Flying not necessary for bird’s health

Our lovebird is a year old. When we bought him as a baby, his wing feathers were trimmed so he wouldn’t fly. Now they have grown back, and he flies all over the house. He leaves a mess everywhere. I want to get his wings trimmed, but my husband and son like the bird to fly. They say he will be happier and healthier if we don’t trim his wing feathers again.

Birds do not need to fly to stay in top physical condition — with the exception of such species as swifts, hummingbirds and nightjars, which have very small and useless feet that deny them the ability to walk. These are not birds we keep as pets anyway.

A bird that has a rich environment to climb about and exercise in and is given the proper diet can stay physically fit. Birds don’t have any psychological need to fly when they are well cared for. Just about every zoo in the country has ponds and pens with ducks, flamingos and cranes walking about in them. These birds have all been pinioned — a vet will surgically remove the tip of one of the bird’s wings at the first joint and these birds will never fly again. They are quite happy and healthy.

When a pet bird slips out of an open door or window and flies off, it causes much family drama. No pet bird with properly trimmed wing feathers ever flew away from its home.

The decision to trim a bird’s feathers is a personal one. In any case, trimmed feathers do fall out when the bird molts and the feathers regrow. So if you get the feathers trimmed and do not like the result, wait a few months and the bird will be flying again.