Stewie starting to realize he can fly

[jenseits]

Stewie has been with me about 8 months, and the whole time he's been clipped. Recently he's had two flight feathers come back in -- one on each side.

It's amazing how much better he can fly even with only one full flight feather on each side. He's taken to flight a few times lately when startled and managed to land on something familiar (as opposed to the floor). I think it's starting to dawn on him that he can fly again.

On the one hand, it's pretty exciting to see him fly -- he's a bird after all. But I'm also worried about all the trouble he'll start getting into once he realizes that he can go places on his own. I got him at an animal shelter where they told me he was brought after someone found him outside. If that's true, that means he's escaped and gotten lost at least once before while fully flighted.

I know the "to clip or not to clip" debate is pretty controversial - with people feeling very strongly about both sides. I'm one of those people who believes it's a very personal decision that has to take into account a lot of different factors. And I'm torn about what to do with Stewie. On the one hand, he's an adult bird of unknown background, only recently has he really started to bond with me, he's not very well trained, my apartment isn't 100% bird proof, and he's a flight risk. On the other hand, he's a bird, and he should be a little more independent.

Should I let him be fully flighted? Is that irresponsible considering his history? My bf, the vet and the folks at the animal shelter all think he needs to be clipped. I'm sure if I ask Stewie, he'll say he should be able to fly. I can see both sides but I'm prone to feeling really guilty about everything, so I'm not thinking clearly.

Thoughts from other people who can see both sides of this issue?

[Amie]

If your apartment is not bird safe, and you can't make it bird safe, then the responsible thing to do is clip him if he gets out of his flight cage.

Before our CAG died, we had two birds, and the ekkie was clipped while the CAG was not. The reason was because different birds react in different ways. I'm not sure if my Scarlett was raised correctly, but she only flies in two circumstances: 1) she wants to glide down from her cage to the floor so she can climb onto her play gym, or 2) she gets scared and will fly hard, in one direction, until she runs into something. We tried it for a year or so, and I became so afraid that she was going to seriously hurt herself that we keep her clipped on one side. She can glide around the house, and she does quite often, but she can't pick up and intense speed or height and smack into the door or wall any more. It's better for her.

Since Stewie is a flight risk, you have to ask yourself if it's better for him to be cared for and clipped or for him to get free on accident. If you have friends or a boyfriend that just walk into your apartment, and he's flying at the moment, he may get out. No one's fault. But then, you'll never get him back and he won't do well in the wild.

I know people truly believe in keeping a bird fully flighted, but it isn't ALWAYS in the best interest of the bird. I'm more of a case-by-case person. Scarlett will always be clipped. But only enough where she can't gain speed or height. She can glide to her heart's content, and I'm happy for her.

[jenseits]

Thanks for the feedback. When you say "glide" can you define that? When Stewie was fully clipped, he could break his fall, but it never looked comfortable when he landed on the floor (about 8 feet from where he took off, I'd guess). I guess some people would call that gliding, but it was definitely on a downward trajectory the entire way.

I haven't been too worried about the front door, since it opens into a long hallway. Of course, if he's fully flighted he can take off down the hallway and get into some freak accident with the elevator. That would be a new worry. In his present condition (being able to fly but it's a real struggle), I think it's okay because that's too far for him to fly - he'd be retrievable. My immediate concerns are more about the kitchen and things like that.

[Amie]

When I mean glide, I mean she flaps her wings and stays about 2 feet off the floor, but she can't gain altitude or any real speed. She can actually make it around my mother's entire house. It's about 50 feet or so from where her cage is right now to my bathroom, and if I DARE start running my bath water without getting her first, she can fly from her perch, around the sofa, into the dining room, around the table, into the hallway I'm staying in, make a sharp left into the bathroom, and land at the bath tub. The entire time, though, she's gradually losing height. Over the weekend, I was taking her in from her outside cage, and the neighbor started up his Harley. Scarlett freaked out, and flew for the fence, but couldn't gain altitude. She landed across the yard and hung out in the corner until I came to get her.

But, she can't take off from the ground. She only gets as high as she starts off. If there's a breeze outside, she can stay the same level and cross our neighbor's 6 foot fence, but she can't get any higher unless the wind is really bad, and I don't ever take her outside in lots of wind.

[Ashling]

Mmmmm I'd keep him clipped. Most of the companion parrots I've lost is because they escaped and flew away. I have a cockatiel who's my oldest and he started off full flighted but has been clipped before. He's actually gotten free around four times in his life. Two of the worst was when he flew down the street and was pestured by a dog, and another was when he flew up, up, up in the air as I watched in horror, calling him... and he flew down, down down onto my head! It's pure luck I still have him. I keep my lory clipped so I can take her for walks outside or to shopping centres- and she can't ever escape into danger. Good luck with your decision!

[saucie]

I think, given the history, I would probably keep him clipped until he is better trained. It doesn't sound like you guys are yet at the stage where you can yell "Stop!" at him and he would listen, like if he's headed for somewhere dangerous like the kitchen or the bathroom. But if you can birdproof the house, I think you could let his flights grown in.

[lrose]

When our sun conure Quidditch grew back her flight feathers, it was so exciting. She would fly around the house, and you could swear she was smiling. But she started causing some trouble, flying to the top of the blinds and chewing on them (and those were expensive blinds!) and we couldn't get her back in her cage. She just got too hard to handle. She seemed a little shocked right after we clipped her wings again, but she eventually became reaccustomed to it. I felt guilty at first, but it was the right thing to do for her, I think. She's still a little hard to handle, but her attitude is greatly improved with less wing! I agree there are strong feelings about wing clipping, but I think it really does depend on the bird and its own situation.

[kotoeloncat]

If your apartment isnt bird safe, I think its better to clip

All my birds are fully flighted, I am also home all day (home based business). So they are free to roam my home. They are free to visit me in my office as they like and return to their cages as they wish

Some areas are off limits, kitchen and toilets