Alexandrine with clipped wing...?

Question

We purchased sonny bill from a local breeder, who I was recommended to, he insisted that he clip one of his wings while he got used to us.

He was 10wks old when we got him, and nearly eight months down the track i can see minimal growth in the wing, and he still cant fly..

has this man disabled him for good??

We have has birds before, and they were good to go after about 3 months, bnut we haven't had a parrot so large, im sorry if this is a silly question, but im baffled

Answer 1

On the larger birds it does seem that the feathers are slower to come in, but after 8 months I would think they would be in. Are you sure he clipped just the flight feathers? Have you taken him to a vet to check out? It could be also that larger parrots are as "flighty" as the little birds you may be use to. I have had Alexandrines, Sulfur Cresteds, Macaws and Amazons, and none were really inclined to fly the way the cockatiels and parakeets were.

Breeders and others traditionally clip only one wing in large birds, both are not necessary as the clipping of one wing throws them off balance in flight.

Answer 2

Ok, I am very disturbed that the breeder clipped only one wing. I have nothing against wing clipping at all. However, BOTH should be clipped evenly as the bird can still try to fly and if the wings are not even, it can cause serious control issues with the bird. It will prevent them properly and sasfely gliding down to the floor.
As far as growing feathers back, it does take time. Also, the bird will most likely be afraid to try it as he has never experienced flight (or even good balance for that matter).
I clip most of my birds and we keep the wings even. It is actually very important. They need to be able to exercise the wings to not only gain strength in the wings but to also basically know how to once feathers are regrown.
With one clipped and not the other, it's most likely very 'odd' on the bird and will take more time to adjust. Personally, I would have the other wing clipped to the same length as the one. It will help restore balance and he can learn properly over time as the feathers come back in.

Answer 3

He was likely clipped just after he got his new feathers and you are now waiting through the full cycle for the next moult. As others said, the larger birds seem to take longer for feathers to reappear.
Generally it is ill advised to clip just one wing though.
Clips are done to reduce the lift a bird can achieve but you still want them to have control if they do fly to the ground. For that they need both wings clipped evenly, taking off more or less flight feathers depending on the species. Clipping one wing really puts them off balance and can cause dangerous falls and crashes.

Answer 4

Don't worry and this isn't a silly question. It was for the best that you did clip one wing because you don't want a bird of that expense tofly away on you. I am still paying mine off! Her primary flight feathers will eventually grow back in a few months it just takes a bit more time because she is such a large bird. I hope this has helped.