pinioning

thumb|250px|1875 illustration of swans being pinioned during the Swan Upping Pinioning is the act of surgically removing one pinion joint, the joint of a bird's wing furthest from the body, to prevent flight. Pinioning is often done to waterfowl and poultry. Sometimes it is done in zoos in order to have birds in roofless enclosures. It is not typically done to companion bird species such as parrots. This practice is restricted in many countries.

==Procedure== thumb|Greater Flamingo at Bristol Zoo, Bristol, England with part of the wing missing. Removing the pinion joint of a bird stops the growth of the primary feathers, preventing the acceleration required for flight and is analogous to amputating a human hand at the wrist. Pinioning may be done by a veterinarian or by a trained breeder, depending on the country in which the keeper is operating. For example, it is illegal for anyone other than a veterinarian to carry out the procedure in the United Kingdom. It is similar to other forms of modification and surgical procedures of domestically raised animals, such as docking the tail of a dog and declawing on a cat.