qpmomma said:
What?? And what happens when your little bird flies out the door? or slams into a window? IMO, the benefits far out way the negatives of the bird dying a slow and painful death, or having broken bones, or being injured in a number of other ways.
Slamming into the ground kills or severely injures countless birds with clipped wings as their corina is not meant for high impact. Their skull, however, with a somewhat oblique shape and greater density, can sustain shock at fairly elevated levels. Birds without the ability to fly are also often killed from being stepped on; human companions frequently trip on their birds when chasing a parrot frantic about the floor, or birds that free themselves from their cages are often crushed by unwitting feet because they must walk to get where they decide to go.
Another concern with clipping is psychological damage. There are three defenses God gave to birds: The primary two are flock and flight, and then there's also latent emotions. The average owner will not provide the first, and when you strip them of the second the animal is living in complete vulnerability in a world of forcible beings. Their mental state is already compromised being from being caged, so when we then add to that no one to communicate with and also the inability to get away in the air where they have proper view of their surroundings ... well, imagine yourself stripped of every security and comfort. Can you even imagine being confined in such a lonely manner? As humans we even have the ability to cerebrate such bondage, but I highly doubt birds have the cognitive skill to talk themselves through being caged and clipped, and they instead just sit and internalize their terror and lonliness.
Here's what I always tell folks who want to adopt my fosters:
"There are only three concerns with having a flighted bird. A.) The bird gets stuck behind heavy furniture. B.) The bird gets confused and slams into a mirror or window, and C.) The bird gets loose in the wild outdoors.
If A's your problem, stuff the spaces between walls and the furniture with towels or old clothing - anything that will block these spaces. Get creative to keep the bird out of furniture, or better yet, just get rid of dangerous items in the room your bird's in.
When B's a problem, and it's surprisingly not that common, put blinds over the windows or even design windows with window stickers, paint, or nice sun catchers. Mirrors should never be around birds for any reason as I believe this is just teasing a bird, so eliminate an accident with a mirror by eliminating mirrors from the bird's environment.
Worried about C? Put notes everywhere, absolutely everywhere! Windows, doors, on the cages, on the computer monitor, on the TV screen - constantly remind yourself to check and assure all flighted friends are secure before a window or door is opened. I often have up outside my home for my friends and family members, "The Pollies are out, please ring the bell and wait for me to let you in!" That way, there are no surprises.
You do what you have to do to keep them safe, and if what you have to do is too much trouble, then a bird isn't for you. Offering anything less than the best circumstances possible gives off the idea that you have a bird solely for your sake, and not for the sake of respecting and loving one of God's incredible creatures."
Forcing birds into the world of humans is a horrible no matter how you look at it. There are countless dangers and so many precautions that need to be taken. However, clipping wings isn't even almost one of them if the human companion stays diligent.
