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Featherdust
Just hatched
Joined: 08 Nov 2006
Posts: 32
Location: USA |
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Hi everyone! I found fluffies.org over a year ago and LOST it ! I couldn't remember the link and I couldn't find it in a search. Just last week, I found myself looking for a forum with bird lovers who I could talk to and I was reminded of this forum. I had trouble finding it so I modified my search to "featherdust" my nick name, and up came my fluffies.org homepage  So I'm just posting to say, "Hello again!" and to introduce my new bird "Nova" who is a European starling. We have a question about wing-clipping. Nova loves to hang out with me when I let him out of his cage. Other starling owners refer to this as "free flight" time, but he is happy just to have enough lift in his wings to fly to my hands, head, and enough to be mobile enough to check out every little speck he can find. But when it is time to return to the cage, Nova is like "I'm outa here!" and trying to catch nova is almost like trying to chase a finch. He's a fast flyer. Correct me if I'm wrong, but most parrots are content to be perched on their play stand or human and are content to climb instead of fly, but Nova can only hop and fly, so to clip his wings as you might do to a parrot would be extremely dissabling to him. By the same token, a loose airplane in the house is bound to get into trouble, so I'd like to, if possible, limit his flying abillity without disabiling it completely. Is it possible to remove his abillity to fly high, without removing his mobility or abillity to fly from perch to perch? If this could be achieved, I could let him out much more often than I do now. Does this sound possible?
Thanks! |
Saturday August 4, 2007 2:27 pm |
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shirin
Moderator
Joined: 27 Apr 2005
Posts: 7405
Location: Canada, Toronto |
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Hi Featherdust welcome back!
You probably will get some differing advice on this topic, but I myself am strongly apposed to clipping sofbills in anyway. As you said, parrots can climb, but starlings cannot. Flying is the only kind of exercise that they can get, and merely hopping from perch to perch is not enough exercise. Also parrots can keep themselves busy for hours playing with toys and chewing wood. Whereas, though starlings may play with toys a little, it's not to the same extent as parrots. And since Nova is alone, I'm guessing he's not gonna be able to mate and raise a family, so in essence flying is the only joy he has left in captivity. So I really hope you do decide not to compromise his flight in any way.
I have several flighted birds in my house. Ringneck doves, and diamond doves. My ringnecks are tame, so they come to me when it's time to go back in the cage, but my diamond doves are not tame, and they fly really fast. So I know what it's like to have to chase down a bird to put him back in the cage  what I do is, when I want to catch them, I just turn off all the lights. They won't fly in the dark, so I wait till they sit somewhere where I can reach them, and then turn off all the lights, and it takes literally a second to just go pick them up. You can do this with Nova too, and you'll be amazed at how easy it is to catch him that way.
I understand that you're worried that he might get into trouble being loose in the house. If your entire house is not bird safe, then can you maybe just let him have his flight time in one closed off room where he can be supervised? |
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Saturday August 4, 2007 4:13 pm |
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Featherdust
Just hatched
Joined: 08 Nov 2006
Posts: 32
Location: USA |
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Hi Shirin! Thanks for the warm welcome
Let me start by saying I do not want to clip his wings if it stops him from being able to fly, but I might consider it if there is a way to only limit his flying abillity. He's a little unlike my pigeon, "Target" or possibly other softbills in the sense Nova is content to play with his toys and people. He doesn't fly much for the sake of flying, but to investigate forbidden objects!
He's an inquisitive little guy who spends all his time outside his cage poking around my shirt, pulling on strips of paper, playing tug-of-war, and hopping to my head. He likes to play, but only around his people so I don't think he would be happy even in a bird room if I wasn't in it with him. To give him some flight time, I've been doing exactly what you thought to suggest. He comes out once in the morning and once at night in my bedroom because that room is bird-proofed. I've let him out in the living room but had to stop because I worry about him landing on a lamp, flying to the kitchen where there is of course a stove and other dangerous appliances. He likes to explore and hunt for invisible bugs with his prying beak, but he wants to do this on or around his "flock" of people, who are usually going about their day in the living room where he can't safely fly. I understand and agree with your oposition to wing clipping softbills, except in Nova's case because he doesn't seem all that interested in flying. Even in his cage, he's more into probing things with his beak than with flight so I'd consider it if there is a way to limit his flying abillity just a little--just enough to keep him safer and easier to catch. |
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Sunday August 5, 2007 12:52 am |
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shirin
Moderator
Joined: 27 Apr 2005
Posts: 7405
Location: Canada, Toronto |
Ah, ok  thanks for that explanation. Maybe try trimming 1-2 primary feathers first and see how much that limits his flying. And trim the first 2 outer primaries (#9 and #8 on the diagram) just below the primary coverts: http://smp.goshen.edu/merrylea.....iagram.jpg After seeing how well he can fly with 2 feathers trimmed, then you can judge whether or not to cut more.
A pidgie named Target sounds really familiar.. are you a member of Pigeon Talk, or am I just remembering that name from here? Either way, I'm very partial to pigeons  so I would love to see some photos of your little pidgie  |
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Sunday August 5, 2007 1:32 am |
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Featherdust
Just hatched
Joined: 08 Nov 2006
Posts: 32
Location: USA |
Oh wow! I DO go on pigeontalk a lot (starlingtalk, too) I go by "Prizm" and "Alyse" what a small world!!! I've no photos in the computer right now, but I'll scan some Target photos to share soon.
Thanks for explaining which feathers to trim (and the diagram). I might give it a try later while Nova is molting, so it won't be as permenant. Hopefully we'll have a better solution to the flight dangers by then.
Anyway, I'd love to see your flock too! I see your little hazelnut, and he's beautiful |
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Sunday August 5, 2007 9:07 pm |
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Cheeta
Moderator
Joined: 06 Apr 2005
Posts: 7972
Location: Australia |
Hey Featherdust,
Welcome back. and congrats on your new birdy Nova.
I know Apollo isn't a softbill, but with him, I round off his wings (trim it so that it curves in a round edge) so he can still fly, but not very well. enough to make him have to work fdor it when he flies, but not enough to completely stop him from flying. He flies a lot, so I know that by rounding his wings off it is not going to stop him from flying, just takes more effort to fly and not so high and fast!! LOL |
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Monday August 6, 2007 12:03 am |
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Featherdust
Just hatched
Joined: 08 Nov 2006
Posts: 32
Location: USA |
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quote:
Hehe, cool, I'm a member at starling talk too Smile I don't post very often, but I read those forums a lot, that's why I was quite sure I remembered Target Razz
I have lots of photos of my flock posted, I think i go a little overboard with taking pictures Laughing Here's some pages you might enjoy Smile
All your birds are beautiful! Thanks for sharing them. I also like your dove's rope swing.
quote:
Hey Featherdust,
Welcome back. and congrats on your new birdy Nova. Very Happy
I know Apollo isn't a softbill, but with him, I round off his wings (trim it so that it curves in a round edge) so he can still fly, but not very well. enough to make him have to work fdor it when he flies, but not enough to completely stop him from flying. He flies a lot, so I know that by rounding his wings off it is not going to stop him from flying, just takes more effort to fly and not so high and fast!! LOL
Thanks for your helpful advice. This sounds like an interesting method. By the way, I just looked at your homepage, and the pictures of your native birds are breathtaking. I'd love to see a field filled with parrots someday. |
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Monday August 6, 2007 2:14 am |
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Cheeta
Moderator
Joined: 06 Apr 2005
Posts: 7972
Location: Australia |
yeah, that was the only way I was going to be able to stop his aggression when he has his full flight ability. Now he may still get in his aggressive moments, but no where near as much. but that's totally different stories to why you want to clip your starling. hehe...
yeah I love those wild birds too.. it never cease to amaze me how pretty they are when I see them in the wild. I even got my hubby into spotting wild parrots and cockatoos.. it's funny since he wasn't that into birds before I brought Apollo home. |
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Monday August 6, 2007 2:54 am |
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