Taking Care When Trimming the Wings of a Parrot

By Kaye Dennan

Trimming of parrot wings is a task that most owners don't like to do themselves. Parrot owners tend to trim the wings of their parrots because they are scared that if they do not the parrot may fly away. There is a difference between hindering the flight of a parrot and totally stopping it from flying. The wings only need to be 'trimmed' not cut off. The pet parrot does need to have some means of moving around, but they don't necessarily need to take full flight.

Most parrot owners prefer to ask a professional to trim the wings of a parrot as it is a job that needs to done correctly and with care so that there is no damage to the wing itself.

A Baby Parrot.

For the safety of a young pet parrot, it should have its first three feathers trimmed a little, but it is important that it can still fly a little because it does need to learn to land on its fee. If its wings are trimmed right back at an early stage it may never learn to land on its feet and that could be harmful as the bird gets older.

When a parrot is very small they only will have the first three feathers trimmed and then only half the length of what a mature parrot would have trimmed. The idea of cutting the wings of a very young parrot is so that it will not fly into windows and other objects and hurt itself.

Wings On A More Mature Parrot.

An adult parrot would need to have the first five flight feathers trimmed if it is to be hindered in its flying. He is now a stronger bird so he needs more feathers trimmed to stop him flying away.

The utmost care should be taken to ensure that the feathers are not trimmed too short and most definitely not shorter thant the parrot's covert (the layer of feathers which protect their bases). Clipping of the feathers should mean that the feathers will grow out again, but if clipped too short it could mean that they will not regrow. If you are going to use a professional trimmer or vet who wants to cut below the cover, do stop them and find someone else. Make there is some discussion on this before taking the bird to be trimmed.

Usually a parrot will have its wings trimmed twice a year and this seems to be sufficient in most cases as regards the parrot care. This will still let the parrot fly around the house at ease without having accidents or causing accidents.