If you have a tame pet bird who likes to be on your hand, arm or shoulder, you’ve felt how sharp those nails can get. Its really not difficult to trim your bird’s nails, but if you’ve never done it before, it would be a good idea to have your avian veterinarian or your bird’s breeder show you how to do it.

The method or materials used will vary with different sized birds.

For my smaller birds (cockatiels, lovebirds, parakeets) I use an ordinary, but sharp set of fingernail clippers. I can hold the bird in one hand & also use the same hand to separate the feet and nails. The other hand uses the clippers & I carefully take off just the sharp tip of each nail.

For my Congo African Grey Parrots, I wrap them in a towel with their face covered. Although I have done this by myself, it is much easier with a 2nd person to keep track of the bird’s beak. Even with their face covered, they can sometimes get a good bite in. My handfed CAG, Jewel, voices her objection the loudest to this procedure, but my other CAG, Caesar will bite the hardest if he gets the chance. For their nails, I use the set of guillotine nail clippers that I also use for my dogs’ nails.

No matter how often you clip those nails, you must always be prepared for a nail cut too short. Just as you are squeezing the clippers, your bird might jump and before you realize it, there is blood coming from that nail. Do not panic! You should always be prepared by having some quick stop or even a bit of flour beside you. Gently hold a bit right on the too short nail and within minutes the bleeding should be stopped.

If you have different sized and different textured perches for your birds it will cut down on the number of times you have to cut your bird’s nails. Some birds don’t seem to need them done at all. Please, do not use sandpaper perch covers in the hope this will end toenail cutting. They don’t help with the nails, but they can cause sore feet for your bird.

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After many years of pet bird ownership, I have decided to write e-books about the care of some of these wonderful birds.