Parrot wing clipping is a controversial subject among bird owners. One school of thought is that the wings should never be clipped, restricting the parrot to remaining indoors or using a flight suit if taking the parrot outside. Another school of thought says that the wings should be clipped because in the wild parrots don't fly except to locate food which isn't a needed exertion when living with humans.
The balance falls to the side in favor of wing clipping because of the freedom it provides a bird living in a companion parrot situation. No parrot wants to be left in its cage all the time, yet a flighted parrot can get into much more trouble in the household than one that can't fly. It can reach things that a parrot with clipped wings could never think of reaching. There's just no place safe from a flight parrot in the home.
That isn't to say that a parrot with clipped wings can't get into trouble; they certainly can find things to create havoc with if left unsupervised. But their wings will not knock your fine china off the china shelf, break glass knickknacks, cause them to fly into ceiling fans, fall behind furniture, and other things that happen to flighted parrots all to frequently.
A parrot with clipped wings has the pleasure to going outdoors with its humans during good weather. It can go for rides in the car with its people. It can enjoy real sunshine and grass, watch the rain fall without a window in between. It doesn't have to be placed in a confining flight suit or cage to enjoy these pleasures.
If you have owned a parrot that loved people, you'll soon realize how difficult it could become to get into and out of your house without taking a chance of a parrot slipping out with you. No matter how careful you are, there will be a time that your partner, your child or perhaps even you, don't have the parrot in its cage when that door opens. Out the door the bird goes, with no idea what lies out there, and you may never see the parrot again.
Parrot wing clipping is not an expensive procedure and it is not painful for the parrot. You can easily learn, from a veterinary or professional at a pet shop, how to do the procedure yourself. You must always watch for any blood feathers growing in because feathers that have not shed their keratin sheath do contain a blood supply, unlike mature feathers. Cutting one of these can result in lots of bleeding and the cut feather must be removed with tweezer or hemostats to stop the bleeding.
With all the pluses and minuses in mind, the decision to clip your parrot's wings or allow your parrot to be flighted is yours. But you must realize how heartbreaking it can be to see your beloved parrot fly away out of your sight when it accidentally escapes.