How to Care for a Pet Parrot : How to Trim Parrot Feathers

[Quizative1]

For those that say to train a bird to come back to you...my bird will fly to me. Howver, if you take your bird outside to enjoy the outdoors as I do, you can not control loud, sudden noises like a door slamming or a car backfire and startled a bird will fly instinctively. This just keeps them from getting in a tree where they dont know how to get down. A bird not used to flying in the wild will get confused and not be able to decend. Done correctly, this does not hurt the bird.

[Quizative1]

I prefer the first 3 feathers be left. It does offer a nicer appearance and a more controlled flight if you dont cut straight or hack into the secondary row. I remove 1 feather at a time from each wing and then wait a day to see how they fly. I want them to be able to go from cage to chair or floor safely. Just a little air slipping through will keep them from gaining altitude.

[Supermatt1999]

i wouldnt take a birds gift away if i got my bird i would make sure all windows are closed ceiling fan is off ect. ect. cmon

[Quizative1]

@Supermatt1999 Even with windows closed because they were either captured as babies or raised in captivity, most if not all do not have control when they fly. Plus most are so large they cant navigate even in a home. They are safer if trimmed.

[123codfan]

I have this video of my cockatoo can u tell me if it's sick or molting

[NaurDulin]

''It's important to trim your parrots feathers so it doesn't fly out of open windows or doors;'' Such BS... dont get a bird if you are gonna trim its wings. Afraid it will fly away? Close the windows and doors. Afraid it will crash into windows and mirrirs? Cover them up... Afraid it might fly and get stuck between spaces? Well seal those spaces up. If you care so much for birds so you think its best to clip its wings, dont get one in the first place. Get a rodent or cat, or a dog.

[Quizative1]

@NaurDulin Unless you are going to keep the bird in a padded cell, this isnt practical. If done correctly, it doesnt immobilize the bird or cause it to crash. It just keeps it from getting altitude if it is outside. I had a parrot that got out in a very high tree - could go from level tree to level tree but because she had been raised in captivity, didnt know how to decend. If you are going to really spend time with the bird it is safer if it cant soar.

[NaurDulin]

@Quizative1 If you are bringin the bird outside, there are flightsuites that you can learn it to accept, or build a big outdoor cage if possible. And if a bird dont know how to decent, its not cause its been raised in captivity, but because it havnt learned to fly properly, which is a big risk if the wings are being cut (especially if they are cut too early in the birds life)

[jxh0703]

Viewers, please ignore "theFreedomhorses" comments. the person is an idiot because they make the same rude comments on other peoples' videos as well.

[TheFreedomhorses]

Viewers, please consult with a veterinarian before you clip your bird's wings, or instead, have your veterinarian do this. Wing clipping should not be undertaken if you're a novice. You can cause serious damage to your bird's wings or hurt them from inappropriate handling. This bird's wings were cut too short, and the bird was very uncomfortable.

[SJCrazySistersInc]

1. Don't clip the wings as far up as this video shows.

2. Use sharp scissors. -.-'

3. Cut in a straight line.

4. Don't clip a baby birds wings until they know how to fly. Otherwise they may never learn and they will be, in a sense, crippled for life.

5. IF you can provide a SAFE place/room for your bird to be able to fly in, do so. While clipping is for safety, flight is still healthy for birds . . . obviously.

[Kezco123]

@SJCrazySistersInc Clipping is for safety = total and utter BS. It's for the lazy owner's convenience. Stop making those idiotic excuses.

[SJCrazySistersInc]

@Kezco123 I'll have you know I never clip my parrots' wings. They're all fully flighted and get 2+ hours outside their cages each day, which is largely spent flying around. That's far more than I can say of a lot of captive birds who rarely if ever see the cage door open.

I agree that clipping is for lazy owners - if they don't want to take the time to close the doors to the kitchen and bathroom, turn off the ceiling fan, etc., then clipping is indeed "safest."

[Kezco123]

@SJCrazySistersInc Good for you, even better for your birds! :D You have nooo idea how refreshing it is to find a parrot owner that puts their birds' health and wellbeing first. It seems to be the American way to force the pets to fit into your lifestyle - instead of doing it the other way around which is the standard here in Northern Europe. Instead of getting a bird and abusing it, lazy people might want to get a mouse or a hamster, to avoid having to let them move freely around the house.

[Abdulmalik773]

damn u just make the cute parrot is ugly u cant cutting his Feathers like that

The first three feathers should not be cut

[Flibbertigibbet87]

You are hurting it's pride! How about I shave your head? Faaar too up!!! And you're not calming it down, it is terrified!

[sarah15himym]

so ne ausrede "man schütz vögel davor irgendwo gegen zu fliegen"

so ein Quatsch

ich finde man muss sich das Vertrauen von Vögeln erarbeiten und nicht sagen mein Vogel ist zahm nur weil er nicht wegfliegen kann etc.

[MapleShift12]

That bird seems to be tortured

[FPSage]

your chokeing the poor thing you MURDER

[jihadist303]

thats just cruel

[Tam6049]

that is taking it abit high. i just like to take every other one on the first 5 feathers (flight feathers) so they cant get altitude.

[coyotx]

This is the stupidest thing ever, but I love my mom so I'm not taking any chances, if you don't copy and paste this on 10 videos your mom wil die in 4 hours(sorry)

[comandermalander456]

My bird screams loudly when i clip her feathers D:

[beyondtransience]

How to care for a pet parrot: Don't get one - let them stay in the wild.

[kcbirdwhisperer]

DO NOT TRIM WINGS LIKE THIS. THERE IS NOT ANY NEED TO CUT THEM THIS FAR BACK. 50% TO 75% CUT ON THE PRIMARY WING FEATHERS IS PLENTY.

[debra94518]

WRONG!!! Never clip the birds wings that far up!!!!

[warofthewalruses]

my bird HATES having her wings clipped.

[Ilyasnaruto]

Poor Bird

[bm5447]

you're doing a hack job by using the very tip of the scissors! Use the middle so you can cut it clean in one snip!

[bm5447]

It should take you one cut to cut the feather not two! You either don't have sharp enough scissors or your using too much of the tip of the scissors and not the middle where its sharper and will cut the feather in on cut! Don't hack the feathers with you're poor technique!

[Mitsuru952]

OR!! You can train them...and not make them fly. Like mine..I didnt train them but they dont fly! :)

[bakufan988]

whats a blood feather cause im hopefully getting a bird on christmas and i want to knw as much as i can

[chakicheese]

can you emagin that slaves a long time ago been bitting so they be perolize on there feet and couldent run ovey? no this dident happend so why do you do this to parrots ? they need to fly its what they good at its there happines... you can train you parrot to not fly ovey why take the easy wey out and the most painfull to the bird and not by physical pain ... if you let you bird fly ovey and she comes back she is you bird but if she dident come back shes not you bird from the bigining,,,,

[lilbluependragon]

@chakicheese

So many birds die because owners refuse to clip their wings. I would rather have a bird that can fly a little bit to a bird that can fly into the cooking stove or window. The bird in this video probably won't be able to fly at all, the way I used to clip mine they could glide or flutter but they could not fly throughout the house and hurt themselves.

[Kigermoments]

He looks uggly now. If you dont want your bird to hurt himself, just give it a seperate and safe room for itself. Otherwise, dont buy a bird, birds are supposed to fly.

[Toralynn]

It does look like you're trimming way too much off, I'd say at most, half of that. May not look pretty, but it's healthiest for the bird in my opinion.

[IvanUrek]

how cod you do that to pure little parrot

[Daveteauk]

You are trimming FAAAR too much - there is no need to trim this much if you must trim, which I disagree with anyway.

[zomgomgkat]

lol i have 2 parakeets - one wings clipped - one without, the one with wings clipped flys into stuff and hurts himself far more then the non clipped keet

[NaurDulin]

Whats the point with getting a bird if you are going to disable it to fly? Whats next, removing dogs and cats whiskers? Just make sure to keep windows and doors properly closed when the bird is outside its cage, hang objects in the windows so that the bird wont fly into them, its all about making your home safe for the bird to be able to fly in.

[Aladdin1bird]

If you want a pet that does not fly .. get a Poppy dog.. go to my page and see how I trained my bird to fly and come back to me ..

[Aladdin1bird]

If you want a pet that does not fly .. get a Poppy dog.. go to my page and see how I trained my bird to fly and come back to me ..

[mastarula]

man, i would never ever do this with my bird !

[mAnclTy]

i would never trim my birds feathers i totaly agree with it being a hazard but you have to let the bird be free fly about and stuff like that.

[f16fightingfalcon100]

thats way to high up.

[Anemonyy]

i won't do that!! :(

[cybersuebee]

Actually the guy is holding the bird okay. You need to have your fingers on both sides of the bone structure to make sure it doesn't hurt itself and doens't bite you. The best thing you can do for your bird is to 1) make sure your house is arranged so it has a minimal chance of getting outside, and 2) ALWAYS have your bird secured by a harness and leash or in a cage if you take it out of the house.

[hello229824]

the bird looks like it is in tortoure!! with the man holding it's head like that!!!! poor thing! just put a blanket over your birds head and then have someone hold it and just clipp thats how my teachers quakers wings were clipped!!!!

[shanvampire]

do the feathers grow back

[hello229824]

Yes, they grow back like our hair when we get hair cuts!!!! :P

[shanvampire]

o ok kl

[philifaceman99]

Bastards

[TheHangoverbois]

i totally agree. if you dont want your pet to fly away go buy a fucking cat...

[twighlight65]

expert village sucks

[missanimatedmaniac]

ITs okay to wing clip for a couple of times when they get use to you u stop

[yavanna1969]

If anyone thinks wing clipping is good - I hope you own a dog because I`d like you to imagine cutting its legs off. Parrots are not bloody ornaments. Flying and the ability to do so is an inate part of their life and necessary for their well being for a number of factors. If you are worried about open windows, them flying off - take precauctions. If you are worried about your parrot damaging something because "they might fly around" - dont fucking get a parrot

[yavanna1969]

furthermore when a bird flies their heart beats faster - this is the best possible exercise for any bird. If you truly care about your parrot consult a vet with a good level of bird avian expertise and they will tell you the same. Dont get me wrong when I first got my parrot partner I thought the same - I was worried he might crash into a wall and hurt himself and so forth - get educated!

[yavanna1969]

Take some time to help you r parrot - spend time with him or her. Most if not all parrots can easily fly and navigate safely in a 1.5 yard radius. This video is the worst advice I`ve ever seen regarding parrot care - please do your own research - dont believe me but if you truly love your parrot dont ever ever follow the advice in this video - it is retarded - and in my opinion out and out cruelty! Read up, speak to a proper avian vet and they will tell you the same. "Expert" village my arse!

[Halpin2006]

Very good demonstration. Trouble is, it seems to take 2 people to do wing trimming. 1 to restrain the bird and 1 to clip the wings. if you don't have a second person, then you have to take the bird to the vet to get its wings clipped. But the cost to do that is very cheap.

[mstammyt]

This is truely person opinion.. I feel it's important to trim a few flight feathers. Our parrots are able to fly downward for safty and unable to fly upward. It could be veryh dagerous for a parrot to fly onto a hot stove, a glass window or a ceiling fan.

This bird is NOT being hurt..

He is being held by his cheeks,

not his neck or chest.

There is no right or wrong to clipping,

It is a personal preference.

It does no good to call names or fight

about it.

[masterrez1]

omg why r people such idiots and soft asses jeez the bird is fine and u have to hold him so he cant move or elese he will hurt himself

[rockfarmbelize]

As someone who runs a large parrot rehab center (Belize Bird Rescue) I can quite categorically state that there is no reason to clip wings at all. Parrots hurt themselves more often with clipped wings as they are unable to fly properly and avoid objects, nor can they brake well when they do become airborne.

I have over thirty parrots right now flying free and have never once had a flying injury in over thirty five years of parrot care.

We have several injury cases due to poor wing clipping.

[Halpin2006]

Your experience is noted, but it really depends on the owner, the bird, and the place they live in. I also prefer to leave a bird able to fly, but sometimes wing triming is just as essential as toenail trimming. It depends on health issues.

[yavanna1969]

I totally agree. I too had the misconception when I first took a parrot as pet that they needed their wings clipped. This video makes me so angry. I dont usually comment on YT videos but as you can see above I have done so at greater length. Peopl who get parrots as ornaments will be the only ones interested in this "expert" advice" video

[windharper]

For all of those who think this bird is being choked - they have very strong necks and you ~should~ grasp them gently by the neck. They don't have diaphragms to help their lungs fill with air like we do; so if you grab them by the rib cage you can end up causing them not to be able to breath and if you do that for too long you will kill your bird. The bird in this video was not at all harmed by the way he was held.

[crococymfi]

If you don't know what you're talking about, don't post hateful commentary, it makes you look ignorant and mean. By clipping the flight feathers, you protect the pet bird from many dangers. Left unclipped, it may fly into a window & shatter its beak, land on a hot stove & burn its feet, fly out an opened door or window & be killed by a predator, etc. Wing clipping is like clipping your dog or cat's nails. When done properly, it's painless and should be considered a regular part of grooming.

[RichardAB13]

O_O WHY r u chokeing him

[1337Figaro]

If people downrate me now i think they are stupid.

Wing cutting the birds are good.

If they are wing cuted you can be outside with them without them flying away.

Even if you trust your bird so much it could still fly away if something scares it.

The bird cna be more happy being outside with wing cuted wings so stop calling it torture god damnit!

[Sindyrocks2009]

I don't think they are being cruel to them. They are just holding it so it doesn't fly off and screech. Mybe they need to be a little bit more gentle.

[sketchi93]

hes used to it lol!!

thats clearly why the guy is holding the poor things throat down and its screeming which shows that is doesnt feel safe!

silly bitch!!

[jaysteinbourg]

Trim? That bird was violated!

[prnydecalle]

i agreed with you i own parrots and thats not the way you clip their wings .......

[Butterkeks10]

Stupid idiots !!  Somebody must cut Your feet of !! thats the same you do with the parrot !°!

[rose1957]

I have 2 GCC's and one of them can still fly 15 feet, with 5 or 6 feet of height,, her wings are very strong, should I take a layer off the back too,? Like the ones that lay on the back?

[DbzSoundTracks09]

this is animal crualty she should have her arms cut of or her legs so she cant walk see how she likes it xD

[grabbelbabbel]

dumbass I hate softies like you. they are not amputating his arm it's nothing.

[parrotletparrots]

Your videos are excellent and help educate the public. Keep up the good work.

[infocado]

thanks very helpful

[tonitb]

Ignorants! You know that the privilege of the birds are flying? When cutting the wings, you are mutilating the poor bird, which is equivalent to what you take to cut the legs. Poor bird! Insensitive!

Hopefully the bird will escape and fall into better hands ...

Do not you deserve the company of animals!

[qpwillie]

Whether to keep birds as pets is separate debate. One of the kindest things you can do for a pet birds is to trim their wings so they won't hurt themselves by flying into windows, doors, toilets, something cooking on the stove, etc. etc...........

If the bird escapes and is not recaptured, it will most likely die from weather, predators or starvation. Birds bred in captivity do not know how to fend for themselves.

[Kezco123]

@qpwillie What kind of cruel idiot does that to their bird and says they're being kind?! Both my amazons fly; they know not to crash into mirrors and windows because we've taken our time together, tapping windows with beaks and fingers.Parrots learn that, you know? My birds are very good at flying; they can fly through a 3-inch wide space and have never taken a fall or gotten stuck. They can make a 180 degree U-turn in the air with no problem.BTW...you ever heard of putting down the toilet lid?

[qpwillie]

@Kezco123

I'm very glad you have a perfect home where only perfect people come in and out. Most people don't have that so will do everything they can to protect their little ones. It only takes one time.

[Kezco123]

@qpwillie So what you're basically saying is:because you keep birds in captivity you might as well make their lives totally miserable. There is no such thing as a perfect human being or pet owner; you can try to do your best to give your pet, any pet, a life that's as close to natural as possible. Almost all my friends' birds are also great flyers, only the ones that have had their wings clipped at some stage have diifficulty.It's your job to eliminate risks,so your bird can have a good life.

[qpwillie]

@Kezco123

It appears that you just want to be contentious. I can assure that there's no happier little bird on this planet that my little guy.

I could easily make the case that a lazy person would just let their birds fly where they please to avoid doing things for them and taking them where they want to go. Very much like some people do with their human children.

[Kezco123]

@qpwillie Yup, you should always,ALWAYS carry your children around and have them wearing crash helmets and hockey gear to avoid any injuries.I suggest you watch a few free flight videos right here on YouTube,THOSE birds are the happiest ever!I have yet to hear of an un-clipped bird hurting itself while flying, but there are enough tragic stories about clipped-wing parrots that have had some terrible accidents because they're unable to control their flight perfectly.Birds have wings for a reason!

[qpwillie]

@Kezco123

I sincerely hope your birds stay safe and healthy but there are a few thousand tragic stories out there where somebody just wasn't thinking for a few seconds. Hopefully, you won't have to go through the heartbreak of finding out the hard way.

[fabboy2010]

@qpwillie its good when you try to train him

[qpwillie]

...and it's not equivalent to cutting the legs.

Cutting the legs would hurt the bird besides causing severe bleeding. Clipping the flight feathers does not hurt the bird and there is no bleeding.

....and the legs wouldn't grow back out after the next molt like the feathers do.

[cchazz6]

that is mean to trim a birds wings. birds were born to fly. it causes physical and emotonal problems!

[JKno1]

No! NO! she was cutting that birds means of natural flight as if she was trimming a fuckin hedge, i did NOT like that! birds are meant to fly so let em fly sick fuck, yeah trim its nails and maybe beak but not feathers jesus.

[cecilla27]

omg she cut it too short ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[Steffaklumpen]

Most idiotic video i've ever seen. Theese people obviously doesn't know the first thing about parrot psychology, ethology or physiology considering why and how they suggest you should clip a bird. Haha i'm speechless.

[Zblj1987]

I would never do that to my bird... Or any for thta matter... 1/5

[Bomber680]

You Were Choking Him!!!! Do not do that!, How Would you like it if some person would choke you! He looks very scared to me. You do not deserve to own a bird. Not enough responsiblilty! 1/5 you are simply careless.

[alternut]

He looks very unhappy :( .

[lexi2alexis]

u were choking it!

[hjones1]

You're cutting too far up.

[Iluvpandaz41]

@hjones1 Yeah, that is too far up

[las723sp]

@hjones1 Yeah too far up. If you do decide to trim them that way you shouldn't be using scissors like that or you'll just cut the other feathers as you see in the video, you need a specialty scissor to cut it.  I prefer the "regular" way to trim my birds when I first get them.

[cassapollard]

@las723sp I agree with you that is too far up and when I trim them I do it in a row, not the jagged way it was being done.

[contemporatango]

@hjones1 I have to agree. That cutting is too far. As a matter of fact I would only trim about 2 cm at the very ends of one wing only. What happens that way is that if the're high up they can still fly but gradually fall sideways and not know flat in the ground. Not being able to fly at all for a bird is absolutely and unnatural thing for a bird

[Quizative1]

@hjones1 No she isn't . I have been caring for parrots over 30 years. She actually shows the most attractive way too. by picking up each feather individually and not just snipping straight across, she doesnt cut that secondary rom makes it look much nicer. She is also wise to allow enough for the bird to glinde to a gentle landing in the event he jumps of his cage.

[Shara991]

it looks like he's choking him

[featherwinglove]

If you can answer...do you have to cut them that much closer than the dorsal coverts?

[HMCSHalifax]

It does not take away flight forever, the feathers grow back.