Written by Doug Clark, all rights reserved
(First appeared on Clickbirds List)
Thank you Chris for a great post on "how to towel".
I usually include a phrase like "grab the head like you are grabbing a
snake" - as someone else observed, this is about the best example I can
think of to give someone a picture of just how its done.
We see the term "toweling" in about a million articles a year - but as
we have learned here, most readers have no idea what the procedure looks like. I
can't tell you how many times I have seen people "chewed-up" when they
tried to grab the bird around the middle of its body. I guess most people are
afraid that the neck is just too fragile to touch, much less grab. Actually when
you towel a bird you are holding him by the head and lower "jaw"-
these areas are very strong and solid. Reasonable care will assure that this
will not hurt your bird.
After I grab the bird, I usually drape as much as the towel over the wings as
possible to comfortably restrain them. Often the bird will grab a foot full of
towel and relax. So you might try putting a bit of the towel within reach of the
feet, Don't be surprised if the bird makes some noise _ As Gwen has discovered
some awful sounds can come out of a toweled macaw....and the sounds that come
from some cockatoos in a towel would scare Stephen King ! Its normal, some birds
learn to be quiet and still -- others never get used to the procedure, and
screaming will always be a part of it. Regardless of how they react, they
usually get over it in a few minutes and "forgive you" right away.
Macaws are especially forgiving, so Neon can probably go right back to your
regular routine in the shower, Gwen.
I always like to remind people that toweling can be frightening for your bird
the first few times, so be extremely wary of the beak - if the bird bites you,
it will be a serious bite. Likewise, many African grey and other parrots will
try to grab you with their feet and claws, and this can hurt as much as a bite.
If you are holding the bird while some one else is working on the wings or claws
(or whatever), the "holder" is responsible for both peoples safety.
Pay attention to how you are holding the bird, and watch that the bird does not
pull out of your hand and nail your assistant. Be careful not to hurt the bird,
but don't let any people get hurt either. Think Safety...
Doug Clark