Daily Exercises for Clipped and Flighted Birds

Last time I offered a worst-case scenario that is all too common. The most important thing to remember is to start addressing the problem in steps. It didn’t take one day for your bird to decided to become threatened and it isn’t going to be fixed in a day. The great trust bearer has been broken, but not forever. Begin by letting your bird out to exercise its wings. Because they ache from lack of use, are uncoordinated from lack of use, and weak from lack of use your bird is most likely not going to fly, but rather flutter and crash if frightened. Therefore, choose a time of day when your house is most quiet. Calmly walk over to the bird’s cage and open the door using slow motions. Lock the door in its open position. Talk softly to your bird and encourage it to come outside on its own to walk around on the top of its cage. Use a treat food to encourage your bird to trust walking to you. Once your bird is on the outside of the cage, encourage her to stretch or flap her wings. Eagle chicks will do fledgling exercises weeks before they take their first flight to build up the strength to carry their own body weight. Continue this exercise daily for the lifetime of your bird. A good time to incorporate this into your parrot care routine is during a morning and evening food changes. You will notice the confidence and gentle nature your bird will develop being able to express all of her natural instincts.  Next time, we will discuss the health benefits of keeping your bird’s wings at their natural length.