I know that having a bird is very new to you.
You have just met the most enthusiastic of us + me - who are all for flighted. Hope we're not scaring you.

When I got my first bird - Laker - he was flighted. I also had a cat. She was old but still deadly. Both wanted to be with me all the time.
As you can see i worked with one hand on her at all times but Laker would even hop onto her!

I didn't want to clip Laker - I did think about it. He came flighted but only because he was caged all the time & they didn't think to do it thankfully. There never was a bird so excited to get out of his cage. It has been a wonderful adventure having him flighted - a joy to see his joy & see him get to be a terrific flier.

Whenever I was away & at night - the cage [quite small] went up on to the top of a tall bookcase for safety. If you get a lovely large cage [see Chipper's cage among others] the bird can hide in the forest of toys & the cat will get bored. But never leave them together [lock out the cat]- even with the little fellow in the cage - cats can be scary.

I haven't mentioned how to clip. I would read about it & look at the demos & read about the blood feathers & how the bird can bleed to death or hurt its self falling. Then think about it a lot - please.

A flighted bird is a lot of fun & once you get the place bird proof [plants & toxic stuff & windows & hidden cats] & have a routine, the fun will begin.

I hope you have fun & can handle this barrage of good intentions.

I wanted to leave Winkie flighted, but due to circumstances I have to keep him clipped.

We have our doors open a lot & that is how my little rotter got out the first time.

Jenna, I would let your baby fledge before you clip him (if you do). If you don't (or if he's already clipped) it will be months before he learns how to fly. Winkie was like that. I got him in Dec. 2006 & he didn't learn how to fly until Sept./Oct. 2007.

I gave (& still do) Winkie lots of practice at flying. I would make sure no dogs/cats were around & put the bird on my finger, hold out at arms length & tip my wrist towards me so that Winkie would fly to my shoulder.

Personally, I would love to keep Winkie flighted, but right now I am not able to. I was lucky that our dog & cat were in no way fast & that someone was always there to catch my boy up safely.

I hope this helps you decide.

Leah

I haven't read all the replies so please excuse mine if you have gone beyond this.

Birds will moult just like cats and dogs. Depends on your seasons in your country to the time of year. You will know, you will find the feathers falling.
If you want a bird to not fly, you will only need to clip one wing. Clipping both will still give them balance and they will be able to flutter up and over or away a certain distance, maybe not as high, but still mobile. You cut one wing, this unbalances them.
My chooky dooks, just had their wing cut, little darlin's they are, can't fly a great distance but enough to scale the 6' fence and up, up and away!!!!

So to do it, I get hold of them, by the feet, turn them upside down, completely immobilizes them, they go into a trance, spread the wing, then cut from the lower feathers on the same level through all the flight feathers. I have done this to budgies and cockatiels, although the smaller birds I don't need to turn upside down, but cutting a chooks wing on your own, you have no other choice.

I have to respectfully disagree about clipping only one wing - while yes, I can see how that unbalances them, I don't believe it's safe to leave them unbalanced. If unbalanced that can open them up to falling and injuring the keel bone or the beak.

I am also wary of getting ahold of a p'let by the feet since their feet are so tiny. If one doesn't know what they're doing I would think that they could easily injure the bird by doing this.

Sarah is totally correct in all she said (IMO). That is old school thinking here in my area, regarding cutting the flights on only one wing. Safest not to do that.

I have to add my bit on the one wing thing, it interferes with the chest muscles and breathing of the birds also, extreme bad idea.

A small bird like budgies and parrotlets cutting the outermost 4-5 primary flights of 2 wings to the level of coverts is enough to allow a gentle glide to the floor but no altitude. Try 4 and if the birdie flies try 5. I have one very strong sun conure that needs 6 clipped. The others all have 4 clipped. I have one budgie that needs 5 clipped.

Turning the bird upside down in a hand is the best way to look for blood feathers and see the line of the coverts. It is better not to clip while any blood feathers are visible. Even if you don't clip the blood feather there is a danger of the blood feather breaking if the support is removed on either side of it. A bird can bleed to death from a broken blood feather if not treated in time. Best to wait a week or 2 till the blood is out all the feathers.

It is best to clip a very small bird with no toweling as they can get easily hurt. A finger either side of the head is enough to restrain a small bird, wont be able to bite you and because it is your fingers, you know not to crush the bird.

I completely agree. I didn't actually think people still clipped just one wing. Like Sarah said, unbalancing a bird on purpose could potentially be very dangerous for them.

Goes to show how old I am doesn't it. Advise heeded.

P.S. I don't pick them up by the feet, I use them to hold onto them while I balance them upside down on my knee.
sorry that was misleading how I wrote that part.

I would advise against clipping, but if you feel you have to, please go to a vet or groomer and have someone demonstrate. I know a woman who did not listen to me regarding this, clipped her bird's wings based upon a book she had, did a terrible job, and her birds wings have not grown back properly after more than 2 years. She really regrets it. Every time her bird tries to fly, he falls down and hits the floor with a terrible thud.