Zach's wing feathers are finally starting to grow out. He has the outer most two wing feathers now on each wing, and they are almost all the way out.

He started to fly about 5 days ago, and he seems to have figured out how to control his flight already to some degree ... as good as he can with only about 30% of his wing feathers.

I take him out many times a day and let him fly back to the cage. He can fly 10 ~ 12 feet pretty easily so far. I can tell he likes to fly, and before he got enough feathers to fly he would do the "helicopter" wing flapping in the cage all the time.

That is darling - when they do that helicopter flying! He sounds really strong.

Not having had a clipped bird I don't know how long it takes for the flight feathers to grow back - maybe you could photo document them? How's your bond? HOw's Ziggy?

Well done little one! Thats great news.

Awww! Good for you little bird!

Originally Posted by homebird

That is darling - when they do that helicopter flying! He sounds really strong.

Not having had a clipped bird I don't know how long it takes for the flight feathers to grow back - maybe you could photo document them? How's your bond? HOw's Ziggy?

I've been taking some notes on major milestones with Zach.

I got Zach on Aug 18th, 2010. I was told he had just arrived that day at the pet store, so his wings were probably clipped that day or the day before. He was probably about 6~7 weeks old then ... very young.

I first noticed that some of his clipped wing feathers had dropped out on the floor of the cage around Oct 1st. Then around Oct 18th the new wing feathers that had dropped out where starting to show beyond the point they were once clipped. Around Oct 25th, they were about 1" beyond that point ... so they grow pretty fast. A day after that he was getting in his first short level flights.

I wonder if a bird's body knows when a major fight feather on their wing is damaged or cut? Because if you think about it, once they are grown and have all their wing feathers they don't seem to loose many of them when they molt. I remember when I had Pogo (his wings were clipped too), it seemed all his clipped wing feathers all dropped out over about a month and all new ones grew in. I'm expecting the rest of Zach's clipped wing feathers to do the same.

Hooray for Zach's flight feathers coming in! He'll be so confident when he can transport himself! While I dislike clipped wings, it was very, very interesting watching their flight progress as the flights came back in.

If he is moulting primaries, he is over a year old because the first moult is the juvenile which only covers contours. But the only reason why a bird will moult all his primaries at the same time is a diet way too rich in protein.

Originally Posted by Beatriz Cazeneuve

If he is moulting primaries, he is over a year old because the first moult is the juvenile which only covers contours. But the only reason why a bird will moult all his primaries at the same time is a diet way too rich in protein.

Zach is only about 4-1/2 months old ... I estimated he was hatched July 1st, 2010.

On both of his wings, he has grown in the two outer most flight feathers. Like I said above, I wonder if their body knows they are cut or damaged, and therefore drop the old feathers and grow in new ones.

I looked in my journal I kept for Pogo, and he started losing primary clipped wing feathers when he was only about 3-1/2 months old. That's about the same time Zach lost some of his clipped wing feathers.

It took about 2 months for all of Pogo's clip wing feathers to drop and grow back in. He was only about 6 or 6-1/2 months old at that point.

Originally Posted by svolk

Hooray for Zach's flight feathers coming in! He'll be so confident when he can transport himself! While I dislike clipped wings, it was very, very interesting watching their flight progress as the flights came back in.

I don't like clipped wings either, but the pet store or breeder must have clipped them. I think it's more likely they can get hurt with clipped wings unless they are kept strictly in the cage until all the wing feathers grow back (4 or 5 months). I couldn't do that.

Originally Posted by Hayabusa

I don't like clipped wings either, but the pet store or breeder must have clipped them. I think it's more likely they can get hurt with clipped wings unless they are kept strictly in the cage until all the wing feathers grow back (4 or 5 months). I couldn't do that.

I completely agree about them likely to be injured more with clipped wings - and besides, the more they can work on building the muscle strength and learning to navigate even with clipped wings, the better. Is Zach trying to keep up with Ziggy?