In some species the male has been known to attack the female. Clipping the male's wings while leaving the female fully flighted can help protect the female by enabling her to more easily escape an attack. The First Clipping Baby birds should not be clipped until they have learned to fly. Learning to fly gives birds confidence, enables them to properly develop their chest muscles, teaches them balance and enables them to learn how to turn and to land safely. Being able to manuever and land properly is very important.
Birds have very light, fragile bones which can easily be injured by a clumsy landing or a fall.
When to Clip Birds should be clipped when their feathers have grown back enough so that they can fly more than a few feet. This is usually after a molt and for most birds about once a year. If clipping is done during a molt, then some of the clipped feathers may still continue to grow out. New feathers may also grow in as well. If you wait until the molt is complete there should be a need for only one clipping.