Clip Bird?

Winging it Won't Do

Amy Sachs, New York Daily News

Jun 26, 2004

WHEN THE ECLECTUS parrot she was minding suddenly flew the coop, a panicked Anna Kugelmas quickly offered a $10,000 reward for the safe return of her neighbor's exotic bird.

She was relieved when Armand was captured in a treetop just blocks away from the apartment he fled on the upper East Side. But the experience did little to change her position that clipping a bird's wings is wrong.

"Aren't birds supposed to fly free?" asked Kugelmas, president of the New York Companion Bird Club.

Only the primary flight feathers should be clipped. They are the longest feathers on the outermost part of the wing.

Her ringneck dove, Lucie Dove, sleeps in Kugelmas' bed, trails her around the apartment and flies in and out of an open cage.

"They're in captivity - at least they'll get some exercise," she said.

To clip or not to clip is a subject that can touch off a heated debate among bird lovers. Many believe clipping is cruel, saying birds are meant to fly.

But clipping advocates say clipping prevents escape and protects a bird from injuring itself by flying into things inside the house. It also often eases training.

Dr. Laurie Hess, an avian specialist at the Animal Medical Center on E. 62nd St. in Manhattan, has treated dozens of birds that have flown into mirrors and windows. Other people have lost their birds out terrace windows and doors.

"All it takes is one gust of wind to take a bird away," she said.

Usually, Hess advises clipping the wings. There are exceptions, however, such as an overweight bird that needs exercise.

Some bird lovers equate wing-clipping with declawing a cat, a painful surgical procedure that cuts through bone and tendons.

But properly clipping a bird's feathers, which have no nerves, is a simple, painless procedure.

"It's like getting a haircut," Hess said.

You can take your bird to a bird specialist, pet store or vet to be clipped. How often should you clip? Frequency varies, but for most birds, it's about every four months.

You can clip the wings yourself, but it's important to know what you're doing. Here are some tips:

- Baby birds should not be clipped until they have taken at least one confidence-building flight.

- Only the primary flight feathers should be clipped. They are the longest feathers on the outermost part of the wing.

- Clip until those feathers are about equal to the shorter wings above.

- Take care never to cut a blood feather. You can spot one by lifting the straw-like shaft to check for living tissue. In contrast, the quill of a clippable mature feather is translucent and empty.

- Don't clip too short. A good wing trim will enable the bird to safely jump off a table and gently glide down to the floor.

Most birds will be unable to fly once the first five to eight primary feathers are clipped. But there are exceptions. Cockatiels, for example, should have all primary flight feathers trimmed, said Susan Chamberlain, president of the Long Island Parrot Society.

Robyn Lipschutz, who runs In House Pet Service in Little Neck, Queens, said failing to clip your birds' wings is a veritable death sentence.

"If you don't want to clip their wings, you shouldn't have a bird," she said.

E-mail: amysacks1@hotmail.com

[Illustration]

Caption: DESIREE NAVARRO Armand, back from his adventure, stands by position of Frank Robertson, bird club leader Anna Kugelmas and her Lucie Dove that clipping a pet bird's wings is wrong