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[bizwac]

A friend who I am planning on moving in with wants to get a bird. I'm not too keen on it. He just mentioned that he'd clip its wings. I'm REALLY not keen on that.

how can I try to dissuade him without saying "you're a horrible human being. Why get a FLYING ANIMAL and then CLIP IT'S GODDAMN WINGS SO IT CAN'T FLY!!??" ?

Comments

[chordwhisper]

I don't know about dissuading him. However, pet birds can't do a whole lot of flying in a home anyway, and if they do fly they are likely to get hurt (flying into windows and other hazards). That's why people clip their wings.

[bizwac]

My aunty had found the bird struggling outside her house with horribly clipped wings, so took it in and let its feathers grow out again, and it flew around my nan's house and never got hurt.

From seeing it with its wings clipped and not being able to do anything transform and become able to fly again affected me. I really don't want another bird to be so impotent.

And yeah, I doubt there would be much space for it to fly in the place we'll be moving to, so... why get a bird? I don't see the point in getting an animal that flies, but prevent it from flying.

[chordwhisper]

Are you moving into an apartment, duplex, etc. or a house in very close proximity to other buildings/houses? You could tell your friend that the neighbors wouldn't like to be disrupted by a screeching bird. Or that you yourself can't handle a bird being extremely loud. Another point you could make is birds tend to be very messy, getting feathers, dust, and bits of food everywhere.

[bizwac]

ahh. good point.
Thanks.

[darkenedminds]

just fyi, birds with properly clipped wings can still fly and glide short distances, albeit often at a slower speed than flighted birds. any bird that cannot flutter or glide as a result of clipped wings was clipped improperly. just because you know of a situation where one bird flew safely in one home does not mean that accidents related to non-clipped pet birds are not very common and dangerous.

for what its worth, though, i agree on not being keen on pet birds. i hope, if your roomie decides to get one, he does his research and adopts a rescued bird.

[bizwac]

Can they actually glide? I've only been able to find that they can glide, in which case... isn't that still kind of crappy for the bird?

and yeah, I know not everywhere can be as safe as nan's. But that just makes me question why people would want a bird if it can't fly safely anyway. I just find it mind-boggling.

[bucketofpuke]

I've had birds for most of my life, and they can definitely glide. In my experience with conures and smaller parrots, if you leave a clipped bird out for long enough they will eventually out how to get a bit of lift.

For one, I think clipping wings is a horrible idea. A bird is obviously going to be more able to get out of a sticky situation (flying over a pot of water, open toilet or up onto a window ledge) than a non-clipped bird.

There are a lot of ways to ensure proper bird care, I really really like the company of birds because they are fun to be around. There are ways of keeping them safe and happy, you just have to be willing to make sacrifices to your life and living areas.

A lot of bird rescues make their adopters go through a really rigorous adoption period. You could do some research on bird rescues in your area, and then bring up that fact to your friend. "Hey, let's go check out this place... they have all sorts of different birds!"

[darkenedminds]

They can flutter pretty well, if properly clipped. My parents used to keep a large outdoor aviary for rehabbed birds that could not be released for whatever reason (and for a few pet-rescues); the clipped birds we kept (most were unclipped, because it was a large enclosure) were capable of gaining perhaps 5 feet of air from their take-off point, and could glide 6-9 feet. It is kind of crappy, but for a bird in captivity - what can you do? I can't say I support any old joe getting a pet bird from Petco, but for the birds that are out there already - if they're not in a safe, large enclosure (which i HIGHLY recommends; pet birds seem happiest in large enclosed porches or aviaries), I think clipping is necessary.

[socraticomatic]

I completely agree with you.

If you can't have a companion animal around without clipping its wings, don't get the companion animal. The correct answer isn't "clip their wings".

[bizwac]

Indeed.
I was thinking like "oh, well it might be dangerous to have a ferret running around. I KNOW! Cut off its legs!". Sure it's not quite the same, but still...
have it as is, or not at all

[mushyasparagus]

No. I think it is the same. Just like "Oh, I don't want my furniture being torn up because I am bringing an animal with claws in the house, so I will have someone cut off its first digits of each toe so that I won't have that problem!"
Ugh.

(However, when I was younger my mother had my cats declawed but when we took in some strays, I dissuaded her from doing that again.)

[bizwac]

*shakes head*

I hadn't heard of declawing until I came onto LJ comms with lots of USians. I was in disbelief when I found out what it was.

[laetisia]

suggest a bird feeder or birdbath to go outside! less mess and maintenance, and a much nicer way to enjoy the beauty of birds while leaving them free and happy!

[bizwac]

Ohh. nice. All the niceness, none of the hassle of cleaning up after them! :D

and a fitting userpic. :)

[br0ken_dolly]

i love all animals, i really do.

but i'd never EVER want to live with a pet bird. they're dirty (well, they require a lot more cleanup than your average kitty sand box), they're loud, and they're too pretty to be kept in cages.

but honestly, the filth and the noise? i couldn't do it. that'd be a roommate dealbreaker for me.

[bizwac]

Haha, yeah, I would NOT be cleaning up after it. his bird, his mess.
But I don't think I could deal with the noise. Birds are fine when they're outside, but cooped up all day squawking? no thanks.

[br0ken_dolly]

i hate walking past the cage of a poor confined bird and seeing their poo all hanging off the cage and on teh floor below. it's gross and it's sad.

birds ARE fine outside! they're lovely creatures!! but they have perpetual outside voices! they should be living outside!

[bizwac]

but they have perpetual outside voices!
HAHAHA. Yes!

(some people I know should be kept outside too. No concept of an inside voice.)