POOR WING CLIPPING PRACTICE
POOR WING CLIPPING PRACTICE & BLOOD FEATHERS
BY CHRISTINE FRASER
There are many ways in which a parrots wings can be clipped. As stated many times before, clipping is a procedure which limits a birds flight not totally stops it, so precautions should always be made by using a harness or cage when taking your bird outside.
A good wing clip will be done depending on the species of bird and the size of a bird. For example a heavier bodied African Grey will require a different type of wing clip to a smaller bodied finch or parakeet size bird.
When clipping a bird it must also be considered that any remaining feathers are left in a safe way so that they have support from other feathers, otherwise they may break and cause considerable blood loss.
Blood feathers are new feathers that appear during moult. Because a blood feather is still growing, it will have a blood supply inside the shaft. A normal feather that has finished growing causes no problem if broken or clipped, but a blood feather will bleed lots. You must NEVER clip a blood feather.
If your bird has previously had a bad wing clip and new feathers are growing through unsupported, you may find that some of the new blood feathers will break or bend and split. If this happens and there is considerable blood loss there are a few things you can do.
* Sometimes the bleeding will stop itself after a couple of minutes, BUT if you see there is lots of blood this will NOT be the case!
* Apply cornstarch or flour to the bleeding site and apply some pressure to the feather with your fingertips. Be aware that it may take a few minutes for the bleeding to totally stop and over the next few days there will be a possibility that the bleed may start again and the procedure will have to be repeated. During this time make an extra effort to ensure that the feather is not going to be rubbed on the cage bars or irritated in any way that could re-start the bleed. Try to keep your bird calm and quiet - he will probably be feeling some discomfort too.
* As a last resort, the feather may have to be removed from the skin. I strongly recommend if this is the case that you consult an Avian or qualified Vet to do this procedure as it is not an easy task and you may end up damaging the wing more.
As you can see, wing clipping has potential risks associated with it. An incorrect wing clip may take a number of moulting cycles to correct itself completely. Please consider this, especially if you plan to allow your birds wings to re-grow in the future.
REMEMBER a good wing clip should be done in a manner where all blood feathers can be supported by neighbouring feathers. Wing clipping should be done by a qualified Vet who will take all of these facts into consideration and have knowledge of knowing what kind of clips suit certain breeds.
Escapes and outdoor safety
Written by Christine Fraser.
Introduction
As responsible owners of African Grey parrots, we can all understand the devestation that people go through when they loose their beloved pet bird. Sometimes this is unpreventable as in death due to poor health and disease but other times it is through our own lack of thinking and naivety. Birds are designed to fly, it is their natural instinct and no human bond with a bird will ever mean more to them than the instinct to fly free - this we have to acknowledge and accept. Some people who have built up a long trust with their birds and taken a chance to free fly them outside without a leash of some kind have learnt this the hard way. You will never take away a birds instinct to fly free!
African Greys are designed to live in their natural enviroment in Africa and are sociable flock birds, always on the look out for flocks of 'Grey's' to reside with. Even the tamest and most bonded pet 'grey' would give up their love for their human partner over another Grey of the opposite sex. They are exclusive to their own habitat, even a hand reared bird could not survive in an alien enviroment. An African grey living wild would not survive anywhere else but in Africa in its own habitat. It would struggle to find it's natural diet, evade predators and evade attention leading to the bird being re-captured and sold on as they have a very high price tag on their head!
Built up or rural areas are not safe for an African Grey parrot, they need their home enviroment to survive and be safe. There are many toxins and hazzards that an escaped 'Grey' can surcome to. The following articles are written with the hope that your pet 'Grey' never has to be in that fight for survival situation and that you never have to look back in sorrow and wish you had taken precautions against your bird escaping.
Part two : The reason behind the facts
I have been inspired to write this group of articles about 'outdoor safety' due to the fact that so many people are loosing their African Grey parrotsrecently. Nearly every African Grey site, magazine, newspaper and also some posts on facebook has requests for help in finding lost 'Greys'. This is so sad and people are devestated that their beloved pets have flown away.
One article I have read this week states "There is a massive rise in the number of African Grey parrots escaping" and branded them "The escape artists of the bird world". This I have to disagree with. I think that although 'Greys' are very intelligent birds and we know many are capable of opening locks on cage doors, The real reason is simply the increased popularity of African Grey's as pets. The more 'Grey's' that are kept as pets the higher the percentage of escapes- Grey's are one of the most popular pets of our time due to their amazing talking abillites and intelligence levels. More people are now keeping these fantastic birds as pets!
The most disturbing factor which has inspired me to write these articles is the fact that almost all of the 'Lost Greys' I have seen have been birds with clipped wings! I am reading over and over again " Something freaked my bird, he/she was clipped and has never taken flight before, but somehow my bird managed to fly away into the distance!".
There are a few different types of wing clips which can be done on an African Grey BUT there is no clip available that is 100 percent safe enough to guarantee your bird will not fly when desperate, and by the time you discover this, it is often too late. Wing clipping is a method used for keeping birds safe inside the home - NOT outside. Please read the following articles, as I will be backing up my facts with evidence and your personal stories in the hope that it will make you think twice about allowing your clipped bird outside without a cage or harness. Too many birds are being lost - Please dont let yours be next!
Introduction
As responsible owners of African Grey parrots, we can all understand the devestation that people go through when they loose their beloved pet bird. Sometimes this is unpreventable as in death due to poor health and disease but other times it is through our own lack of thinking and naivety. Birds are designed to fly, it is their natural instinct and no human bond with a bird will ever mean more to them than the instinct to fly free - this we have to acknowledge and accept. Some people who have built up a long trust with their birds and taken a chance to free fly them outside without a leash of some kind have learnt this the hard way. You will never take away a birds instinct to fly free!
African Greys are designed to live in their natural enviroment in Africa and are sociable flock birds, always on the look out for flocks of 'Grey's' to reside with. Even the tamest and most bonded pet 'grey' would give up their love for their human partner over another Grey of the opposite sex. They are exclusive to their own habitat, even a hand reared bird could not survive in an alien enviroment. An African grey living wild would not survive anywhere else but in Africa in its own habitat. It would struggle to find it's natural diet, evade predators and evade attention leading to the bird being re-captured and sold on as they have a very high price tag on their head!
Built up or rural areas are not safe for an African Grey parrot, they need their home enviroment to survive and be safe. There are many toxins and hazzards that an escaped 'Grey' can surcome to. The following articles are written with the hope that your pet 'Grey' never has to be in that fight for survival situation and that you never have to look back in sorrow and wish you had taken precautions against your bird escaping.
Part two : The reason behind the facts
I have been inspired to write this group of articles about 'outdoor safety' due to the fact that so many people are loosing their African Grey parrotsrecently. Nearly every African Grey site, magazine, newspaper and also some posts on facebook has requests for help in finding lost 'Greys'. This is so sad and people are devestated that their beloved pets have flown away.
One article I have read this week states "There is a massive rise in the number of African Grey parrots escaping" and branded them "The escape artists of the bird world". This I have to disagree with. I think that although 'Greys' are very intelligent birds and we know many are capable of opening locks on cage doors, The real reason is simply the increased popularity of African Grey's as pets. The more 'Grey's' that are kept as pets the higher the percentage of escapes- Grey's are one of the most popular pets of our time due to their amazing talking abillites and intelligence levels. More people are now keeping these fantastic birds as pets!
The most disturbing factor which has inspired me to write these articles is the fact that almost all of the 'Lost Greys' I have seen have been birds with clipped wings! I am reading over and over again " Something freaked my bird, he/she was clipped and has never taken flight before, but somehow my bird managed to fly away into the distance!".
There are a few different types of wing clips which can be done on an African Grey BUT there is no clip available that is 100 percent safe enough to guarantee your bird will not fly when desperate, and by the time you discover this, it is often too late. Wing clipping is a method used for keeping birds safe inside the home - NOT outside. Please read the following articles, as I will be backing up my facts with evidence and your personal stories in the hope that it will make you think twice about allowing your clipped bird outside without a cage or harness. Too many birds are being lost - Please dont let yours be next!
This picture shows a standard wing clip on an African Grey parrot.
As you can see, a couple of the birds primary feathers ( the longest wing feathers ) have been cut short to disable flying techniques. When a parrot moults its wing feathers, it will only loose one feather from each side at a time. This is so that in the wild, flight ability is not affected during the moult and balance remains. Another type of clip is just to remove the primary feathers like in the picture but just on one side, this puts the birds flight off balance. A full wing moult will take months to complete and while these new feathers are growing - even a tiny amount of re-growth and not the full length, will be enough to affect the birds flying capability. Other wing clips such as cutting back all of the birds primary feathers is no safer when it comes to the continuous moulting of a bird and generally thought to be extremely unsafe as clipped birds can fall and burst open their keel bones on impact.
Part two : The facts
So we are aware that taking your parrot outside even with clipped wings and without a harness or the safety of a cage is extremely high risk. Here are some points to consider when it comes to outdoor safety for your parrots.
FACT :
* You cannot assume that because your bird was clipped a short while ago maybe when you purchased it, that it will take a long period of time for your birds flight feathers to grow back. If your bird was clipped just before the moulting season, then the slightest few millemitres of feather re-growth could be enough to enable your bird to fly! REMEMBER a full moult takes place over many months, so new feathers are growing through all the time!
* Many clipped birds still have the ability to fly. Some will not attempt to for fear of hurting themselves if they fall and others do not recognise they actually can fly until the moment arises when they need to. Give them a wide open space outside with lots of breezes and natural air flow and they can take off in a much easier way than they can inside the home. African Grey Parrots are fairly heavy bodied birds. They need a certain area to take flight gradually in the same way as an aeroplane needs a runway. Vertical flying is not possible.
If your parrot is up high such as on a high perch, balcony or situated at an open window, he will be at a great advantage to gain flight as he will be able to catch the air flow and get into a nice glide before taking off and vanishing into the distance. This kind of escape is very very common!
* There are different types of wing clips available for different species of bird. Some clips will vary due to the weight of the species of bird and others will be suited to the situation in which the bird is housed. Some clips are intended to allow the bird to gracefully glide to avoid heavy falls which can lead to damaged keel bones and other injuries when falling. These glide clips will make it very simple for a parrot to fly outside! Once again height and breezes will be the factor of concern if these birds are taken outside without a harness or cage.
* Although a Parrot may not attempt to fly indoors, or even at times when it has been taken outside for a leisurely stroll in the past, dosen't mean it will always behave and never attempt to fly. Maybe you have been lucky in the past but it only takes a sudden noise or a predator to appear and scare your bird and it's natural instinct will tell it to fly! Owners often do not realise their birds flight capabilities until something like this happens and by that time it is simply to late.
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS - outside safety factors
* Predators
Grounded birds are easy targets for Birds of Prey, cats and other predators. It does not take much for these creatures to sneak up on a grounded bird. By leaving a bird unsupervised outside you are exposing it to a risk of death.
* Poisons
Many plants and trees are toxic to birds. If you allow your bird to roam free you are exposing it to a risk of death by poisoning - we know parrots are curious and like to chew and therefore they should be supervised at all times.
*Disease
Disease is often carried in other birds and mammels droppings/fecaes/urine. These may be present on any outdoor surfaces, grass, trees and plants. Allowing your parrot to roam free puts your bird at risk of any number of diseases and illnesses.
*Pesticides
Pesticides are toxic and invisible. If your bird decided to chew on some greenary which has been sprayed with chemicals it could potentially harm or kill.
*Toxic fumes
Toxic fumes from car and boat engines can cause health problems and even seizures. Take care to avoid these at all times.
FACT :
* You cannot assume that because your bird was clipped a short while ago maybe when you purchased it, that it will take a long period of time for your birds flight feathers to grow back. If your bird was clipped just before the moulting season, then the slightest few millemitres of feather re-growth could be enough to enable your bird to fly! REMEMBER a full moult takes place over many months, so new feathers are growing through all the time!
* Many clipped birds still have the ability to fly. Some will not attempt to for fear of hurting themselves if they fall and others do not recognise they actually can fly until the moment arises when they need to. Give them a wide open space outside with lots of breezes and natural air flow and they can take off in a much easier way than they can inside the home. African Grey Parrots are fairly heavy bodied birds. They need a certain area to take flight gradually in the same way as an aeroplane needs a runway. Vertical flying is not possible.
If your parrot is up high such as on a high perch, balcony or situated at an open window, he will be at a great advantage to gain flight as he will be able to catch the air flow and get into a nice glide before taking off and vanishing into the distance. This kind of escape is very very common!
* There are different types of wing clips available for different species of bird. Some clips will vary due to the weight of the species of bird and others will be suited to the situation in which the bird is housed. Some clips are intended to allow the bird to gracefully glide to avoid heavy falls which can lead to damaged keel bones and other injuries when falling. These glide clips will make it very simple for a parrot to fly outside! Once again height and breezes will be the factor of concern if these birds are taken outside without a harness or cage.
* Although a Parrot may not attempt to fly indoors, or even at times when it has been taken outside for a leisurely stroll in the past, dosen't mean it will always behave and never attempt to fly. Maybe you have been lucky in the past but it only takes a sudden noise or a predator to appear and scare your bird and it's natural instinct will tell it to fly! Owners often do not realise their birds flight capabilities until something like this happens and by that time it is simply to late.
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS - outside safety factors
* Predators
Grounded birds are easy targets for Birds of Prey, cats and other predators. It does not take much for these creatures to sneak up on a grounded bird. By leaving a bird unsupervised outside you are exposing it to a risk of death.
* Poisons
Many plants and trees are toxic to birds. If you allow your bird to roam free you are exposing it to a risk of death by poisoning - we know parrots are curious and like to chew and therefore they should be supervised at all times.
*Disease
Disease is often carried in other birds and mammels droppings/fecaes/urine. These may be present on any outdoor surfaces, grass, trees and plants. Allowing your parrot to roam free puts your bird at risk of any number of diseases and illnesses.
*Pesticides
Pesticides are toxic and invisible. If your bird decided to chew on some greenary which has been sprayed with chemicals it could potentially harm or kill.
*Toxic fumes
Toxic fumes from car and boat engines can cause health problems and even seizures. Take care to avoid these at all times.
Outdoor safety tips
To conclude on the subject of escape & outside safety, I think it is fair to say that if we are not informed about the flying capabilities of a clipped African Grey, in some respects owning an unclipped bird is safer than owning a clipped one as we expect the unclipped ones to fly and therefore take precautions when it comes to them escaping. We make sure windows and doors are closed and cages are firmly shut tight if taken outside. But to a certain extent, knowing your bird is clipped can lead to a false sense of security when it comes down to their flight skills.
We have to remember that if the unthinkable does happen and your bird does escape, there is very often a slim or no chance of recovering your bird - Do not be foolish enough to think that it couldn't happen to you as if it does happen there will be no going back, a lost bird is often a bird gone forever. African Greys are valuble birds, many people will see it as a great find if they recover your bird and not hand it back, they may either keep it or sell it on unless you can provide a reward for equal amounts of cash to make it worth their while returning it!
Fresh air and natural sunlight is fantastic for your birds health, but If you are planning on taking your bird outside there are some guidelines you need to follow to ensure the safety of your bird.
* Always ensure you are using a really secure harness even if your bird is clipped. Check the harness regularly for faults.
* Never leave a harnessed bird unattended.
* Some harnesses have thin leashes which can easily be chewed by your parrot. Avoid using this type of harness, or replace the lead (the bit you hold) with a secure clip on small pet lead and never let your bird roam - always keep them on your shoulder or arm and close by you whilst ensuring you have an extra secure grip on the lead. It would not be the first time a parrot has flown away with a harness still attached!
*Even if you are taking a clipped bird outside, a harness or cage is essential. When putting your bird outside in a cage or safe enclosure, make sure that it is out of direct sunlight and out of the reach of toxic trees and plants.
* Check there are no escape routes in your parrots cage, these birds are masters at sliding doors and opening latches and locks! Use extra padlocks and clips to secure the parts if you feel they could pose a risk of escape.
* Always check your clipped birds wings regularly for the slightest re-growth of feathers. Never assume your bird cannot fly!
Please don't put yourself in a position where all you are left with is regrets because once your bird escapes it is often too late and a lost bird is gone forever . Would you like to end your time with your beloved Grey never knowing what happened to it? if it died in its outside alien enviroment or if it was stolen by somebody. Is that the end you want for your beloved pet? Please take care and NEVER take risks!
We have to remember that if the unthinkable does happen and your bird does escape, there is very often a slim or no chance of recovering your bird - Do not be foolish enough to think that it couldn't happen to you as if it does happen there will be no going back, a lost bird is often a bird gone forever. African Greys are valuble birds, many people will see it as a great find if they recover your bird and not hand it back, they may either keep it or sell it on unless you can provide a reward for equal amounts of cash to make it worth their while returning it!
Fresh air and natural sunlight is fantastic for your birds health, but If you are planning on taking your bird outside there are some guidelines you need to follow to ensure the safety of your bird.
* Always ensure you are using a really secure harness even if your bird is clipped. Check the harness regularly for faults.
* Never leave a harnessed bird unattended.
* Some harnesses have thin leashes which can easily be chewed by your parrot. Avoid using this type of harness, or replace the lead (the bit you hold) with a secure clip on small pet lead and never let your bird roam - always keep them on your shoulder or arm and close by you whilst ensuring you have an extra secure grip on the lead. It would not be the first time a parrot has flown away with a harness still attached!
*Even if you are taking a clipped bird outside, a harness or cage is essential. When putting your bird outside in a cage or safe enclosure, make sure that it is out of direct sunlight and out of the reach of toxic trees and plants.
* Check there are no escape routes in your parrots cage, these birds are masters at sliding doors and opening latches and locks! Use extra padlocks and clips to secure the parts if you feel they could pose a risk of escape.
* Always check your clipped birds wings regularly for the slightest re-growth of feathers. Never assume your bird cannot fly!
Please don't put yourself in a position where all you are left with is regrets because once your bird escapes it is often too late and a lost bird is gone forever . Would you like to end your time with your beloved Grey never knowing what happened to it? if it died in its outside alien enviroment or if it was stolen by somebody. Is that the end you want for your beloved pet? Please take care and NEVER take risks!
