Hi Morgan,
You are welcome to call me Brenda, but if you are like me and taught to address anyone older than you with a “Miss, Mr or Mrs”, then Miss Brenda is just fine! LOL
I do understand your doubts and I also understand how much conflicting information is out there. The main reason for conflicting information is that each bird is different so there is no “one size fits all” when it comes to advice. I will say that I have clipped hundreds of birds in my life and never known one who suffered any lasting physical or emotional effects. Some birds take it in stride, some get mad, some get quiet – all are generally back to normal within a few minutes to a few days after their trim. I used to groom an African Grey who threw such an epic tantrum each time it was unreal. This bird would scream, flip and flop, struggle and try anything to prevent the grooming. The owner fortunately found it amusing, and I ignored the bird’s theatrics each time and proceeded with the wing and nail trim. The owner said she was fine within an hour of being home each time. I had an associate who accidentally clipped the wings of an older cockatiel who had never been clipped her entire life and the owner was understandably livid. But the bird was fine, her feathers grew back and everything worked out. As long as the bird groomer is experienced and knows how to handle the bird and which feathers to trim, Verde will be just fine. Yes, she might need a day or two to adjust her balance, but smaller birds adjust much more quickly than a large, heavier bird. In fact smaller birds are much harder to keep them from flying because of their lighter weight and natural ease of flying. Medium to larger birds can have balance issues that linger for more than a few days, but still they do always adjust. Some bird owners will project their own feelings onto their bird and what they think is emotional damage is nothing more than a bird having a good pout. A bird like an African Grey might stay mad for a few days or a couple of weeks, but as long as the owner does not reinforce the behavior, the bird will adjust. And of course let the bird groomer do everything and you be the one who “rescues” Verde when she is done. It is perfectly normal if Verde screeches while being restrained or struggles and this will not have any lasting effect on her. Do not participate or try to talk to Verde to calm her during the clipping. All this will do is possibly have her associate the trimming with you. Once the groomer is done and Verde is back in her carrier or cage, then approach her, speak softly to her and tell her she is a good bird.
I know what you mean about her wild spirit. But this is because she basically is a wild bird. Parrots are not domesticated like dogs and cats. They are domestically raised, but that is not the same as a domesticated animal. A domesticated animal is one who was bred from a wild counterpart, over many generations to create a species that only exists in captivity and is entirely dependent on human care. Domestically raised parrots still have most of their wild instincts and urges and we have to learn how to train them and how to deal with their natural behaviors. So wing clipping probably will take some of the spark out of Verde at first, however, it is still there. But you will now have the opportunity to handle her and teach her that by trusting you, she will have more freedom because she needs you in order to come out of her cage each day. Yes, you are making her less independent, but she has to be somewhat dependent on you in order to be a better pet. It’s all about give and take and she may give one part of her independence, but she gains the enrichment of being handled and learning to fully trust her human.
So you see your doubts are valid, but hopefully you have a better understanding of why it’s worth her being less independent in order to have a more fulfilling life in captivity.
Good luck with the appointment and let me know how it goes!
Brenda
