When most people hear of wing clipping they are mortified. Let me clear up a few common misunderstandings. Wing clippings are not painful. The actual feather doesn't have nerves, and your not pulling it out, your just trimming them. The whole thing is very much like cutting ones hair or nails. Secondly, wing clipping is not cruel. Whats cruel is not clipping your birds wings and having it fly out into the wilderness to parish. The only exception to wing clipping are birds in aviaries. Aviary birds remain in their large enclosures all the time and thus are, for the most part, safe. There are many, many, positives to wing clipping. One of the major reasons I clip Buddie's wings is to keep her behaviour in check. Being an "aggressive female" budgie, Buddie is prone to biting, destroying anything and everything she gets her beak on, and refusing to step up or return to her cage unless she feels like it. With her wings clipped she is much more friendlier, only bites when threatened, and the urge to destroy everything leaves her. She is also much more of a cuddler with her wings clipped.

Only clip your budgies wings if you've been showed how by an avian specialist or by a veterinarian! And always have quick stop and a styptic pencil on hand if you accidentally make your budgie bleed!

Excellent Wing Clipping Sites:

Wing Clipping:Why, When And How by Carol Highfill