Nail, Beak and Wing Trimming
Wing trimming
The trimming of the flight feathers of parrots is controversial. In one hand, it can prevent the bird from escaping or crashing into windows. It can also help the taming and training of some birds. On the other hand, flight as a form of exercise is significant for the physical and psychological health of the birds. Excessive wing trimming can cause injuries because the growing feathers (blood feathers) are very sensitive and without the protection of the other feathers they can easily become damaged resulting in severe bleeding. Moreover excessive trimming can prevent the bird being able to properly balance or glide to the floor after a fall. Totally flightless birds can easily fall and suffer injuries to the beak or the keel bone. Wing trimming can also increase the incidence of feather damaging behaviour.
If the owner chooses wing trimming, it should always be performed symmetrically on both wings to help the bird to keep its balance. The owners should keep in mind that even a wing trimmed bird can fly away if it is extremely scared or excited. Moreover the duration of the flightless period after wing trimming cannot be predicted as feather regrowth can be irregular.
Nail trimming
Nail trimming of pet birds is performed for two reasons. The most important is the safety of the bird. If the claws grow elongated and curl more than quarter of a circle, the toenails may get caught in the cage. The other reason for nail trimming is for the comfort of owners. The natural growth of claws, in many parrots, results in a very sharp tip and can hurt the owner’s skin. Removal of the points helps handling and interaction of the parrot with the owner. Nail reshaping can be performed with sharp nail cutters or with fine files. It is important to know that cutting too short can result in bleeding which is sometimes difficult to stop without the appropriate tools.
Beak trimming
Beak contouring or trimming can be done if necessary. It is neither appropriate nor effective to trim a beak to reduce the pain of a bite. Birds whose beak shape is very different from the natural shape and/or length may benefit from contouring of the beak back to a more natural shape.
Abnormal beak shape and length may occur from disease, poor nutrition, genetic differences, or simply lack of adequate wear. In the case of disease or poor nutrition, the beak keratin can be of poor quality and split or flake.