I'm feeling a little guilty tonight, my birds have all been fully flighted for a few months ( except one who's wing feathers are growing out ). I love watching them play and fly... My smallest one ( my blue parrotlet Archie) just LOVES to fly, yelling and chirping as he flys from the cages to the ledge over the windows and back to the cages... I can almost hear him yelling WHEEEEE as he flys. Unfortunately he gets extremely sassy and agressive when flighted. Tonight he kept us chasing him so he wouldn't bite the budgies so we decided to clip his wings, he has been clipped before, so knew exactly what I did and he cried... Sounded like a little puppy when he does, I felt so bad.. He gets very sweet and not nippy when clipped so what ya gunna do? It's a parrotlet thing!

Both my budgie and linnie are flighted. My vet isn't real happy that Miss Kauai is flighted b\c he said she's more aggressive--he had a hard time catching her when I took her for her annual exam. But I have never clipped had her wings clipped and it's kind of who she is. She likes to zoom in front of my face or just over my head. I can imagine how hard it was to hear Archie cry but you also have to protect the budgies.

Thanks... It's been coming for a few months...we kinda hoped he would stop after a while but it got worse.. He loves one budgie hen, but the others bother them when they are all loose.. Separate times don't work real good cuz there is only so much time. He also was super nippy with us cuz he knew he could bite and fly away and there was nothing we could do... But I hated hearing him whimper... I love watching him fly and have fun.. We will try again after next moult.

If it makes you feel any better, you did this for sound reasons.
I am sure you know by now I am against clipping as way too many clip for weak reasons.
But in your case it is the best thing to do, I know it works at calming them down.
Casey will tell you Tsuka is another who does get out of control when flighted.
She even felt so sorry for him at one point she imped him, and while he was happy to be back in the air, he got stroppy again.
It must hurt hearing him whimper, just give him some cuddles and an extra bit of love. I hope he does not hold it against you for too long.

Strange thing is, he doesn't resent me for it... He cuddled up for reassurance and comfort after.

Maybe he understood that he did something bad before he was clipped?
When his primaries grow again and the behavioral problems come back we could think together about another solution.
I heard that parrotlets are not good with other small parrot species.
Perhaps you could catch him with a bird net and put him into his cage for the rest time of free flight when he's chasing the budgies.
Or perhaps there is another way to work with him?
Don't be too sad, the flight feathers will grow again.

The best thing about clipping wings is they grow back! I always chuckle when non-bird people ask if my birds wings have been clipped, as in, are they permanently clipped. No, of course they aren't! Sometimes I do think it is best to clip wings, although I rarely do it. I like when they have a little bit of flight feathers so they can glide a bit and have some freedom, but not full on flight. Just my thoughts.

He isn't clipped too harsh, he can still fly across he room, he just can't gain height to get into the places where we can't reach him... And it slows him down a bit so the budgies can get away easier...he loves one budgie hen and the other 4 pick on her and him when they are out... We have done separate time outs, but, there is only so much time and I want them all to have as much time as possible.

Yes I am glad they will regrow.. I just know he likes to fly so I feel like a big meanie restricting it some... It is for his safety also... Last week he wasn't paying attention and smacked the wall hard when flying... He shows off to much...lol

Hehe... some birds are just not very coordinated!

Aww I couldn't have done it it is so tempting at times but the overall reward of flying is far greater to myself. I love seeing my guys fly and since training them all for recall I've found keeping them a lot easier!

I know daisy... Hopefully when they grow back things will be different and I can leave him flighted.

I totally understand. Sometimes I get on the verge of it. Sometimes I could pack it all in! I would be devastated if something that could have been prevented would of happened


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I would not feel guilty. Some of mine are flighted some are not. Depends on personalty of each bird.

Well to any one who felt sorry for my little blue brat, don't bother...lol I cut 3 feathers on each side... Didn't even slow him down, clipped 4 feathers on each wing.. He recovered his ability to fly overnight... Cut 5 feathers on each wing.. Restricted him for a couple of days, now he learned to flap harder and he can fly almost as good as un clipped... I'm not taking off anymore...little booger!

Sounds like a very determined little guy.

Determined, stubborn, bratty little feathered brat... but I love him and I don't want to take any more off and have him fly like a rock... He still needs to work hard to fly like that so he is less inclined to make us chase him around... his attitude is still better and I let him and his budgie hen out separately from the rest of the birds... is working so far.