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THis is an unwinnable argument, and like any it has several sides to it.
The first and most important thing to learn is that clipping really is the owners personal choice. Clipping or not clipping does not necessarily make an owner a bad person or owner.
but here is the thing:
Those who advocate clipping, the first initial argument they make is "oh it is the "thing that will keep your parrot safe.
The truth?
That's not so!!!
Truth is, that both the clipped and the unclipped do get hurt and also sometimes either no matter the circumstances can get killed.
If you don't clip: yes, escape through a window or door is possible or even falling into the toilet or a roiling kettle of water.
If you clip, and you have a cat, your bird might not be able to soar high enough to get away.
I'm sure there are more.
To train your bird is also an excuse to clipping
so here are some of my own thoughts, and my views:
yes, I make no secret whatsoever that I do not advocate clipping wings
My personal thoughts:
Clipping is for humans not birds.
birds were born with wings and were meant to use them.
Even if they do become injured or killed we are under obligation to let these creatures "be birds, and to fly whether it is out of doors or in doors while we do what we can to make their enviornment with us as safe as we possibly can.
There is also the unskilled, shops hire just about anyone to clip wings, and quite often they do a very poor job, and our clipped bird pays for it.
As for me, I refuse to clip for another reason:
I have a spiritual connection to the birds in my flock, and for the few times that one or some have ever been clipped which is "rarely," they seem to have that look in their eye. "mama, you did something to me. I don't knnow what because it didn't hurt, but you took something away from me. Do't you know I love you and I will come back to you.
And yes, sadly I have also been one to pay the ultimate price for not clipping wings. Our very first bird, a cockatiel, yes, he flew over a boiling kettle of water when he was very young. We were fortunate then that he got a slight burn on his little feet which we took care of immediately.
We had this free flying, "in the house, not outside, for seven happy years, and if I had clipped his wings after so many years I know for absolute certain that our bird would have been most unhappy, but yes, I did pay the ultimate price, and it did mean his loss.
On October 1, 2003, I forgot and left my sliding glass doors opened to let the dogs out to do their business, and was distracted enough to go to the back rooms for just a few minutes. when I returned I found him on the back steps, and when I leaned over to ask him to step up he flew over the roof.
We put posters up, called and called for him for two weeks or more. Lexi was an identifiable bird because he had a chain harness on him, "one my neighbor made so I could take him for walks outside.
I can't even begin to tell how much emotional hurt his loss meant, and hopefully someone found our strong little flyer, but he flew well enough he could have also joined a flock, and even though it's been years I still search the skies for him,
and yes if you live in Oregon and found a little grey cockatiel wearing a harness you have found our Lexington Alfonzo, and he would be 11 this year, and yes, we do want him back.as odd as this seems to tell you all of this, I tell it because I still have hope that our bird is alive and been happy, but he was very happy with us and very tightly bonded to our son.
So please if you do have information about him please make contact with me. We no longer live in Eastern Oregon, but we would still drive almost anywhere to pick up our tiel, but sadly for some of you, we do not believe in paying ransom. Hopefully if you have or know someone who has our tiel, "and yes, I do know this is way out on a limb because of the years, and we know it's possible to he might have died as well, we would really like to have him back and your friend or yourself would be willing to give him back to us without asking for money.
So it's really not a matter of who's absolutely right and who's absolutely wrong. There are some birds I know as someone explained to me that must be clipped because of a health condition. Their bird tended to have seizures, but for me, the birds, my birds must be able to soar just as any other bird would and because I choose not to clip I must and do accept the consequenses of having unclipped birds in my home.
So as most of you I'm sure will note this is an age old, and unwinnable arguement, and as a famous quote goes, I don't remember who said it but is used by The New York Bird Club it says
God created birds, and thought they were beautiful.
Man created cages because he thought birds were beautiful too
or something along those lines.
I tend to agree.
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