Conures to fly or not to fly??

Buddy (boy) had to have his wings trimmed last time he broke a blood feather, the vet told me to leave bonnies (girl) feathers to grow as they were still quite short.
So hers have come back enough to the point where she can fly a few feet. Now my question is should I have her wings clipped again. She seems to love the freedom, but I have been reading a million things and there are a lot of for and against arguments. And a lot of sad stories of people losing their birds to not having the wings clipped. She will not move off me even when I am outside, but I know that a number of things could startle her into jumping off.
I would just like to know what other people have done, with both the clipping and not clipping.
My situation is so people know a bit more about the conditions around them. I close the doors in the house before taking them out, and my dog is usually outside when they are running around. They are never left alone if they are out the cage. We have a few birds such as crows around (which is always to be expected)... but I am willing to jump fences and climb up a tree in a heartbeat if that unfortunately had to be done.

I've had the same argument with myself whether to let my green cheek keep his wings or clip them. As of right now, he has kept them and loves to fly around the apartment. My concern is when I take him to my house, with family there. My parents have on occasion left the door open and has resulted in him flying out and sitting on the first shoulder he can see(luckily). It's been quite a scare, and if its a big house, on occasion he has almost run into a window, twice.

I guess what I'm saying is that I will be clipping his when I head back home, because others will not be as cautious about your pet as you are. If there is anyone else that he/she does not know as well, I personally would clip them.

I'm no expert though

I am still at home at the moment and my dad will sometimes take them out, but they usually sit in his shirt or on his shoulder...Its hard trying to decide because you can see how much they enjoy that tiny bit of flying which makes me want to keep them un-clipped.Bonnie has been flying onto my moms shoulder which freaks her out (my mom still has a tiny bit of bird fear, but still I catch her sneaking them treats and fresh fruit. She will usually stay as still as a statue or put her back onto her perch)
And we have quite a bit house but as soon as she flies I start running like a crazy person... she also will try to aim for a shoulder or lands on the dining room table.
Its such a hard decision though because I know in an instant you can lose them, a lady I work with was telling me about the cockatoo her brother had for 10 years that one day just flew out the door and never came back. And I know my midget parrots as much as I love them would not do to well out in the wild if they flew away.

This is a debate that people have on this forum a lot. I think a lot of it is a personal choice, what works for your bird in your home with your lifestyle. In my mind, ideally, the bird can fly. It's natural and they do enjoy it, and it's great exercise. But there are circumstances that would definitely make someone be 'pro-clipping' too.

I don't think it's the end of the world if a bird remains clipped though. They can still exercise and enjoy their life in the right situation. But i have also known people with clipped birds who, on a weird day, managed to get enough lift to fly high in a tree, but didn't have the flight experience to let go, just stood there, way up high out of reach. (I used to take Georgie outside clipped but not harnessed and that was probably not the best idea. She was ok, but i was lucky.)

If you do decide to keep your bird flighted, I would give harness training a try. That would enable you to provide your bird with more freedom but still be safe.

You have to do whatever you feel is right for you. My Meyers is lightly clipped,she can float to the ground when she wants to but she has horrible aim. I think if the bird has had flight and is good at it,and you don't mind them flying then go for it. Best of luck.

I too struggle with the same decision to clip or not to clip! Oliver is now 13 months old and was clipped after his first flight when I was still visiting him before coming home to live with me. He was about 5 months old. It was so beautiful to see him fly all the way across the room and then of course crash as it was his very first flight. I too have heard many sad stories of birds flying away due to doors left open and also flying when clipped due to a gust of wind. So, sheesh, it's a tough one. The other day I was working from home and he made a perfect landing on the desk from his play stand. So now I'm back to the darn question to clip or not to clip. In a perfect world I would definitely NOT clip but...

All my birds, except for my CAG, arrived clipped. After the last molt, I decided to let Gizmo's and Niko's flight feathers grow out. They seem so happy to be able to flit from one place to another. Skittles' and Harley's flight feathers probably won't be grown out until their next molt. Harley can flutter a short distance, but Skittles still falls to the ground like a rock, poor thing.

Having flighted birds definitely makes you consider all the possible dangers, such as flying out doors, into closed windows, onto stovetops, and into the path of other pets which could possibly hurt them.

There are pros and cons to both sides of the argument.

Flighted birds that get exercise are often in better physical fitness than birds who do not fly.
Flighted birds have more control of where they can fly. Clipped birds have less control.
Flighted birds can gain fast amount of speed where-as clipped can't.
Clipped parrots can still get startled and take off outside. If they are clipped so severely that they literally have no flight what-so-ever, then they'll be more prone to foot, leg, keel and beak injuries.
A flighted parrot would have more protection from predators outside than a clipped parrot would. A flighted parrot would be able to remain high up where it's safe where-as a clipped parrot might end up on the ground... in danger from cars, dogs, cats, raccoons, higher danger from birds of prey, etc.
Flighted parrots can get into more things than clipped parrots can! But clipping may result in birds on the floor more often than not... The floor where our feet are and where other pets are. They could accidentally get trampled or killed by another pet. Likewise, the floor is a great place for cords! Cords equal electricity.... birds love to chew on things...


Should you clip your parrot

How to Trim Parrots Wing? Parrot Wing Clipping Alternatives Explained


I used to clip wings because that's what everyone did. That's how you tamed a bird. That's how you kept a bird tame. That's how you solve "all" behavioral problems. Bird bites? Bird avoids you? Bird is aggressive? CLIP THEM!!!!!

Then I discovered the joys of allowing flight. Birds can remain tame. Birds can be trained, even flighted. Clipped birds could still get lost outside just like flighted birds can. Birds have behavioral problems? Work with them rather than against them!



I keep all my birds flighted, even if they can't fly. (no longer have any flightless birds) The only bird who has a clip is Jayde, my new conure. She came to me clipped, and she has grown out many of her clipped feathers, so she can now fly. She's not completely tame and trained, but we're working on that. She likes a select few people, so still requires more socialization - if she'd stop biting everyone who wanted to interact with her! She has more confidence now than when she first came here. She has been able to open up more and enjoy human interaction.


Flighted birds can be trained to fly to you on command. This is something that I have worked with Charlie in the past, but haven't kept it up. This will be something that he and I go over again along with Jayde.

I know its such a hard choice because with her being able to fly that tiny distance, you can just tell how much they enjoy it.. And I mean a lot of people (me included) never think they will fly away, but sometimes it just happens..
I have been considering the harness idea, I have 2 for them. But that is a PAINGstakingly slow process because I am getting my hands bitten and sulky birds for about an hour, every time I try to slowly introduce them to it.
Her aim is getting a bit better everytime she flies for me she has a look of terror until she lands, but is now finally aiming a tiny bit better..
I know its a usual debate with a lot of people but I have realized its a lot better to ask people that have had similar experience as opposed to say a vet. I supposedly saw a vet the last time that bird experience and he hacked buddy's wings that badly and offered to cut his nails, even though every time he has tried he made the birds nails bleed. I grabbed the both of them and practically ran out. I found a vet now that deals specifically in the more non traditional dogs and cats, and she is just great.

is there a length you can keep them trimmed to, that allows a tiny bit of flight or once they have enough strength to fly they will still be able to fly enough to get high into a tree or what not?

Yes, there are certain clips that still allow birds to glide to the ground, however it varies with each individual bird and how in shape or out of shape they are, their body build as well as their wing strength.

Big bodied birds (i.e. amazons) can easily be grounded with 3-4 flights clipped on each wing where-as small bodied birds (i.e. budgies and cockatiels) may still be flying around with up to 10 flights clipped on each wing.


Birds who are in great shape would require more clipping than birds who are not in shape and those who are overweight.

Yes, you can trim so that they can flutter around but not take great flight. I did this to one of my birds who was avoiding me (cheeky, not fearful). I trimmed one flight on each side to slow him down slightly. If you're going to trim, I think that's preferable to a more full clip. However, if you clip enough that they can flutter around, they can fly enough if startled to get away from you, so don't trust a "half-clipped" bird outside on your shoulder.

George, my Jenday and 1st bird, was fully flighted. But in an atmosphere that was indifferent and forgetful he got out a total of 5 times. We got him back all 5 times. But after the 5th escape and successful return he died the next night. He probably ingested something poisonous while outside and it killed him.
I have a Hahns Macaw now, Hahnzel is is name. Hahnzel recently had his flight feathers all grow back in after his molt and he has really enjoyed his flying. But Saturday we went to the vet and got him groomed, along with all but the two outermost primary feathers (a show clip).
The good news for Hahnzel, his muscle development is such now that he can still make good distances with the clip.

I recently revealed to my wife the incredible sense of guilt I felt after George died, about the feeling that I failed to protect him. I knew he was unafraid of the outdoors, was fully flighted, and no one in the house had gotten any more conscious of thier bad habits. I took a risk with his life and he paid the price for it.

When you look into the issue of flighted vs non flighted, it comes down to your conscious if something goes terribly wrong as the result.