Wing trimming

[Crazy Bird Lady]

I know this is the most debated question in bird ownership but I want to ask it in relation to the Hawk Heads. Zoey is fully flighted. She loves to zoom around the house. I could not imagine watching her just sit on a stand . I also read the more active they can be the better. So I spend my time figuring out out to bird proof my family room so that she has no access to outside doors. Right now it is dead of winter in Ohio so not an issue but spring is just around the corner. Any insight from seasoned HH owners?

 

[Anne & Gang]

well I dont own a hawk head but I can tell you, if she loves to zoom around the house, then dont clip her but you have to absolutely make sure there is no access for her to the outside and t hat no one accidentally opens a door etc..so many horror stories of birds who fly out the doors and then are never found again...so if you have to do it for her own safety, then do it.. maybe just a light clip so she can still fly but not get far..

 

[Birdlover]

Im not all that seasoned I suppose because my boy is under 3 years old But I refuse to ever clip his wings - Hawkheads really are something to see in flight and he enjoys it so much. He has been very good so far; everything has been fairly easy to work around for us.

I have a safe room for him to fly around in - unfortunately he cant have access to the whole house because some of the other birds would certainly do harm to him if they could (he loves to land on cages). He knows where the no fly zone is but that doesnt mean he wouldnt take advantage if he had the chance (lol).

I am also working on a flight cage that he can go outside in for some natural sunlight time and be safe outdoors.

 

[The Cozy Nestbox]

I applaud your commitment to allowing your HH a fully-flighted life. We have 2 HH youngsters named Taboo & Voodoo and they are both flighted and I agree with Jill: HHs are very skillful flyers. Ours clearly enjoy their time flying and I thoroughly enjoy watching them in action.

I'd love to brainstorm with you about how to safely allow your little one full flight in the house. Can you give some details as to the layout of your home and where you are wanting your birdie to fly inside it? Maybe then we can all put our heads together to come up with some practical ways for you to better safeguard your HH from escaping outdoors. Btw, have you by chance practiced any recall training with your HH (meaning, getting him to fly to you when you ask for him to come)? I very much encourage practicing this with any fully-flighted bird.

 

[Crazy Bird Lady]

Thank you that would be great. I am working on calling her. I raise my one hand and pat my chest with the other while I call her. Sometimes works, if she is busy having fun then she ignores me! My house is really one big great room. She has been good about staying in the main family room but does come looking for me if she cant see me. There are two doors. One that goes to the sun room and the front door of the house. The front door screen has an automatic close mechanism. I am going to have my husband adjust it so it closes quicker after opening. The sunroom is my concern as she flys in and out of there all the time and it is the main acces to our back yard. My thought was to put a screen door (will look strange but oh well) on the door to the sunroom so it closes automtically. I was then thinking of putting a hanging screen, kind of like a mosquito netting on the sliding glass door to the outside so that just in case she got in the sun room and someone left the door open there would be something for her to run into.

Any other ideas?

 

[Jan]

Chester is not flighted right now, but he has had his flight feathers grown in acouple of different time but still did not fly or attempt to fly. Maybe he did not know he has capabilities to do so at the time!

 

[waterfaller1]

I like the screen door idea. My bird room has no door at all, but the jambs are there. Someone on the board showed theirs with a screen door, and I thought it looked ok, plus you can still peek in or hear through it. I was also thinking of doing this. I think what also would help is small placards directly on the doors, going in and out, to remind everyone there are flighted birds inside.