Feathers are of ultimate importance to
birds, and though they can be replaced,
if they are to function properly they have
to be kept in good condition. Individual
feathers are frail things and birds spend
a considerable amount of time caring for
them. In many water birds the plumage (i.e.
all the feathers) is waterproof. In some
species this waterproofing is assisted by
oil supplied by special glands 'uropygial
glands'. The birds apply the oil to their
feathers during preening. An action you
often see birds performing and which involves
the bird using its bill to manipulate its
feathers to ensure they are all zipped up
and lying flat, one on the other like tiles
on a roof of a house. In fact, practiced
birdwatchers are aware that the two most
common activities you can observe in birds
are feather care (grooming) and feeding/foraging.
There are two main activities involved in
feather care:- Preening and Bathing.
Birds groom their feathers by “preening”
them. Each feather is made from thin strands
that “zip up” to form the feather.
Each feather has a distinct place and function.
The bird must make sure that every feather
is properly zipped and in place so that
it can fly and regulate its body temperature.
You don’t have to worry about this
minuscule grooming—a healthy bird
will do it on its own.
Birds that live together will preen each
other—this is called “allopreening.”
Birds in pairs groom hard to reach places,
such as the top of the head. If you are
your bird’s only buddy, then you can
help to remove the feather sheathes that
emerge on his head during molting, but be
careful because removing them too forcefully
can hurt. Simply rub a fingernail over the
sheath and it should begin to come off if
it’s ready—if not, your bird
will let you know with a little nip!
Wing clipping is the act of cutting the
first seven to ten flight feathers on a
bird’s wings to disable it from flying.
There are two camps on this issue: one camp
that opposes the practice and one that endorses
it. Some say that birds are meant to fly
and are at a disadvantage in many ways when
the wings are clipped. The other camp asserts
that a flighted bird living in the average
household is in jeopardy from the many dangers
lurking within ordinary things, like ceiling
fans and open windows.
Both sides have valid points—it’s
up to you whether or not you clip your bird’s
wings. Most bird owners do clip, ensuring,
at the very least, that they don’t
lose their bird.
Wing clipping hurts just as much as a haircut
hurts us—except that we don’t
use our hair to move us around! It’s
not a good idea to trim your bird’s
wings yourself if you don’t know what
you’re doing. This can lead to a poor
clip and a freaked out parrot. Your avian
veterinarian or local bird shop will provide
this service for a small fee. Once you see
it done a few times, you may feel confident
enough to try it on your own.
Clipping isn’t necessarily difficult
to do on your own—it’s mastering
holding your bird properly that’s
tricky. Two people are often better then
one during the clipping procedure: one to
hold the bird wrapped safely in a towel
or washcloth and one to extend the wing
and clip the feathers. Remember, a bird’s
bones are very fragile and manhandling can
be deadly. Birds have air sacs (part of
the respiratory system) in some of their
bones, and can die or become very ill if
one of these bones breaks.
The flight feathers are the first ten long
feathers at the end of the wing when you
are looking at it from underneath. If you
look at the wing from above you will see
that these long flight feathers are covered
halfway by a set of shorter feathers. The
flight feathers are clipped at the point
where these two feathers meet. To make a
clean clip, cut each feather individually
with sharp scissors—if you cut them
all at once they will be uneven and pointy.
A ragged clip doesn’t look nice, and
the ends of the feathers can stick into
the bird’s body uncomfortably and
cause him to start picking and plucking.
Heavy birds, such as Amazons and African
greys, need a conservative clip—you
will only trim the first five to seven flights
off of the wing, though this varies from
bird to bird. These heavy birds need some
of their flight feathers to glide to the
ground should they fall, or risk breaking
the breastbone or beak on a hard floor.
Lighter birds, such as cockatiels and budgies,
need a more drastic clip, consisting of
all ten flight feathers and maybe even some
of the next set of feathers toward the body
on the wing, the lift feathers. Cockatiels
have been known to fly with only their flight
feathers clipped.
Feathers grow back with the next molt,
about every six months or so, which is why
it’s important to keep an eye on feather
growth. Many an owner has lost a bird to
the great blue yonder thinking that the
bird was still clipped.
Bleeding is the one physical danger in
clipping a bird’s wings, which happens
when a new feather, called a blood feather,
is accidentally cut. The blood feather is
recognizable by the sheath surrounding it
or by a reddish or dark vein in the center
of the feather. If you notice bleeding,
grip the wing firmly and pull the feather
out of the wing in one quick motion. If
you’re squeamish, put some coagulant
on the wound and take your bird to the veterinarian
immediately.
