User talk:Luciedove

NEW YORK BIRD CLUB

Founded in 2003, we are an award-winning progressive bird club who is dedicated to supporting efforts to preserve parrots and birds in the wild. We seek to inform and influence people toward a more humane consideration for avians in captivity, an unnatural condition for them to be in, so that we can ensure them an optimum quality of life, by increasing public awareness regarding their proper care.[http://www.manhattanbirdclub.com)

Monthly nature walks and education events.

Wing Clipping for Birds

Wing Clipping

Viewpoint:

At the present time, there are strongly held views on whether to clip the wings of your companion bird or leave him flighted.

Proponents of wing clipping claim that birds in captivity do not need to fly since they have no enemies to escape from, do not have to migrate or obtain food, and that flying puts the bird at risk since he can escape from his home.

Others consider wing clipping cruel and a form of abuse, destroying the essence and spirit of a bird, and rendering him helpless and handicapped. A bird whose wings have been altered has limited ability to destroy your property and is easy to control, however, wing clipping is done for your convenience only, and has nothing to do with the well being of your bird, but robs him of his identity and independence.

Ethics:

One must consider that in this, the heart of the matter truly lies. A bird is an agile, graceful, soaring creature of flight. Wings and feathers are astoundingly beautiful to behold, and they are, in fact, the essence of flight. What is a bird, one might ask, without flight? What is a butterfly? What is a horse without legs to allow the breathtaking gallop, what is a fish without fins, a person without legs that walk, hands that grasp?

When humans bring birds into their homes they do so because they are beautiful and entertaining, however, we take from these creatures many things. We take away their natural environment—the sun, the rain, the trees, the sky, the airways. We take from them the companionship of their own kind: the natural understanding of their own kind, the comfort and sense of safety in the flock, the mate they select for a lifetime, the young they would raise and protect, love and care for, til grown. We take from them control of their own lives. We take these things away and give our birds a cage, toys, a diet we think is probably good for them, and finally—the grace of our attention. Taking so much from them, and giving so little in return, on our terms, do we have the right to take their wings—the joy and essence of their existence—as well?

This is the question. To decide the answer for yourself, you must look into the eyes of your feathered companion, and into his mind and his thoughts and his heart and the soul of the creature that, indeed, he is and was born to be. You must look at his beautiful wings, extended in the joy of flight, and decide, in your own heart, if you have the right to take the power of those wings away.

Forced Bonding:

Some people clip their bird's wings believing it will force the bird to bond with them. Wouldn't it be nicer if your bird flies to you because he wants to, not because he cannot fly away from you, and he has no choice.

Well Being:

How does lack of flight affect a birds emotional health? In many situations, companion birds wait all day for you to arrive home from work, and for you to attend to them in your busy day. During the long hours of the day, frustration builds. Some birds feather pluck or self mutilate out of anxiety, frustration and boredom.

To truly understand the circumstances of a clipped bird, you might consider what life would be like for you if you were unable to walk and confined to a sofa (a perch in a cage), waiting through any number of hours for your friend (caregiver) to arrive and help you from the sofa to your wheelchair. Imagine then, trying to communicate where it is you would like to go without speaking a verbal language. Imagine your frustration when your friend fails to understand you. Imagine that this is your life, day after day.

Your bird has no means of expressing where he wants to go - on your shoulder, his playstand, in another room, by the window or with another family member, and he becomes entirely dependent upon your ability to recognize his desire of where it is that he would like to be He is at the mercy of his caregiver for his every need. By keeping him flighted, you are giving him the ability to make choices and be somewhat independent.

For intelligent creatures who are destined to be masters of their environment and are born with means of flight, wing clipping is a depressing state indeed. Even more so, if you consider that they cannot escape from threatening or dangerous situations should they arise.

Would you consider cutting off a toddler’s legs to keep her safe, yet that is what you are doing to your bird by altering him to make him fit into your environment and lifestyle.

Physical Health:

Deprived of the rigorous activity of flight, companion birds often become overweight and lethargic from lack of stimulating exercise. Their muscles lose tone, and become flaccid. The heart of the bird, a muscle, grows unhealthy from too rich a diet, and too little stimulation. Very much like a person in a wheelchair who eats too much, the bird body slips into decline. Flying strengthens the bird's chest muscles and is a healthy and vital form of exercise. When you alter his wings, you prevent him from exercising the way that nature intended to stay healthy, which can lead to weight gain and illness.

How does the act of flight help keep your bird healthy? To answer this question, one must first understand how the act of flight, and the fact of being a bird, are related. The bones of a bird are thin, and some have air sacs. The internal organs of a bird are abbreviated, designed to keep a bird light, and comfortable while airborne.

The respiratory system of a bird is complex; it extracts oxygen from the air as it inhales, and exhales, and in addition to lungs, it has air sacs extending throughout his body, to keep the birds blood oxygenated during the rigorous exercise of flight.

The digestive system of a bird is composed of not one stomach, but three: the holding tank of the crop, the glandular stomach called the proventriculus, and the muscular stomach, called the ventriculus, or gizzard. These systems all work to keep a bird unburdened by food in its digestive tract as he performs the act of flight.

When a bird is involved in flight, even short flights, his body is performing in the way it was designed to perform. Physically, the birds muscles are exercised in a way that cannot be duplicated in any other activity, and all of the birds organs are allowed to operate, again, as they were designed to operate under the conditions that prevail when a bird is being a bird. There is no exercise in captivity that serves as an acceptable substitute.

Solutions:

It makes more sense to control the bird’s environment than alter the bird’s physical structure. There are safe alternatives to wing clipping if you are concerned about your bird’s safety and potential destruction of your household property. You can provide a safe place and time in your home for your bird to exercise where he will not be vulnerable to household dangers. This reduces the risks for both you and your birds, while providing an opportunity for your bird to fly.

• Keep windows closed, or have a screen barrier in place.

• Keep doors to the outside locked to prevent an unexpected visitor, or a family member, from entering.

• Close doors to the bathroom and other high-risk areas.

• If you do not have a kitchen door that closes, take precautions in the kitchen; i.e., no open pots of water or hot stoves, etc.

• Supervise your bird as he enjoys his freedom to make sure he stays out of trouble, and does not have interactions with other family pets who may harm him.

• Provide a specific flight area. In this regard, many people have a room that is bird proofed so that their bird may be allowed out, and yet does not have to be strictly supervised. A room such as this would have unplugged electrical wires, and non-toxic, bird-friendly furnishings.

Why should you deprive your bird the joy of flight and punish him because you do not want to take responsibility for his safety. If you will not accept the responsibility of having a bird in your home, perhaps you should consider not having a companion bird or getting another type of companion.

Birds are creatures designed around the act of flight. It is part of their genetic makeup and crucial to their life experience. It is no wonder millions of people are awed by these magnificent creatures and their abilities. Human beings have spent hundreds of years trying to emulate flight. Why? Because it is a fantastic and exhilarating gift and experience. Don’t deny your birds their birthright -- their inherent right to fly.

Welcome

Hello Luciedove! Welcome to AboutUs.

This is your user talk page, typically reserved for discussion/messages. I would recommend taking the above info (which looks great, by the way!) and putting it in either your PersonalPage or a DomainPage, say ManhattanBirdClub.com...? I'm excited that you've chosen to explore the wonderful world of wiki here at AboutUs.org - the place where everyone may collaborate to build the commons and community through their constructive edits and participation. Welcome! Check out the brand new tours to learn about wiki, what AboutUs.org is all about and how to use the site to the fullest.

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Have a most wonderful day!
KristinaWeis | **talk** 02:00, 2 July 2007 (PDT)