Moon's Graden

In response to TANYA OLSEN's comment on wing clipping:

The incident with clipping her Amazon's wings stresses how important it is
to clip their wings as a baby and KEEP THEM CLIPPED.  Indeed, birds who
have grown accustomed to flight will often suffer anxiety or depression when
they suddenly lose that ability.  I clip all my babies after their maiden
flight, so they'll never know really what they're missing.

Without bringing up a clip vs non-clip argument, I must say that the birds
are much safer if they are clipped.  It may not be totally natural, but
it does provide a greater sense of security.

Aaron Moy

"The Baby's Nest" Hand-Fed Birds
Urbana, Illinois
(217) 328-1838

I don't wish to start a clip vs. non-clip war either, I'm just
wondering if it's so simple to say which is best for the bird.

My 2 year-old male***atiel has been fully flighted all his
life, and he seems to enjoy flying and also is a very talented
flier. When he flies though he does it only where there is
enough space to fly properly, and when he is not flying he just
happily sits on his cage/perch/stand and never gets into trouble
in trying to go to places where he's not supposed to go.
Of course we have to be sure to keep all the doors and windows
closed, but in a small apartment it's not a big problem.

BTW it seems to me that wing clipping is much more common
in the US than in Europe. Is it true and if so, does anybody
know why?

    *    Merja Tornikoski                              *
    *    Metsahovi Radio Research Station, Finland     *
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I have had English Budgies (not the American dimunitive "parakeets") since
my childhood in Central Africa. I have never cut any of my birds' wings.
For highly nomadic flocking birds such as Budgies, I think it is pathetic
to cut their wings. Their flight is what they are all about.

In Africa, my Budgies were raised from chicks and eventually flew not
only freely about the house, but on the property as well. One bird
would accompany me to school, frequently flying off into a nearby tree,
and then returning when I called him. If you read some of the literature,
you will be aware that certain breeders in the UK allow their Budgies
to fly free in the outdoors.

Here in America, I can't afford them the luxury of dry tropical bush---
San Francisco is too urban! My birds can only fly free in my flat---
happily it's large and spacious.

Budgies are extremely precise flyers, and once they know their space,
they will NOT fly into windows and they manage to avoid even moving
obstacles (like unseen people coming around corners). In the two years
that my two birds have been flying in my home, they have never crashed
into anything. It is quite amazing. And when I read the literature
such as recorded in Joseph Forshaw's book "Parrots of the World," it
all makes sense.

Perhaps for larger birds, like the big***atoos or the South American
and African parrots, allowing free flight is impractical, unless you
have extremely large aviaries. However, I do know of people in Australia
and in southern California who allow their large birds to fly free.

Care is, of course, highly necessary --- accidental escapes in a city
like San Francisco might be disastrous. However, this requires that the
owner be conscientious. If he can't be, then he shouldn't really keep
birds at all.

Cheers

DAVE