Over the years we have received several phone calls and e-mails from bird owners who sadly lost there beloved pet due to not keeping there wings clipped.

 Here at "Parrotdise Aviaries" all baby birds are wing clipped after first learning to fly. This insures that they have learned to safely land and control there flight. It also helps build there confidence. We have a room that the babies are allowed to practice there flying skills that is safe to do so. Make sure if doing so yourselves that it is on a carpeted floor.

 Approximately every two months your bird will need it wings and toes checked for clipping. We do offer this as a free service for the lifetime of your pet bird when purchased here. Your other pet birds can be groomed for a small reasonable fee by appointment with us also. Many avian vets will also do grooming for a small fee. I can not stress enough how extremely important it is to keep up on this.

 Before trimming, check your birds wings for blood feathers. A blood feather is a new, growing feather, which has its own blood supply. The shaft (base) is cloudy and purple or red colored, and the feather is all or partly covered with a white plastic type of sheath. If cut, a blood feather will act as a straw to pump blood out of the bird. The only way to stop this is to pull it out with needle nose pliers (from the base of the blood feather). Don't pull or yank at the end of the feather! Grip it tightly with the needle nose pliers and give it a quick straight yank out by the base.
 Always clip both wings of your bird. If you clip only one wing your bird will fly in circles and also will land uncontrolled and can get injured.

 The following is a diagram and instructions are provided as a guide. Please do not attempt this alone or without any proper training. Until you have been shown how to do this several times by an experienced breeder or vet it should not be attempted at all.

 However if you should decide to carry out the clipping yourself which is not recommended, some studying up on your part is required.

 Start by obtaining a competent assistant, who as well as yourself understands the wing shape and terminology of its feathers. The PRIMARY COVERTS, SECONDARY FEATHERS AND SECONDARY COVERTS on both wings should never be clipped.

 Properly restraining your bird is important to prevent injury. The birds chest must not be restricted, because it can't breathe. The head, both feet and opposite wing should be well restrained for the birds safety. This is best performed by your assistant who can gently towel the bird and hold it by the head with it's stomach down. The proper way of holding a birds head safely is with your pointer finger on the top of the head with your thumb on one side of the birds face and your middle finger on the opposite side of the birds face. Apply pressure carefully on the top of the birds head with your pointer finger in order to control its head and to avoid being bit.

 Carefully extract one wing so you are looking down at it from the top. The wing should be held at the base of the humerous, and not by the feathers, as an injury can occur if the bird should flap his wing hardly.

 Scissors that are sharp is extremely important to get a smooth neat cut. Also claw clippers can be used and each feather can be trimmed individually if desired. Begin by trimming off the first seven to ten primary feathers up next to the bottom of the next layer of feathers. While trimming slightly curve inwards towards the end of the wing. This will give your bird a neat appearance when its wings are folded.

 After clipping your bird it should be given a test flight to see if more primaries need trimmed. This should be done in a bird safe room and on a carpeted floor.

 African greys and cockatoos can become irritated by half clipped feather shafts poking them when their wings are at rest, this could lead to feather plucking problems. Please if you have these species and aren't experienced at properly clipping, get professional help in order to avoid such problems.

Nail Clipping

Be sure to keep your birds nails clipped at all times. nails that are too long can get caught up in anything, and break, causing at very least , pain and at worst, bleeding (which can be fatal if not stopped). Use some type of coagulant like (KWIK-STOP). This can be found at most pet stores. In an emergency, corn starch or flour will work.

 When you cut each toenail, do so carefully by clipping only a small amount of the nail at a time. With dark nails it is difficult to see where the blood vessel stops. Stop immediately if you cut into a blood vessel and apply styptic powder. If the nails are extremely overgrown take up to a week or longer if necessary to accomplish the nail trim. Every few days trim off a small amount in order to give the blood vessel a chance to recede between cuttings. Be sure if your bird bleeds, even after applying a coagulant all bleeding has completely stopped before leaving your bird unattended.