Pinioning

Pinioning is the surgical removal of a bird's pinion joint, the joint of the wing farthest from the body, to permanently prevent flight. Removing the joint stops the growth of the primary feathers needed to generate lift, in a procedure compared to amputating a human hand at the wrist. It is commonly performed on waterfowl and poultry, and is sometimes used on zoo birds kept in roofless enclosures, but it is not typically done to companion birds such as parrots. Evidence suggesting the procedure may cause a phantom-limb-like syndrome similar to that seen in human amputees has led to its prohibition in some regions and growing scrutiny of the practice.