Young birds allowed to fledged as programed biological and developmental milestone is definitely a topic worthy of discussion.
There has been much discussion amongst scientists, behavioral, and parrot experts about the link in not learning to fly as a baby and behavioral problems in adult parrots.
This is an excerpt from Pamela Clark article by guest Chris Shank ( I will link) she ties it into play and security and confidence
" Regrettably, most hand-raised parrots are clipped as fledglings. A clipped youngster may experience a loss of balance and fear of falling which certainly hinders the parrotโs motivation to physically play, which can limit the parrotโs development.
Play behavior apparently promotes the ability to handle unexpected situations and allows versatility of emotional responses to help recover from averse situations. Because clipping fledglings limits their play opportunities, as adults they may have less proficiency in dealing with situations such as changing or stressful environments or handling successfully social interactions.
I am always dismayed when I learn that some breeders clip the wings of their fledglings before the birds take their first flight or soon thereafter. To be transparent, I, too, practiced that when I started breeding cockatoos. That was what was preached back in the day.
I finally did see the light and I let my fledglings fly. With that came displays of the exuberance that is inherently contained in a young cockatoo. The babies would develop their physical skills by energetically flying back and forth in the house as they learned to navigate and land on ropes strung across the ceiling. Play vocalizations such as loud screams echoed throughout the house as the fledglingsโ confidence and skills grew each day.
Ropes were invaluable in advancing their motor skills. Losing their balance on a wobbly rope didnโt dissuade them because all they had to do was open their wings and fly off. Falling wasnโt a concern as it is for clipped parrots. I often wonder if flying birds even have a human concept of falling. To me, falling means loss of control and eventual pain as I hit the dirt. With a flighted bird, there is no loss of control when โfallingโ as she just opens her wings to fly.
Itโs obvious to spot adult parrots who were clipped when young and did not have access to robust play exercise using their wings. Generally, as there are exceptions, they turn into perch potatoes with little to no motivation to move around or explore. They show dependency on their human caretakers to move them from place to place. They may be more sensitive in stressful situations and they can be more fearful of changes in their environment. And the list goes on.
I believe allowing parrot fledglings to keep their fully functioning wings is a welfare issue. Young parrots play if they are healthy, well-fed, and safe; but not if they are under stressful conditions or in a stressful mental state which a clipped fledgling may very well experience. "
blogpamelaclarkonline.com
There has been much discussion amongst scientists, behavioral, and parrot experts about the link in not learning to fly as a baby and behavioral problems in adult parrots.
This is an excerpt from Pamela Clark article by guest Chris Shank ( I will link) she ties it into play and security and confidence
" Regrettably, most hand-raised parrots are clipped as fledglings. A clipped youngster may experience a loss of balance and fear of falling which certainly hinders the parrotโs motivation to physically play, which can limit the parrotโs development.
Play behavior apparently promotes the ability to handle unexpected situations and allows versatility of emotional responses to help recover from averse situations. Because clipping fledglings limits their play opportunities, as adults they may have less proficiency in dealing with situations such as changing or stressful environments or handling successfully social interactions.
I am always dismayed when I learn that some breeders clip the wings of their fledglings before the birds take their first flight or soon thereafter. To be transparent, I, too, practiced that when I started breeding cockatoos. That was what was preached back in the day.
I finally did see the light and I let my fledglings fly. With that came displays of the exuberance that is inherently contained in a young cockatoo. The babies would develop their physical skills by energetically flying back and forth in the house as they learned to navigate and land on ropes strung across the ceiling. Play vocalizations such as loud screams echoed throughout the house as the fledglingsโ confidence and skills grew each day.
Ropes were invaluable in advancing their motor skills. Losing their balance on a wobbly rope didnโt dissuade them because all they had to do was open their wings and fly off. Falling wasnโt a concern as it is for clipped parrots. I often wonder if flying birds even have a human concept of falling. To me, falling means loss of control and eventual pain as I hit the dirt. With a flighted bird, there is no loss of control when โfallingโ as she just opens her wings to fly.
Itโs obvious to spot adult parrots who were clipped when young and did not have access to robust play exercise using their wings. Generally, as there are exceptions, they turn into perch potatoes with little to no motivation to move around or explore. They show dependency on their human caretakers to move them from place to place. They may be more sensitive in stressful situations and they can be more fearful of changes in their environment. And the list goes on.
I believe allowing parrot fledglings to keep their fully functioning wings is a welfare issue. Young parrots play if they are healthy, well-fed, and safe; but not if they are under stressful conditions or in a stressful mental state which a clipped fledgling may very well experience. "
Parrots, Flight, and Play Behavior
By guest blogger and free flight expert Chris Shank Kids were on the school playground as I rode by on my bike recently. Seeing them run and jump and hearing their screams of excitement made me hapโฆ
blogpamelaclarkonline.com
