[Cindy215]

Well wing clipping is controversial. I'm completely against it. A million reasons.

The strongest case for clipping says for safety and that people cant make the house bird - safe so just clip them. I say make the house safe.

Another case says they're acting "dominant" and it'll make them submissive. That's not scientifically accurate there are no dominant or alpha birds in the flocks. Yes you can see it in captivity being confusing because we're throwing all different types of bird together or seeing a bossy hen with her mate or mate aggression and call it dominance but that's not accurate. Yes there are cases of a captive group having bad or wierd dynamics.

It's because they are in unnatural conditions like small cages and nesting wierd or whatever. Like a male pushing a hen into a nestbox when she doesnt want to, or seeing another bird across the room and attacking the mate in the closed cage. All unnatural condtions and all being studied by people. You cant just say it's a simple case of dominance like people say with dogs.

Birds communicate alot of ways and one way is giving a nip to each other. There are alot of theories about that even doing a nip as a warning. You can read all about it if you want.

But here are my reasons to be anti clipping:

First, flying is the healthiest thing you can do. Maximizing her cardio and strength. Especially a Tiel prone to poor diets, weak genetics and common conditions like lipomas. Exercise is one thing always recommended for them.

I would never cut off something she was born with and that she was meant to function with physically and psycologically.

She could fall and get injured not understanding what happened. And it'll take some time to grow back those wings. It's happened.

I don't believe in forced bonding. It's not necessary. (like Kathy Bates in Misery lol). Your bird will be confident and healthy with flying and paranoid and insecure clipped, imo and ime. It's a greater gift to have her fly to you because she wants to be with you...than letting her sit in one spot and wait for you to remember to play with her. And making her "perform" on your terms. (not that you WOULD, just saying it's common).

She's a single bird with no other bird family,right? So you're (humans) her entire family. Without wings all she has to do is sit there and obscess because she has to climb or jump down and walk around to find you. At least with wings it gets her mind off it and she can zoom around investigate things and further develop her flight skills. I forget how old you said she was, sorry.

Another risk is physical or psycological in some types of birds after being clipped. There are theories about that. Contributing to feather destructive behavior birds. Or unknown feather problems.

It's not anger she'll show ...it's the psychological confusion and frustration of what happened, and I wouldnt blame her one bit. My opinionated ways make me say, let's not put a human face on it and say oh she'll be mad and get over it. We're changing her whole physical and psycological makeup cuz we're bigger and we can.

Clipping won't solve underlying issues in fact will make them worse. Perhaps she's not getting proper sleep. This is really what I think the problem is especially since you say she's unpredictable. Tiels are gentle and sweet, (not meaning magically hand tame)...albeit some are feisty especially breeding hens. Hopefully she isn't in any extended molt which would make her cranky and you'd lower the protein for that and examine her diet.

Try following a strict natural daylight schedule including dusk and dawn with no artificial lighting, tv, computer, lights flashing, music and human sound. In North America it's not breeding season and birds are getting ready to sleep -long nights and short days.

Before dusk turn the lights off and she'll grind her beak and get ready to sleep. Put her cage in a quiet mostly dark room then, it'll be about 15 minutes or so even 30 before actual dark. Then she'll wake up at dawn and need to eat within 30 minutes. No abruptly turning any lights off or on they have a sensor in the brain that regulates the metabolism. A bird not getting proper sleep is a cranky bird and most DONT get proper sleep, imo.

I'd also recommend not letting her snuggle or spend time in any nesty type spots. Not in your shirt or behind cushions etc. Nothing like that in the cage, no hiding UNDER things. Move her cage around to different and interesting spots, rotate toys and switch things up like reverse food and water etc. These are ways to inhibit breeding behavior and you maybe experiencing a precurser to that, and probably because of the thing about not following a natural daylight schedule.

I'd give her alot of nutritious food like dark leafy greens, veggies, fruits and lower the protein. Also for enrichment, make it interesting and playful. I'd also have her on a predictable schedule. A series of structured activities so she knows what her days will be like, more or less, like sleep, food, bath, preen, play, rest, play, more food, bed. And it would be good to have full spectrum lighting, to help metabolize her vitamins, calcium and D3. Filtered sun through glass windows doesnt work.