How to Trim Birds' Wngs

If a pet bird escapes its cage and flies around the house, it could run into ceilings, windows and walls, and cause serious harm to itself. Trimming a bird's wings is a painless procedure that will prevent the animal from taking full flight. When done properly, your pet will still be able to use its wings to safely glide from perch to perch and to the ground.

Things You'll Need

  • Partner
  • Quiet room
  • Towel
  • Scissors
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Instructions

    • 1

      Move the bird and its cage into a quiet, secure room. Ensure there aren't any loud noises that could frighten the animal and keep other pets away. Make sure everyone else in the area knows you are trimming the bird's wings so that no one will open the door and surprise the bird.

    • 2

      Take the bird out of the cage. Use a towel to hold the animal. Wrap the towel around the bird's body, leaving its head and neck open. If the bird tries to bit, gently grab the back of its head and neck with your forefinger and thumb. Be careful not to apply too much pressure anywhere on the bird, especially its chest, as this could cause suffocation.

    • 3

      Place the bird on its back. Remove one of its wings from the towel and gently extend it. Ask a partner hold the bird in place.

    • 4

      Trim five to eight of the bird's primary flight feathers using sharp scissors, cutting each feather one at a time. These feathers are located on the underside of the wing and are the first group of long feathers starting from the wing tip and moving in toward the body.

    • 5

      Inspect each feather before you cut it to ensure you don't snip a blood feather, which will cause bleeding and pain to the bird. These feathers are waxy and pink, and often have a noticeable blood vessel in the quill.

    • 6

      Repeat the trimming process on the bird's other wing. Ensure you cut the same amount of feather on each wing so that the bird can maintain balance.

    • 7

      Put the bird back in its cage and reward it with praise and affection once the trimming is complete. This will make the bird more comfortable during future trimmings.