Wings clipped or no?

[SunnyJ]

clark_conure, this thread was brought forward by me, per my first post to the topic. It IS a very worthwhile read and a topic to explore. I have decided to hold off on clipping my Amazon in favor of more work on both our parts......I may change my mind depending on what transpires.

 

[Mitchan]

curious why this came up again....I've re-clipped clark. I can get him in his flight harness but all he does is try to chew on it....maybe that will go away in time, but he likes to go out with me and I think the flight harness takes away from that, he so into chewing on the harness to enjoy life.

I've got another 30 years to get him used to it, so we will see... and this summer we will keep practicing, but for now for safety he is still clipped.

I'm sorry, but, clipped birds can and do still fly away! I've read COUNTLESS of reports of clipped birds, even disabled birds who's never been seen flying, being spooked and taking off, catching a breeze and disappearing - even if they've been out contless of times before. Getting up in a high tree on a breezy day is easy enough for all birds, clipped or not, but a clipped bird will have a much harder time getting down from there.
A clipped bird who gets lost outside will also have a much harder time getting away from predators, very risky.

I highly suggest reading this link:
https://www.parrotalert.com/article/taking-your-parrot-outside-9
"Owners of clipped parrots who take their birds outside are more susceptible to the risk. The belief of the parrot's clipped wings will prevent flight is myth rather than fact. There are different grades of wing clipping, even the worst clipped parrot has managed to take flight with the aid of enough wind. For most, a light breeze is ample to lift your bird up and easily carry it 100 metres away. We see the reports on a daily basis, the statistics and report comments tell a sad tale."

Please, please consider taking your bird out in a carrier or travel cage until he's gotten used to his harness.

For further harness training I suggest distraction, distraction, distraction! As soon as he gets the harness on, give him LOTS and lots of treats he can't pass up on! Start out by having his harness on inside for very short periods of time, and take it off as soon as he starts chewing on it. Rinse and repeat a couple of times for a couple of days or so, and when he's more into the treats than the chewing of the harness, take him out as soon as he gets it on so he'll associate the harness with going on fun adventures outside, and, even then, lots and lots of good treats! When he starts chewing on the harness, distract him with more treats or more enjoyable things to chew on (like trees or grass or a toy), and if he keeps going on the harness, take him inside and take it off and try again the next day.
Take it slow but keep up the training!

Just please don't take any bird outside without a cage, carrier, aviary or harness... It's never worth the loss.