Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!aplcen!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!sdd.hp.com!cs.utexas.edu!uwm.edu!rpi!bu.edu!transfer!lectroid!mm From: mm@lectroid.sw.stratus.com (Mike Mahler) Newsgroups: rec.birds Subject: Re: Clipping wings Message-ID: <1830@lectroid.sw.stratus.com> Date: 30 Jul 90 17:38:46 GMT References: <936.26b173bd@desire.wright.edu> Sender: usenet@lectroid.sw.stratus.com Lines: 14 In article <936.26b173bd@desire.wright.edu>, sbishop@desire.wright.edu writes: > >I was told that clipping just one wing is better than clipping both. With both >wings clipped they can still glide but one wing throws them badly off balance >and they have more trouble flying. This is not good advice. Clipping just ONE of the wings WILL indeed cause the bird to have trouble flying and that's now the point of wing clipping. The goal is to LIMIT flying ability (the ability to generate lift) so the bird can still control direction and buffet any drops from high ground. Clipping one wing causes the bird to fly in circles and can break it's breast when landing hard. It will also cause an imbalance in the muscle development of one wing as compared to the other.