WING AND NAIL GROOMING

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NAIL GROOMING is more difficult for us than for some parrot owners because Eclectus parrots have dark-colored nails that can hide our view of the "quick" (or blood supply) inside.

Here's a web site with clear illustrations of exactly where to cut the nail in order to avoid the nail's blood supply.

http://birdmart.com/nails.html

If you are concerned about bleeding, use a nail file rather than a clipper, or have your vet do the nail grooming. Never groom your bird's nails without styptic powder, or corn starch and aloe, ready to stop any bleeding -- just in case.

The basic methods of nail grooming detailed below are "cutting, burning, and filing".

CUTTING is the method preferred by many parrot owners but all types of clippers are very unforgiving. If you cut too much, there is no remedy and you must find a way to stop the bleeding which can be serious, especially if the nail starts bleeding later when no one is around to take care of the emergency. Also, cutting the nails can be painful to the bird and can cause extreme soreness afterward. Aloe helps with soreness, and aloe with corn starch or flour works well, as does styptic powder, to stop bleeding.

BURNING with an electric cauterizing tool actually melts or burns the nail tip away. The advantages are that the nail does not bleed, and that a blunt end that is comfortable for the owner holding the bird on arm, hand or shoulder is created. One disadvantage is that the heat can cause discomfort for the bird even though most birds don’t seem to object to this procedure. Another disadvantage is that the loss of all points on their nails sometimes causes birds to have trouble gripping surfaces. Also, the cautery wire of the electric tool must be kept free of debris.

FILING is my favorite method of nail grooming for birds and it is safest for new parrot owners. A professional nail file designed for acrylic nails works best. This method is safe because your Eclectus will let you know if you get too close to the "quick" -- before it's too late. There is no heat involved and no electrical device to cause damage. Once the new bird owner is more experienced and confident about their parrot care skills, they can then move on to other methods that they might prefer.

The easiest way to file your bird's nails is to place him in your lap, allow him to play with the nail file or emery board until he feel safe with it. Then file one nail at a time till they're all blunted. Make it a fun game with lots of praise and kisses. If you do it every week or two, his nails will never get too long and he will learn to expect the gentle grooming game, and maybe even enjoy it. You need not do all eight nails in one sitting. If your Eclectus gets restless, wait until later to finish the job. It is best to do it when they're calm and not interested in eating or playing.

DREMELING is another method of nail grooming. It is a rotary grinding device like the electric dremel tool sold for woodworking and other craft work. There is a rechargeable version that is lightweight and quiet but many dremel tools are so loud that they scare birds. Grinding nails with a dremel is often a two-person job -- one person must restrain the bird, while the other grinds off the nail tip. If a breeder accustoms a baby Eclectus to the dremel at an early age, it will be more readily accepted.

In the hands of an expert, like your vet, the dremel is a valuable tool. However, your first attempt at using it "could" cause damage. Nail clippers also can cause damage, or in rare instances, even death due to bleeding from nails cut extremely short. The biggest advantage of the dremel is that it cauterizes the end of the nail as it shortens it and that prevents bleeding. If you buy a dremel for home use, take it with you to your next vet visit and ask for a demonstration of its use. When using the dremel tool or any power filing device, be sure to start with the slowest speed and keep the birds' other toes away from the dremel.

Some Eclectus keepers use "sandy perches" or cement perches to help keep the nails blunted. While the nails might still need grooming periodically, sandy perches seem to keep those sharp needle-like nail tips dulled. We list sources for sandy perches on our Favorite Products list posted every weekend.

WING CLIPPING

Birds in homes where flight is completely safe are quite lucky because flying is a natural exercise for winged creatures. Most companion bird keepers have neither a large flight cage for safe flying nor a home with a floor plan that keeps flighted birds away from open doors and windows. Therefore, wing clips are necessary for many companion parrots. There are several wing-clip styles from which to choose and all are detailed below.

The "Pretty Clip"

When I first had Eclectus babies available for adoption, I sent them home with the "pretty clip" which was popular at the time. This clip leaves the first three primary flight feathers on each wing uncut and the next five primary flight feathers cut short. When the wings are folded, one cannot tell that the bird's wings are clipped and they look perfectly natural with no cut feather ends showing. I used this clip until the adoptive parent of one of my babies watched her new young redhead fly off into the woods when she was startled by the loud noise of a lawn chair being opened. Four harrowing hours later, the bird was miraculously found in a very tall tree in a densely wooded area frequented by hawks and other predators. The frantic new owner managed to get her Eclectus baby back but we all were made painfully aware of just how dangerous the "pretty clip" really is.

Most common wing clip for Eclectus

After that frightening experience, I started doing a gradual wing clip by first cutting the two outermost primary flight feathers close to the major coverts and test flying the bird; then I would cut another two feathers close to the coverts and give another test flight. After cutting one additional feather on each side until the bird was able only to fly downward and land about ten to fifteen feet away without gaining altitude, the clip was finished.

Soon it became apparent that cutting Eclectus flight feathers just below the major coverts left the cut ends located at the most sparsely feathered area of the bird's sides. If a bird's sides are irritated by the cut feather ends, there is a risk of feather chewing which can lead to feather plucking. By cutting the feathers about an inch and a half longer, the cut ends will be located in the most densely feathered part of the bird's sides. This cushions the cut feather ends, making them much less irritating to the bird and thereby decreasing the chances of feather plucking due to irritation. This is the clip that I use for my birds.

African Grey clip

There is yet another way to clip wings that makes the cut feather ends even less irritating than the wing clips detailed thus far. This is the clip recommended by Bobbi Brinker for African Greys. The primary flight feathers are clipped so that the cut ends of the feathers are "sandwiched" between the upper wing coverts (the short overlapping feathers that cover the base of the flight feathers on the top of the wing) and the underwing coverts on the underside of the wing. If the cut feather ends are sandwiched between the upper and lower coverts, they do not poke into the bird's side and cause irritation and possibly plucking. See an illustration at this web address:

"Wing Clipping and the African Grey"
http://www.birdsnways.com/wisdom/ww25ev.htm

"Towel the bird and place him on his back. Open the wing. Carefully clip the flight from the underside of the wing so that the cut end is above the level of the coverts. Gently lift each flight feather and push away the coverts so that the coverts are not accidentally clipped. Clip the flight at the point where the feather barbules begin on the shaft of the flight feather."

Wing clipping 101 -- Excellent illustration of blood feathers
http://www.parrottalk.com/wings.html

When we clip our birds' wings at home, we are responsible for making sure that we don't clip blood feathers. They are easily recognizable. Basically, avoid cutting any feather with a soft and swollen blood-filled portion that is bluish in color. To protect a blood feather, some recommend leaving another feather on each side of it for support. Before clipping your bird's wings, educate yourself on avoiding blood feathers and on how to pull the feather shaft if the unthinkable happens. Quik Stop can be used on cut toenails but it should not be used to stop the bleeding of feathers because it can destroy the skin. Flour and corn starch are a good substitutes and aloe makes them even more effective.

Please don't give an Eclectus nor any other parrot the "one-wing clip". Many accidents have been caused by this clip that leaves a bird so unbalanced that it will almost surely crash into something if flight is attempted.

There is NO wing clip that will prevent escapes into the outdoors if a bird's wing clip is not checked and updated frequently. Most escapes occur when a wing clip has grown out without the owner's awareness. Check wing clips at the beginning of each month if not more often. Eclectus males have more streamlined bodies than Eclectus females so they are more likely to escape due to their ability to fly with a minimum of flight feather length.

Carolyn

[Hobo]

Thanks for the informative post