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From: bsp@hpfcso.HP.COM (Bruce Spence)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: INDOOR: Wing clipping
Message-ID: <9720018@hpfcso.HP.COM>
Date: 7 Feb 91 17:59:54 GMT
References: <7022@fs2.cam.nist.gov>
Organization: Hewlett-Packard, Fort Collins, CO, USA
Lines: 24


  On the subject of clipping:  Our three bird friends (a cockatiel, a
green-cheek conure and a white-front amazon) are all fully flighted by our
conscious decision.  They are caged when we are away, and are closely
supervised when out. (Sometimes I wonder who is supervising whom! ;-} )
The green-cheek flies very little, and then only short distances;  I suspect
s/he would suffer little from *being* clipped.  One of the main reasons for
not doing so is the trauma associated with the clipping process.  I am
unwilling to put my friends through this.
  The cockatiel, on the other hand, being a nomadic beast by nature, flies a
great deal and seems to love it.  I would hate to take this away from him
once he has gotten used to it.  The amazon also flies only short distances,
though quite often, especially to find one of us when out of the room
momentarily.  This has provided a lot of enjoyment for all of us, and seems
to have positively impacted our bonding, particularly with my wife.
  A bit of training was necessary for the cockatiel to acquaint him with
windows, but the amazon voluntarily won't go near them.
  I wouldn't imply that this is necessarily the 'right' way (I am coming to
doubt that there is one) but I believe it is right for us.

                                Bruce Spence
                                Hewlett-Packard
			        Fort Collins, Colorado
                                hpfibsp.fc.hp.com