Abstract
A short while ago, a valued customer
came into our shop in Santa Fe to
have her pet Green-winged Macaw's
wings trimmed. She told me a frightening
story.
It seems she had been to visit a local
veterinarian to request the same
grooming service. While spreading
her well-behaved macaw's wing for
the simple task, he had advised her,
"If I merely clip your pet's flight
feathers, they will grow out again
shortly and it will cost you to have her
redipped. I would recommend pulling
out the flight feathers instead. That
will effectively ground her."
Fortunately, our customer, who also
owns a Yellow-naped Amazon, a
Blue-fronted Amazon and an African
Gray Parrot, was intelligent enough to
realize the unsoundness of this advice
and replied with a firm "no".
Yet, it was with frustration that I
added this tale to my growing list of
parrot grooming misdemeanors. The
field of psittacine grooming is strewn
with strong opinions, hazards and
practices which border on the
inhumane.
Take the common wing trim, for
instance. In many cases, a baby bird
still in the midst of its hand-feeding
stage is clipped by the breeder or pet
shop prior to sending it off with a new
owner. Or, the instant a young fledgling
takes off on its first wobbly crash
flight out of the holding tub, the
owner will rush to get the scissors and
clip flight feathers for the baby's
"safety."
Stop a moment and think what this
means. A fledgling psittacine is denied
his full wingspan during the earliest
developmental stage of his normal
bird behavior. Why, I have known
ten-, twelve- or fifte e n-year-old
parrots which have never flown.
Needless to say, they have not learned
the more important lessons of landing,
either!
Ever wonder why your hookbill pet
walks everywhere? Wonder why he
leans forward with "begging wings" to
be picked up from only eight inches
away? Wonder why you cannot get
him off that out-of-reach perch or
down from the tree he has climbed
into?
He's terrified, that's why. Look to his
fledgling training and you will likely
discover the answers. Early wing clip.
No training.
Psittacine fledglings left with their
full wing span will quickly learn control.
Especially important are the
weeks prior to weaning when baby fat
is lost and an immense wing span to
body mass ratio results. Full muscular
development has not taken place; that
comes with normal flight activity.