Lately I’ve been receiving email asking for my opinion on which parrot is better and quiet, because they are impressed with the abilities these parrots can do, furthermore having a parrot is so entertaining and fun.

True, I do admit that parrots are really cute and fun companions. Many people only see the positive state of parrots but they failed to see the negative state of parrots. They failed to understand that parrots aren’t domestic pets like dogs or cats. Even parrots that are captive bred, hand-fed by humans still have their own wild instincts within their blood. There are time these cute fellows can go cranky or even turning to real devil which turned the whole house upside down.

It’s pretty sad whenever I read articles of parrots had been abandoned, re-homed or even sold away just because their owners don’t love them anymore. Just because they screamed, go cranky and totally out of control. It’s really heart-breaking.

Why do parrots have to stuck in these scenarios and going through these pains? In fact, the owners are to be blamed for bringing their parrots into these scenarios. Only if they had made serious considerations, understanding and accepting the possible problems of the parrots, these scenarios can be prevented.

Thus I decided to write this post to highlight the key considerations to take note to assist new and future parrot owners in making a wise decision rather than stranded in painful scenarios of abandoning, rehoming or selling the parrots away.

Accept these facts:

1. Noise
   Parrots are flock animals, they vocalize everyday. So don’t expect them to be as quiet as an aquarium fish. Some species vocalize a lot when the sun rise and set. Are you able to withstand with the extra noise in your household? Sorry to say this, there isn’t any quiet parrot in this globe. Seriously if you are still looking for one, get a stuff toy instead.
2. Mess
   Parrots are messy-eaters and their feathers and powder feathers (especially parrots like greys, cockatiels and cockatoos are dusty birds) contribute to the extra dust in your household. Extra mess means extra work in cleaning. Do mind the “little” extra mess in your household?
3. Time
   Since parrots are flock animals, they love attentions from their owners. Are you able to commit to 1-2 hours daily of quality time spent with your parrot? Are able to commit the extra hours for preparing meals for your parrot and the daily/weekly cleaning routines?
4. Space
   Macaws and other big parrots need very big cages. Even a smaller species like Senegal need at least 20 x 20 inch base size cage. Do have the extra space for your parrot?
5. Money
   Many tends to have a misconception that parrots are low maintenance pets. That’s totally untrue. Expenses on food, cages, toys, accessories and visit to the vet, all this need money and I guaranteed to you none of the items are cheap. A good and durable powder-coated or wrought iron cages can cost from 80-200SGD (Singapore Dollars) onwards and a visit to the vet can cost you from 70SGD onwards. Do plan and draft out your expenses. whether the extra hundred over dollars
6. Demanding
   Since parrots are flock animals, they love attentions from their owners. There are times even when you are busy they will call for your attention. Are you able to answer to their needs and calls?
7. Maturity*
   Baby parrots tends to be cute, well-behaved and most important “relatively quiet”. Sweet moments don’t always last forever. Behavior Problems like screaming and biting start to surface once parrot start to reach their sexual maturity at around 1-2 years old depending on species. Are you able to accept it when your parrot is no longer an angel but a devil?

Selecting the right species for your home:

Next getting the right species is definitely important too. Many people tend to fall in love by the affectionate and cuddliness of a cockatoo and the majestic appearance of a macaw, but they failed to understand that cockatoos and macaws are very noisy birds. They do scream and vocalize loudly throughout the day and you have to accept this. It’s already “pre-programmed” within the genes, you have to accept it. If not, best is look for other species.

There are other parrots that are labeled as noisy birds like Indian Ringnecks and Conures. Both species chatters a lot throughout the day, it’s their characteristic. Thus don’t expect this birds to be low in noise.

If noise can be a factor like me, I personally live in an apartments and the units are close built together thus loud noise can easily travel through the walls. Thus opted on “relatively quiet” species like lovebird and the Senegal Parrot. There are other “quieter” parrots like African Greys and Parrotlets. Do take note why I quoted the word quiet. As I mentioned earlier on, all parrot make noise there no such parrot in this world that is completely mute.

Why do people labeled Senegal Parrots and Greys as “quieter” parrots even they make noise? It’s because they rarely vocalize throughout the day (usually quiet like Kermit, my senegal parrot can be really quiet throughout the morning and afternoon without uttering a single beep) and they don’t really scream like macaws or cockatoos. Thus recommended for apartment dwellers. But do take note, the household environment do contribute to the noise level of the parrot. A noisy household will lead to a noisy parrot!

Final Words:

Having a parrot at household definitely will change your lifestyle completely, and parrots have longer lifespan than any other pets, this means you have to live with the current situation for the next 10 years or more. So asked yourself, are ready for the change?

So to conclude, take your time to do ample research, planning and careful considerations on the possible problems ahead. Taking these necessary steps can prevent you ending up scenarios of abandoning, re-homing and selling your parrot away.

Many people who have never own a parrot or have very little knowledge on parrots will misunderstand the concept of Wing Clipping. Some even mistook as deliberately clipping the wings with cloth pegs or any foreign object so that the parrot will not be able to fly!

This might sound funny, how could someone come out with such crazy senseless explanation? But it’s true, that crazy senseless explanation actually came from a friend of mine. He had great misunderstanding about the concept of wing clipping and rating it as an immoral act.

Misunderstandings happen because of ignorants or little knowledge in parrots. So overall, we can’t blame people for labelling wing clipping as an unmoral ethic.

Thus, starting this blog to share my parrot training experience, parrot tricks and stories of Kiki and Kermit are not only my sole objectives, but also as an informative channel to educate and share knowledge on parrots, correcting any misconceptions in the aviculture.

Back to our topic, so what’s actually wing clip?

The term “Wing Clipping” in aviculture doesn’t refer to clip the wings of the parrots with cloth pegs or whatever foreign objects. To be correct “Wing Clipping” is actually trimming the primary feathers also known as flight feathers trimming.

This led to another question, so what are flight feathers? What are the purpose of flight feathers?

I found a better answer to these questions on Wikipedia. Flight feathers are the long, stiff, asymmetrically shaped, but symmetrically paired feathers on the wings or tail of a bird; those on the wings are called remiges (singular remex) while those on the tail are called rectrices (singular rectrix). The purpose of flight feathers provide aids to lift and thrust during flight.

So to conclude trimming flight feathers is just a painless procedure and it shouldn’t cause any injuries or harm to the parrot at all. Trimming of flight feathers is of no different from any other grooming routines. It’s just like people visiting the barber to get a hair trim. Flight feathers do grow back over time just like human hairs. Flight feathers return back to its original length after each molt.

Back to the general question which most parrot owners always pondered about: To wing clipped or not to wing clipped?

Personally I feel that it’s a personal preference, up to each individual to decide after considering and weighing on the possible pros and cons of wing clipping.

Below are some of the pros and cons of wing clipping that I’ve identified:

Pros of Wing Clipping

• Easier manage and tame during trainings (That’s why Parrot Tricks Books or Video CDs always tell owners to wing clip their parrots).
• Ensure safety and prevent any accidents or injuries caused by household hazards. (e.g. Crashing into mirrors or windows / Fall into toilet bowl, pools or boiling water)
• Prevent escape.

Cons of Wing Clipping

• Overly dependable on owners (Less independent compared to a fully flight parrot).
• May result on “One Person Bird” behavior also known as Overly bond issues.
• May result in screaming behavior.
• Trigger biting behavior and other aggression (A full flighted parrot usually fly away if he encounters any dangers but parrots with restricted flight abilities will use biting as a replacement action of flying away).

I hope with the list of pros and cons will assist parrot owners in coming out with a wise decision on whether to wing clip or not to wing clip.

For me, I trimmed Kermit’s and Kiki’s flight feathers. The purpose is not to take away their flying abilities completely but restricting their capabilities to an acceptable distance and elevation. Kermit and Kiki are housed indoor and I lived in a high rise apartment. By doing so, I can prevent my parrots from fatal accidents caused by household hazards and ensuring the safety of my birds.

So you’ve decided to wing clip but how to wing clip your parrot?

Wing Clipping is conducted by trimming the first five to eight flight feathers on each wing. I wouldn’t recommend wing clipping your own parrot if you didn’t have any prior knowledge on how to identify the flight feathers and trimming them. The results of improper wing clip are fatal (e.g. Parrots won’t be able to glide and land safely / Injuries of the leg joints or impact on the keel bones due to crash landings).

Thus it’s always advisable to get someone experienced or knowledgeable like your own avian vet to show you.