Monday March 12, 2007

Clipped Wings, But He Can Still Jump

Petey the Sun Conure parrot drinking juice
Even though Petey's wings are clipped, he loves juice so much that he made a huge leap, without a single flap from his wings, from my shoulder to the glass of orange juice that I had just taken a sip from.


Comments:
otilius : Petey!!! you gotta love him....
Cynthia Blue : Very cute picture!

Tuesday May 02, 2006

Wing Exercise

Petey the Sun Conure flapping wings

Petey often exercises his wings inside his cage. It is very important to have a cage large enough that allows birds to fully extend their wings for exercise. Clipped birds should flap their wings rigorously at least a few times per day in order to maintain their muscles properly. Improperly clipped or weak wings can cause the bird serious injury or death should they fall. The wings should be clipped evenly or the bird will be out of balance. Too aggressive of a clipping will cause the bird to drop like a rock. Whether or not to clip your bird's wings is highly dependent on the environment they live in.


Comments:
Gidget : I had a sun conure. They are great birds, loud, but sweet

Tuesday April 11, 2006

Petey perched on a beer keg



Petey likes to protect the beer in the house, he sits, waits and watches to make sure nobody mooches off our beer. He takes his job personally, but usually he squawks before he bites. His bites are similar to an American Staffordshire terrier (pit bull) bite, he locks on with his beak and won't let go. Just kidding, Petey is a very gentle and sensitive bird, and he will share his beer with other people too. It has been almost four and half months since his wings were last clipped, but he still sinks pretty fast when he tries to fly. It doesn't even look like there are any flight feathers that are big enough to clip yet.


Comments:
kathryn : what a cool bird.
blueyes : Petey rules!! ;)

Monday March 06, 2006

Petey likes his chew toys

Petey the Sun Conure chewing on a toy

Some visitors have asked if Petey's wings are clipped. Yes his wings were clipped before he came home. Most people agree that clipping a bird's wings is necessary. It is noninvasive. When done right the bird should not be able to gain altitude, but also should not sink like a rock. If the wings are clipped incorrectly, the bird can injure itself if it falls from a height. Even birds with clipped wings can gain altitude if the winds are sufficient, therefore just because a bird's wings are clipped doesn't make it safe to take your bird outside. A leash or Feather Tether Bird Harness is highly recommended if you take your bird outside. If Petey will not use the Feather Tether, then clipping his wings will be mandatory. So far progressing with the harness has been slow. In the photo, Petey is playing chewing on the Cal Sea Yum Bird Toys I mentioned before. Lately he has begun to chew on the rubber, before he would just crunch up the calcium wafers.


Comments:
YummY! : Do you clip his wings yourself, or do you get a vet to do it?
The Creep : You blog about a stupid bird, how fucking pathetic.
Anji : What lovely photos. The information is interesting too.
jill : i don't think blogging about a bird is pathetic, especially if you've ever owned a parrot you would know how much they mean to their owners and how most of them have way more personality than some humans I know. Documenting parrot antics is quite funny. anyways it's better than your lame site. BTW petey is adorable. I have a 2 yr old girl named sunny, she is a crackup. I just love them.

Thursday February 23, 2006

Bird Bath

Petey the Sun Conure Spreading his wings after a bath

Petey enjoys water quite a bit, if he isn't given an opportunity to take a formal bath, he just hops in one of his water bowls. More water ends up outside his cage than on him though. Currently, I use Ultra Care Bird Bath Spray from Eight in One on him and it seems to work pretty well, definitely better than water alone.


Comments:
Alejandro : Did you cut his wings? :?
mike : petey is probably the coolest bird ever, if they dont like it talk to chas he will want to box them
anlempert : awww such a cutie pie