The following information kindly written by

Nikki Moustaki

Wing clipping is the act of cutting the first seven to ten flight feathers on a bird’s wings to disable it from flying. There are two camps on this issue: one camp that opposes the practice and one that endorses it. Some say that birds are meant to fly and are at a disadvantage in many ways when the wings are clipped. The other camp asserts that a flighted bird living in the average household is in jeopardy from the many dangers lurking within ordinary things, like ceiling fans and open windows.

Both sides have valid points—it’s up to you whether or not you clip your bird’s wings. Most bird owners do clip, ensuring, at the very least, that they don’t lose their bird.
Wing clipping hurts just as much as a haircut hurts us—except that we don’t use our hair to move us around! It’s not a good idea to trim your bird’s wings yourself if you don’t know what you’re doing. This can lead to a poor clip and a freaked out parrot. Your avian veterinarian or local bird shop will provide this service for a small fee. Once you see it done a few times, you may feel confident enough to try it on your own.

Clipping isn’t necessarily difficult to do on your own—it’s mastering holding your bird properly that’s tricky. Two people are often better then one during the clipping procedure: one to hold the bird wrapped safely in a towel or washcloth and one to extend the wing and clip the feathers. 

Remember, a bird’s bones are very fragile and manhandling can be deadly. 
Birds have air sacs (part of the respiratory system) in some of their bones, and can die or become very ill if one of these bones breaks.

The flight feathers are the first ten long feathers at the end of the wing when you are looking at it from underneath. If you look at the wing from above you will see that these long flight feathers are covered halfway by a set of shorter feathers. The flight feathers are clipped at the point where these two feathers meet. To make a clean clip, cut each feather individually with sharp scissors—if you cut them all at once they will be uneven and pointy. A ragged clip doesn’t look nice, and the ends of the feathers can stick into the bird’s body uncomfortably and cause him to start picking and plucking.

Heavy birds, such as Amazons and African greys, need a conservative clip—you will only trim the first five to seven flights off of the wing, though this varies from bird to bird. These heavy birds need some of their flight feathers to glide to the ground should they fall, or risk breaking the breastbone or beak on a hard floor. Lighter birds, such as cockatiels and budgies, need a more drastic clip, consisting of all ten flight feathers and maybe even some of the next set of feathers toward the body on the wing, the lift feathers. Cockatiels have been known to fly with only their flight feathers clipped.

Feathers grow back with the next molt, about every six months or so, which is why it’s important to keep an eye on feather growth. Many an owner has lost a bird to the great blue yonder thinking that the bird was still clipped.

Bleeding is the one physical danger in clipping a bird’s wings, which happens when a new feather, called a blood feather, is accidentally cut. The blood feather is recognizable by the sheath surrounding it or by a reddish or dark vein in the center of the feather. If you notice bleeding, grip the wing firmly and pull the feather out of the wing in one quick motion. If you’re squeamish, put some coagulant on the wound and take your bird to the veterinarian immediately.