Wing Identity

This is Skyy. He is a mature and beautiful hyacinth macaw. Recently he had a check up with Brian Speer and it was decided that his wings should stay intact, not trimmed, because he identifies strongly with his wings. He uses them to play peek-a-boo and often preens them affectionately. To take away his flight feathers would probably cause him anxiety.

Whether or not to trim a bird's wings is not always a safety issue. Sometimes it's an emotional health issue. If you don't have to trim the wings for safety sake, you might consider leaving the flight feathers alone. However, the nails need to be trimmed for safety as well.