Pictures My Carmensa have flown away !! And I'm airing my views on clipping the wings.

[Marina Engan]

A while ago we were a few who talked about clipping the wings(it is forbidden in Sweden ... but with some exceptions, the law doesn't bite so to speak ...)
Here in Spain it is common to clip the wings. Some of mine are clipped, but not all.
As Carmensa e.g. I placed her in the big cage outdoors, with a mate and a nest-box. Because she was goig to be in the cage for quite a while, it seemed unnecessary to clip her wings at the moment ...

I have suffered from sleep deprivation for many years, but the last 14 days it has been extreme. I'm awake 40-50 hours, then I sleep restlessly for about 3 hours. The result is that my brain doesn't function. I don't know what I did just a moment ago...
I have forgotten that I had something boiling in the kitchen ... I didn't discovered it until a horrible stench filled the house. If I had gone out my house could have started to burn ...

I do believe that I have left the largest cage outside without closing one door properly, when I was giving them food and water ...
I went inside and stayed inside for a few hours ... then I went out to see to the birds ... And to my horror I saw that Carmensa have managed to get out ... she flied up toward the clear blue sky and became a small dot before she disappeared totally.
And there was nothing I could do! So helpless... hopeless...

My beautiful, wonderful Carmensa
If I had clipped her wings, this would not have happened.
She and Ramón would have started a family and I would have experienced new chicks, different mutations and variants ... Would have seen them grow up. Learnt something new every day with them. Cuddled with them so they had become very tame ... As my Anastacia ... Now there wont be anything and even though I have 17 cockatiels and four lovely chicks, I still miss her so much!!
What has happened to her out there ?? Does she even stand a chance??

So, when it comes to the debate on clipping the wings, I stand firmer than ever in my opinion.
It is better to clip the wings of the birds and let them be free in the house from morning till evening, instead of letting them sit in their cages almost the whole day.
My Carmensa is still gone ...
Sure; it was probably me who failed her if I forgot to close the door properly.

It is not just that it was Carmensa ... but it was a female. I already had a deficit of females, so now I cannot start my breeding as I had planned ...

I wish it was April 1 today so that I later would be able to say; Got you!

But it's so bloody damn true!
My little girl is gone!

 

[sunnysmom]

I'm so sorry. Have you notified neighbors, vet's offices, etc. that she's missing? I hope you find her.

 

[Heather F]

I am sorry that she is missing.

But a clipped bird can still escape if a door is left open, and a clipped bird is much less likely to survive outdoors since they have no chance of escape from predators or cars. There is a chance that your Carmensa is still alive out there and may find her way home.

 

[rocky'smom]

clipped wings are a figment of every bird person imagination. they believe that bird can not fly. Wrong

I hope you are able to find your bird soon.

 

[Marina Engan]

I'm so sorry. Have you notified neighbors, vet's offices, etc. that she's missing? I hope you find her.

Thank you sweetie
Yes I have. And she shouldn't be that difficult to spot... totally white

 

[Marina Engan]

I am sorry that she is missing.

But a clipped bird can still escape if a door is left open, and a clipped bird is much less likely to survive outdoors since they have no chance of escape from predators or cars. There is a chance that your Carmensa is still alive out there and may find her way home.

Thank you!
My terrace is surrounded by 6-8 meters high walls. I'm surrounded by buildings. The door is easy to make safe... And I am actually considering covering the whole terrace with a net...

 

[Macaw Lover]

I am so sorry you are going through this.

Birds can still fly with wings clipped, that is no guarantee, but the odds are in your favor a little more then.

I am totally either for or against wing clipping as it depends on the different situations.

A bird that is attacking should have the wings clipped to try preventing that from happening and the bird losing it's home. Unless you have a safety door, birds in an outdoor aviary should be clipped too because the chance of escape is so great whenever that door is opened and in your case, additional measures need to be set in place.

Please do not stop searching for your little girl, just keep searching and so hope you can find her.

 

[NK_717]

Sorry to hear. My sweet Pepper escaped due to outdoor cage not being closed all the way as well..fiesty little girl had swung it open with her feet, jumped down and then flew out..right past my head.
Maybe you can find some helpful tips on here too
Pepper is gone | Avian Avenue Parrot Forum

 

[Marina Engan]

clipped wings are a figment of every bird person imagination. they believe that bird can not fly. Wrong

I hope you are able to find your bird soon.

Thank you! I hope she's still in the neigbourhood...
I don't quite understand what you wrote first... I'm having difficulties thinking clear and focusing. But I believe that you are against clipping... And you have the right to your opinion. Absolutely. I'm not trying to force my opinion on anybody to make them change their mind. I'm only interested in what people stand on clipping vs being hold in a cage most of the day. What benefits the birds most?
That's all

 

[NK_717]

rocky'smom means that even if a bird has clipped wings, they can still escape..especially with a good breeze I imagine

 

[Marina Engan]

I am so sorry you are going through this.

Birds can still fly with wings clipped, that is no guarantee, but the odds are in your favor a little more then.

I am totally either for or against wing clipping as it depends on the different situations.

A bird that is attacking should have the wings clipped to try preventing that from happening and the bird losing it's home. Unless you have a safety door, birds in an outdoor aviary should be clipped too because the chance of escape is so great whenever that door is opened and in your case, additional measures need to be set in place.

Please do not stop searching for your little girl, just keep searching and so hope you can find her.

Oh, thank you!
I have decided to cover my terrace with a net, and make a net-door so I can go out safely without anybody flying away.
Actually... the past 6 months I have been searching for a house in the countryside with a big garden so that the birds can have a big garden to them selves. Not only big cages...

 

[Marina Engan]

Sorry to hear. My sweet Pepper escaped due to outdoor cage not being closed all the way as well..fiesty little girl had swung it open with her feet, jumped down and then flew out..right past my head.
Maybe you can find some helpful tips on here too
Pepper is gone | Avian Avenue Parrot Forum

Thank you!
I read about Pepper the other day, but I was too weak to leave a comment... But I didn't read the continuation... Did you find her?

 

[Marina Engan]

rocky'smom means that even if a bird has clipped wings, they can still escape..especially with a good breeze I imagine

Yes they can. But my terrace is like a cage... it's quite small, bt the walls are very high. They need to be able to fly properly to get out.

 

[Clueless]

Yes they can. But my terrace is like a cage... it's quite small, bt the walls are very high. They need to be able to fly properly to get out.

I've heard multiple of times about birds that fly away that are clipped. I've attended conferences and heard stories from vets and others that are believable.

I'm not experienced with the dynamics of flight. I can tell you that one of my amazons is clipped and still manages to fly level or down. Secret is a determined parrot. I can easily imagine that bird catching a solitary draft and disappearing.

 

[Mizzely]

My mother in laws cockatiel was badly clipped. Couldn't glide or anything in the house.

He still made it several miles away and died.

I've lost a bird outside who flew away who wasn't clipped. I still check for her. I get the heartache. But given the chance to do it all over again I would make sure that the environment made it impossible to escape, not clipped her. The me mistake wasn't letting her fly, it was assuming she couldn't get out.

 

[Marina Engan]

My mother in laws cockatiel was badly clipped. Couldn't glide or anything in the house.

He still made it several miles away and died.

I've lost a bird outside who flew away who wasn't clipped. I still check for her. I get the heartache. But given the chance to do it all over again I would make sure that the environment made it impossible to escape, not clipped her. The me mistake wasn't letting her fly, it was assuming she couldn't get out.

You have a very good point there!
If one cuts the feathers it's SO important that it is done correctly. If one cuts too much the bird can crash land when it's trying to fly, and break bones in the chest and even injure the beak. If one doesn't cut enough, they can get away because one felt sure that it was safe.
I am going to try to cover my terrace with a net... I want TOP SECURITY for my loved ones

 

[Marina Engan]

I've heard multiple of times about birds that fly away that are clipped. I've attended conferences and heard stories from vets and others that are believable.

I'm not experienced with the dynamics of flight. I can tell you that one of my amazons is clipped and still manages to fly level or down. Secret is a determined parrot. I can easily imagine that bird catching a solitary draft and disappearing.

That's the way it should be when a bird is clipped. They should be able to fly level for a little while and then down and land safely. It all depends on how they are clipped. I have seen some bad examples...
So I let a vet educate me in clipping and it works well. Of course it is important to check so one doesn't miss the new feathers growing...
And the walls here are so high and the terrace so small that they need full control to be able to climb so high in a flight. (the walls are 6-8 meters high)

 

[Macaw Lover]

I've heard multiple of times about birds that fly away that are clipped. I've attended conferences and heard stories from vets and others that are believable.

I'm not experienced with the dynamics of flight. I can tell you that one of my amazons is clipped and still manages to fly level or down. Secret is a determined parrot. I can easily imagine that bird catching a solitary draft and disappearing.

Last week when we had a really beautiful day, everyone had a turn in the aviary outside.

Donavan was the last one out and he was enjoying being on the swing I bought from Aleta and the swing was moving around and he was flapping a little and then a gust of wind came up which lifted him up and I saw the surprise on his face and not knowing what was going on. Poor little boy, I put my arm out for him to step up on since I was sitting on a stool next to him and I was thankful that he looked to me as a safe place to be and not to freak out and than nail me when I extended my arm like that. Good thing we were in that enclosed aviary because I saw just how easily that air lifted him up.

 

[Clueless]

Yeah. My guys are exercising wings now (thanks to Dr. O. suggestions) and it's remarkable that even with a clip they can leave the wooden perch they're standing on when I'm holding them in the hallway. That alone so strongly tells me a clipped bird could easily disappear when outside.

 

[Mizzely]

You have a very good point there!
If one cuts the feathers it's SO important that it is done correctly. If one cuts too much the bird can crash land when it's trying to fly, and break bones in the chest and even injure the beak. If one doesn't cut enough, they can get away because one felt sure that it was safe.
I am going to try to cover my terrace with a net... I want TOP SECURITY for my loved ones

My point was that even a extremely clipped bird can fly away, and far. He died because he had no control, yes, but if he had been flighted be would have stood a chance.