beloved companions. In most cases, people didn’t think their bird could fly with his wings trimmed or had not realized the wings had grown out.
 

The truth is that some birds can fly quite well with trimmed wings. This is particularly true of slim-bodied birds like budgies, ’tiels, cockatoos, conures, and macaws — especially the mini-macaws. I believe that people should not have their avian pets outside, whether the wings are trimmed or not, unless the birds are in a cage, harness, or carrier. When a bird has been safely and gradually accustomed to being in a harness and the owner supervises the bird properly at all times, a harness can be a wonderful way of allowing pet birds time outside. The purpose of a parrot harness is to make sure a parrot is safe and will not fly away — it is not to be used as a tether so the bird can fly. That could be very dangerous!
 

Obviously, I would not tell everyone that they must trim their parrot’s wings, nor will I state that all birds should be left untrimmed. Caregivers of flighted birds must remain vigilant so that an accident doesn’t happen that will injure or threaten their parrots. The rule to trim wings still applies to many parrots so I am not going to give the advice to everyone that it is OK to leave their parrots flighted. Before you decide you are the exception and you can safely keep your parrots flighted, you must carefully evaluate your own situation. Is your household a safe place for a parrot to fly? Is it large enough for parrots to maneuver in flight without crashing into things? Can you realistically prevent everyone who does not pay attention to what is going on from indiscriminately coming in and out of your house? Do you have the knowledge to fledge a bappy or teach your older bird to fly? I have heard some terrible advice that people have received about teaching their parrots to fly — it is not a matter of throwing a bird up in the air or off of a balcony. Are you tuned in enough to be able to always be aware of what your parrot is doing? Do you have the time, energy, and ability to carefully supervise your parrot at all times when he is out of his cage? Can you logically think about dangerous situations that would threaten your parrot and then make common sense plans to prevent or avoid those situations? Are you already providing enough Nurturing Guidance so that you are in benevolent control of your parrot’s life? At this time, can you prevent and/or deal with any aggressive behavior from your parrot in a way that does not escalate the aggression? If you are in control now, do you provide enough behavioral guidance so that you will still be in control of your bird if he is flighted?

The Internet is full of “guilt-mongering” in regards to allowing parrots to fly — don’t let it force you to make a decision that is not right for you. Are you really the exception to the rule about trimming wings or are you fooling yourself about the eventual endangerment of your parrot? If you can truthfully answer all of the above questions from a positive point of view, you may be an exception to the rule. If not, I would encourage you to keep your parrot’s wings trimmed.

 

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