How important is fledging?

[SDavid]

I currently have a deposit on a Blue Throated Macaw that is being weaned at a pet store in my area (NY). I've been visiting her everyday and she's becoming stronger and more inquisitive.

Everything I've read indicates that if a bird is to be clipped eventually it should learn to fly proficiently before this is ever done. So my question is, how important is this. And, how true is it? What are the consequences of a young bird being clipped before it fledges?

In NY there are no breeders and most birds are acquired from pet stores. For buisiness and safety reasons (which I understand) birds are usually clipped when they are close to the end of weaning. I realise from the stores point of view that it's not safe to have birds on the sale floor that are learning to fly while there are customers, other animals, children, etc. in a busy store. The birds could get hurt in many ways.

My BTM was just beginning to fly but was clipped yesterday and I'm not exactly happy about it and am wondering if I'm overreacting. Will this be detrimental for the birds well being? What would any of you do in my situation?

[Sashagirl]

I felt the same way about some of my parrots. Though some of my parrots came from rescue or rehomed situations.They came to me with their wings literally chopped so bad that all they could do is drop to the floor not only that their wings would always bleed from the botched jobs.Some of them would hit their keel bone and I feared for the worse.It wasn't just 1 bird we were talking about.I also had some that started barbering the ends as well as starting to pluck.So I made a choice to let them grow their feathers in and remain fully flighted.We don't have uncovered windows for them to fly into and they are safe.I felt that the ones that were fledging should of been allowed to fledge and fly it's better for them in the long run.Not many of my flock even know how to fly which is really a shame.

Marcia

[birdiemommy]

I had a beautiful white fronted amazon who came to us from a bird store. She was clipped before she fledged. I really think it affected her. She never really learned to fly or even glide down to the floor. So every time she fell or flopped off a perch or her cage, she fell like a rock. She had no idea how to use those wings.
I got our DYH Tigger from the same place. But we brought him home on 3 feedings a day. So he fledged here at home. He learned to sail down across the room from a perch, and had just learned to gain altitude before he was clipped.
If the shop is going to clip your baby for safety reasons, I would let them grow out a little at home. Help him learn to glide down with those wings before you clip them again. I was always worried about our WFA busting her keel from those falls.

[bethn]

We had a TAG that came from a store, we were told he had a " grey clip" that allowed slightly longer feathers so he did not fly like a brick, but was able to glide. Altho he never achieved full flight, he was an extremely happy bird, no plucking or aggressive behaviors with us ( he was not fond of those he deemed beneath him in the pecking order i.e. our children). Our vet told us he was an exceptionally well adjusted bird. Good luck with your new baby!

[Monica]

I honestly can't give you any direct answer... I've heard many people say that it is bad for the birds health to be clipped too soon... and if you clip them too young then they'll never learn how to properly fly as adults... Well, I once bought a petstore budgie, flighted, and he was such an outstanding flyer that I'd call him an acrobat in the air!!!! Well, when he wouldn't eat for me when I got him home, I clipped him... and he started eating... some months later, I realised he had ALL his flight feathers but couldn't get more than 3-4 inches off the ground.. For a couple of weeks after that I'd toss him on my bed until he could fly again! He never had the grace that he once had when he was younger, but he learned how to fly once again.

The major reasons I'd see for not clipping a young bird is that so the bird can learn how to fly at a young age, and to learn what they can or cannot fly into.... that, and for the fact that this is a time when they can become independent. I have a mitred conure that I don't know how he grew up as a chick, but he's dependent on human interaction of some sort, or at least being able to see a human. If he was clipped too young then it may be why he's too dependent, but in truth I don't know that!

I've only seen/had two birds here who have fledged (two bourkes that were born from a pair I once had) and a starling. I can't say I ever recall the bourkes flying into things as adults (I had no reason to clip them, besides they don't get around like other parrots do, using their beaks... bourkes are more like finches in that they rely a lot more on their wings rather than their beaks). The female bourke didn't seem to care too much for human interaction but she'd at least tolerate handling. Her little brother however was more interested in human interaction and attention. But then bourkes are usually more passive birds to begin with and not like conures or macaws....

The starling on the other hand was fledging end of May... and I hate to say it, but she seems to be smarter than the parrots! (and cleaner!) Okay, so Charlie doesn't fly into windows or walls like the budgies and cockatiels do when frightened... but the starling (no name) quickly learned what not to fly into. She's more demanding than the parrots because she still needs to be fed every 2 hours (give or take, but usually fed every 2 hours from 8am-9pm or 10pm).... although I haven't been trying to ensure she's tame (with the idea that I *might* release her - and if I don't, I'm going to rehome her) so it's not like she demands my attention other than for food! And this starling gets into more trouble than the parrots do! The parrots just chew up stuff or knock things over... but the starling actually steals stuff and then it's a game of chase to get it back!


So I'd have to say that fledging is probably a big deal! Although I can't say anything definite with not having young birds (as most birds here came to me as adults - rehomes/rescues) I do believe that fledgling and learning to fly probably has a lot in their health as adults....

[tielfan]

You can encourage your baby to flap its wings by moving your arm/hand with the bird on board. It isn't the same as flying, but it will help develop the breast muscles for possible flying later on.

[Icednova625]

I think its important, Our Tag had a bad clip done by her breeder, she couldn't do anything but fall like a brick. Split her keel after a few of these falls. She still can't fly so I put a few mats under her playgym and cage to break her fall.

[xafsmom]

Learning to fly is beneficial later on in a bird's life, because it will understand the mechanics of how to take off and land. This may not seem important in a wing-clipped bird, but it really is. The bird understands how to compensate for the balance difference when it does those clipped flights - like the inevitable leap off the playstand or instinctive response flights when startled. Further, it's a confidence builder. Properly fledged birds, in my opinion, seem to be a lot more confident as they grow, even when they're clipped after fledging.

What a shame they clipped your baby before it fledged. I would be spitting mad to have my bird's wings touched by someone else after I'd paid for it. Grrrr...

[birdsnreps]

we are firm believers in letting babies become EXPERT fliers before they are clipped. they really do seem to become much more confident adults with less behavioral problems. Ive had some babies come to me from other breeders with horrible hack jobs for wing clips, they never quite became as agile and confident as the properly fledged birds, and they seemed to be alot more skittish even after adjusting to our home. ive had them try to fly, and they ended up flying backwards then falling like a rock to the floor, breaking all their feathers, not being able to balance well on perches, not very good at climbing on cage bars, etc. i have the pleaseure of seeing some of our babies after they mature, and they are happy little birds, even with strangers.

i believe the birds who are allowed to become expert fliers before being clipped are much more agile, even when not in mid-air. they can actually climb and perch like pro's even at young ages (before being weaned), and without breaking all their tail feathers from falling so much.

when we sell birds, i absolutely refuse to clip them before im 100% happy with their flight abilities. every once in a while we sell unweaned birds, and if i know they plan on clipping them too early, i dont let the bird go home until after i clip them, LOL. ive even had other people ask me to clip their babies for them, but once i see how clumsy they still are, i have refused to clip them and just went back home, LOL.

[SDavid]

Thanks for all the replies. There's nothing I can do now other than encourage wing flapping but yes I was kind of upset after it was done. My option was this, take her home and away from the company of the other young macaws unweaned or let her stay there become stronger and socialize with the other macs knowing she'd get clipped.

It really hit home because I had, that same day, seen her fly from one table to another and (may sound funny to some of you) I just thought it was really beautifull. Probably more so because both my TAG and Galah came to us clipped and even though I'm working on recall training (it'll take some time) remain partially clipped to this day.

I had no choice though and I did express my desire to leave her flighted but the store owner is a firm believer that flying is instinctual and not learned. And, assured me that if I want to let her wings grow in from here on she could become a good flyer. Like I said above I'm unhappy but can't be too angry because I can see how a room full of babies all learning to fly would be dangerous and impractical in the store. Thats just the way it is here in NY I guess. Both bird stores in my area do the same thing. They have lots of birds in an open area with lots of visitors.

If anyone wants to see pictures of her and the clip job you can go here.......

Pics of macaw babies.....too cute!