# Difficulty flying..



## Piggiku (Apr 21, 2016)

I am not sure where to post this other than here -

I recently (about 4 days now?) gotten a budgie and I have noticed that she is having troubles supporting her weight when she tries to fly from one perch to the next... often falling. Could this be due to her wings (possibly) being recently clipped? I am going to be contacting the pet store I received her from - but there is no indications of any injuries, so I'm wondering if it is a wing thing. She flaps her wings now and again, no problems. It's just when she tries to fly.

I hope this is the case...

EDIT: She can fly a little but it's like she can't get higher than a certain point - or maybe her wings tire fast? Sorry I can't give a more accurate description

-Piggiku


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## aluz (Jul 24, 2011)

Indeed, the trouble she is having in flying and keeping balance when going from perch to perch is likely due to the fact her feathers have been recently clipped and she is in the process to adjusting to this change. Hopefully soon she will adapt to her clipped wings and the balancing problems go away.


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## PoukieBear (Sep 27, 2013)

I agree. It's probably because her flight feathers have been clipped.

Are you able to tell how many feathers are clipped? If it's any more than three or four on each side, then she'll definitely have difficulties staying up.


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## Piggiku (Apr 21, 2016)

PoukieBear said:


> I agree. It's probably because her flight feathers have been clipped.
> 
> Are you able to tell how many feathers are clipped? If it's any more than three or four on each side, then she'll definitely have difficulties staying up.


I do not know how to tell if her wings are clipped. (With care), should I spread her wing to see, or is this something I can tell without scaring her?


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## StarlingWings (Mar 15, 2013)

When you look at her wing from the side, you should be able to tell if there are flight feathers or not. Here is a picture of a budgie with clipped wings:









Here is a budgie with full flights:








Pictures courtesy of Google Images

In time, her flights will fully grow back after a few moults


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## bluewing (Feb 6, 2016)

If they are clipped, you will want to monitor flight time and make sure she doesn't injure herself. When wings are clipped, they cannot achieve full lift and so, they will land abruptly at times or into walls or other things that you don't want them hitting because injury can result.

She still needs to have fly time, just monitor her to train herself, but do so safely until she is starting to get full flight feathers in and this will be some time before that happens.

If her wings aren't clipped and she is still having trouble, you need to help train her for strengthening. I myself have one budgie, full grown, who isn't a very good flyer, but she tries, yet most often, lands on the floor and 'waits' for her elevator service (me ) to pick her up. She never was a strong flyer and she's kind of a little puff ball.


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