I just got a new bird, he's a young normal male cockatiel. I am trying to tame him, but he flies everwhere! When he is tame I want to teach him to fly to me or fly to certain places. Though I might have to clip his wings to tame him. If I do clip his wings, I can't teach him those tricks I was counting on. What should I do? Should I clip his wings--or not?
-Nicole H.
Nicole,
We think you should definitely clip his wings. You probably will not succeed
in teahing him anything unless you have some control of him. We're sure you
have seen people obedience training dogs and that training begins with leash
training - a tool for control. Wing clipping, when done properly, is painless
for the bird as well as temporary because the feathers will grow back. Once
you and your new cockatiel friend have become best buddies, then you take on
the challenge of teaching tricks.
By the way, another really good reason to clip his wings is to prevent him from flying into a window, mirror or out the door.