black feathers

Hi all, I have an approximately 42 year old amazon who was just at vet. Avian vet felt he had vitamin a deficiency as his Choanal papillae is completely smooth. Unfortunately he has been on an all seed diet for most of his life until the past six months. He only weighs 166 g and I’m having a horrible time trying to help him gain weight. I am now feeding him Harrison’s birdie bread that vet told me to feed him along with caitec parrot pellets. In the morning he eats a veggie mash mixed with a little steel oats or quinoa. I noticed since he’s been to vet his feathers are turning black. His chest is really noticeable and over his back also. The vet did give him a shot of vitamins and told me to just keep trying to switch his diet to Harrison’s and any sort of pellet food. He does have full spectrum lamp that I use a few hours each day with him. I’m afraid to give him too much light as he is completely blind in one eye and very little vision in the other eye. My poor little man has been through a lot and now his feathers are beginning to turn black just when I am so close to getting him to eat a better diet. Also, how can I help him gain weight. Any help or thoughts are appreciated. Thanks in advance.

There are 2 stages to bird feathers. One is the growth stage (think before and during pin feather stage), and the other is the existing feather (when it isn't growing and is just being preened before it eventually molts and begins the cycle again).

Now, most dietary changes will take place during the growth stage. They molt at least once a year, more often every 6 months or so. It's not a complete full-body feather replacement - just a few feathers each time.

If you're looking at recent changes on his feathers, outside of the growth stage, there are different factors. Sun, oil from human touch, brushing up against things like cage bars, natural bronzing just before a molt, etc.

Give it time for diet changes to show. I'd look into the immediate causes - are you petting him in those places with black feathers, is he cuddling up to cage bars with those feathers, is he due for a molt and so it's just old feathers ready to go?



As for the rest, I'd defer to an avian vet. It's great if you can work closely with your vet

Thanks for your response....I have had my amazon for 40 years, adopted more or less, and until recently realized and was told I am doing the diet thing all wrong. I am trying to make up for lost time as far as his health goes and I know I have a huge uphill battle. I’ve never seen his feathers look like this in 40 years and I’m not sure what else to do as he was just at the vet and I’m not sure how serious this is. About six months ago he would pull out a feather every day but now it happens maybe once a week. Another thing not sure if me bathing him is making this happen. By bathing I just lightly spray him from faucet in sink. I will keep an eye and maybe take pics to compare if it is getting worse. I just worry because he is very senior and not sure if the change in diet could have caused it even though I know he is eating more healthy. Thanks again for your help and input.

I have aink on bird stress that might have some helpful tips.https://lafeber.com/pet-birds/stress-reduction-for-parrot-companions/

Changing a diet rapidly is a little hard on them. But great job on trying to improve health. I'm really concerned that weight is so low!!! What did vet say about that????? Did they say to allow a few more seeds??? I have some studies done on diet on my Ornithology page I link them for you.
http://www.royalbirdcompany.com/diet research amazon parrots.htm

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3367951/#!po=30.2198

I'm glad you came here, you will hear many different ideas and advice, which is a great way to learn. Take it all in and decide what's best for you .

For me I would read the ingredients on the pellet bags. Disappointingly they usually are made from sunflower seeds, millit, corn, soybean peanuts ECT..... What makes them healthy is the proper mix of vitamins, mineray fiber, fats and protein. I use pellets, but I also feed a seed mix , a ton of veggies rare fruit, rare scrambled eggs or boiled chicken, some pasta, oatmeal, human food. If your bird doesn't eat veggies than the pellets have more importance in getting those vitamins in. If your bird like mine eat tons of stuff then the pellets aren't as high in importance. This is just my veiw.

I'm very worried about the low weight of your bird, as I know you are
166 grams!!!!. If it was me I add more seeds back to the diet, offer millit spray as treat. Hot red chilli peppers have lots of good vitamin A and central and south American parrots species seem to take readily to them. As peppers are part of wild parrot diet. I might offer cooked carrots to a finiky veggies eater. On the fruit side the one with the most nutrition are blue berries, plums, cherries, blackberries, cranberries, pomegranate. I might so seek a second opinion from an avain vet from a different practice.

Amazons molt over a fairly long period of time and it is scheduled, especially with flight feathers. Body Feathers molt based on the transition of weather over the year. As stated, Spring, Fall molts are common.

To the point of Color! As stated so very well, feathers are affected by diet during the grow-in of the feather. Once in place, color only changes with contact with other surfaces (your hand or other surfaces) and age (their ability to reflect color).

Did Your Vet Complete a Full Spectrum Blood Test? If not, the vast majority of what is being done is just a bit short of guess work! The Blood Test provides clear indications of what if anything needs to be added to a Diet! If the blood test was not completed, make an appointment and get a Full Spectrum Blood Test!!!

You have a Senior Amazon and having a Full Spectrum Blood Test is something that we do every 15 months at a minimum... More often if we are chasing specific health problems.

Diet: Within the Amazon Forum at the top of the Page are two Threads Highlighted in Light Blue. Within the huge Thread: I Love Amazons - ... is a Segment that defines a healthy Amazon's Diet. Please read it!

Assure that you are taking your Amazon's weight at the correct time. NOTE: Always target taking a Parrot's weight First thing in the Morning after the morning movement and before Food or Water.

White Front Amazons have a 'common' weight range between 180 to 270 grams.
It is important to understand that this is a common weight and it is not unusual for Variation. Your Amazon is on the light side and the first questions should be, has this been a common weight for your Amazon or has its weight changes quickly over a short period of time? The answer defines whether this is a minor concern or a great concern.

NOTE #1: The term 'All Seed Diet' is over used as it does not define specifically what the Parrot is eating. Point being, the Vast Majority of Seed, Grains, and Nuts are healthy and common in a Parrot's diet. With Amazons, when the diet includes Sun Flower Seed (and its variations) and Peanuts, that is a problem as those items have known health causing issues.

thank you Laurasea for your informative reply. I actually had Pretty Bird to two different avian vets, the first one did not even weigh him, he just advised me to get him off seeds and onto a better diet, hence that was when I learned how badly I was feeding him. I told the vet I thought he was going blind as he does not forage and moves very timidly. I had to search and search for this vet but left very disappointed as I didn’t think he was at all concerned. He said other than being blind, he “looked” good. I started searching again for a vet and found one a couple hours away and took him there. He said he was malnourished and said to get him off seeds as he has severe vitamin a deficiency. He gave him a shot of vitamin a and told me to feed him the Harrison’s birdie bread. Ever since that visit his feathers have started turning black. Neither vet told me to try to make him gain weight but I have been going crazy trying to do so. Every couple hours I am trying some sort of mash, fruit, pellets, birdie bread etc to get him to eat. The second vet said most birds with vitamin a deficiencyhave Choanal papillae with blunt edges and pretty bird’s is completely smooth, not a good sign. I asked if that could get better with diet and unfortunately it cannot. Do you think that could be why he is not gaining weight? I have no idea how important that part of his mouth is except for what I’ve been reading. I really will not be able to afford much invasive care as I am $8000 in debt from veterinarian care for a sick cat that needed hospitalized. I am struggling with guilt over not being able to give pretty bird better care other than periodic vet visits. The second vet did do stool labs and said all seemed ok there and since I would not be doing anything invasive, he saw no reason to go further with labs. The vet did tell me that he is completely blind in left eye and still has a little eye sight in right eye. I am so sad with my lack of knowledge and not knowing Pretty bird was so sick. So by the one article I read do you think it would be ok to give him some sunflower seeds or what else can I give him to help him pick up some weight without hurting him more. Any more ideas will be greatly appreciated.

I know that the oils from our hands can turn bird feathers Black, its not harmful or anything at all
Thanks
Noah Till

Correct Food For An Amazon
SailBoat 2016


How does one determine the amount and type of food for a companion Amazons? This is a subject that is much pondered by Amazon owners, but rarely addressed by the experts.

Your Avian Vet will use the gram weight of your parrot, the target weight range for the species, and combined with the ‘feel’ of the parrot during the physical examination to determine if your Amazon is under, within the range, or overweight. Most Avian Vets tend to address the issue of the correct amount of food based on the current status of that Amazon. If that Amazon is overweight, cut-down on how much is provided, if not overweight, that Amazon is getting the correct amount or additional needs to be provided if underweight. That’s nice, but it ready doesn’t answer the question of how much to feed, and more importantly, what to base that amount on.

Since each Amazon is different based on its life style and what is in fact provided as a diet. The answer, as with most things, will require an effort on your part. The process will require that you are comfortable handling your Amazon and that you have a gram scale. “If you have an Amazon, a gram scale is as important as a cage. Amazons have a love for food, therefore are prone to overeating. They love food so much that it can be hard for them to limit themselves since they get such pleasure from eating.”

NOTE: There are several Amazon species that have a very wide range in overall physical size and therefore weight. If you’re Amazon is at the upper or lower end of the ‘size’ range that must be factored into determining it’s stable, healthy weight!


Examination of Your Amazon:

“The first step in evaluating an Amazon is to visually determine if there is a vertical crease down the mid, lower chest. Now, determine if there is a crease between the legs. It is sometimes hard to tell if the vertical crease is caused by muscle or fat on the breast (Keel) bone, in addition, not all Amazons will have a crease between their legs. This reality supports the need for second step.

NOTE: A seriously underweight Amazon will present with a very pronounced breast (Keel) bone and needs be to be seen by their Avian Vet ASAP.

Step two is to check for the presents of fat by wetting the Amazon’s chest feathers and with care separating them to see the skin. In most all cases, you will see the fat layer under the thin translucent skin. It’s appearance looks like the yellow/white fat on a chicken’s breast that you would prepare for cooking.

Step three requires an evaluation of the activity level of your parrot. Here, a simple ‘One to Ten,’ scale is used. A ‘One’ would define an Amazon, which perches directly next to the food bowl and only if the water bowl is located elsewhere will move between the two bowls, a clear reason for separating and continually moving the bowls. A ‘Ten’ would be a fully flighted Amazon, which does not become winded during any two or more consecutive flights around the house. That occasional fourteen-foot flight from the cage to you, to recover that special treat, does not count as a Ten!

Step four, weigh your Amazon daily! Weighing is most accurate, if it is done at the same time everyday. The best time would be directly after the morning movement and prior to eating. Write down the day, time, and weight of your Amazon. Daily weighing is an important tool in monitoring the health of your Amazon.

Remember that there will be natural fluctuations in weight throughout the year. Examples: During and post Hormonal season(s), during and after molting season(s). Amazon’s of the Great White North will naturally be ‘slightly’ heavier during the winter than during summer. In addition, pigging-out on a favored treat will result in them momentary being heavier shortly after that event. All of these reasons support the need for the daily gram weight of your Amazon. Spot weighing or the yearly weighing at the Avian Vet’s Clinic does not provide enough information to track the weight of your Amazon.”

NOTE: There are those Amazons that have stabilized as part of their youth and middle age, eating habits, in addition to they overall health and activity level, that allow for a weekly weight check. That said; if any change from their stable state occurs, return to a daily weight check.


Reviewing the Results and Adjusting Your Amazon’s Servings:

A heavier Amazon that rates ‘Eight’ in activities, has a little fat on its breast and has a vertical flight muscle crease is an athlete and is not overweight. If this defines your Amazon, it is very important that your Avian Vet is fully aware of the athletic status of your parrot. Vets rarely use step two, too visually determine the content of the vertical crease of the mid - lower chest. They may incorrectly assign your parrot as overweight.

Far too often, the heavier parrot has a ‘Two or Three’ in activities, has extensive fat on its breast and a defined round chest. The perch potato is obviously heavy. For this Amazon, feed a ‘little less’ for a week. Then keep reducing the serving size each week until you see a decrease in its daily weight. Provide that serving size over the next couple of weeks, while watching for the Amazon’s weight to stabilize. At this point, begin reducing the serving size again, following the process above. During this process, it is very important to increase the activity level of your Amazon. Separating the water and food dishes, moving them to different areas of the cage, rearranging the location of toys all work to stimulate your Amazon. Additionally, getting your Amazon out and spending an increased one-on-one time with you is important for both of you.

I do not recommend introducing ‘extensive’ change to your Amazon’s environment during this process. Most Amazon’s hate change and it is important not to unnecessary stress your Amazon. The goal is to build more activity into your Amazon’s daily life and adjust food intake to improve its overall health. Making minor, daily changes in different parts of the cage over the course of several weeks is much better than the all in one day approach. This encourages the Amazon to investigate the smaller daily changes as apposed to freaking-out over a totally new environment.

If your Amazon is too thin, you simply follow the same process, but increase the size of its servings and activities. Some Amazons, like some Humans, have a very high metabolic rate and simply require more food. In both cases, involvement of your medical support (Avian Vet or Doctor) is critical to assure proper medical guidance.

It is important to reevaluate your Amazon monthly and based on that evaluation, adjust the amount of food provided. Please remember that there are natural variations in the gram weight of an Amazon over the course of a year. The goal is to improve the health of your Amazon by proving a well-balanced healthy diet, sized to its activity level and metabolic rate.

This discussion ‘assumes /requires’ you are providing a healthy and varied diet, and that you are regularly visiting an Avian Qualified Vet. If your Amazon is on an all seed diet, please, first convert to a balanced, healthy diet before undertaking a weight reduction program. That change, in and of itself, can reduce your Amazon’s weight and increase its activity level. To my knowledge, there are no Amazons that will have a healthy life eating only seed. Seed should be a very, very small part of an overall healthy diet for an Amazon.


Continued on the next Post!

Correct Food For An Amazon
SailBoat 2016

... Continuation


Suggestions for a Healthy Amazon Diet:

“Up to 20% - Quality Proteins: such as Parrot Pellet diet (no artificial colorings, low to no sugar or salt), tofu, low-fat cottage cheese or yogurt, very hard boiled eggs, well-cooked chicken or turkey, a combination of various grains such as quinoa and corn, enriched pasta, cooked beans, nuts and small amounts of nut butters.

About 30 - 35% - Vitamin A Produce: various greens such as collards, mustard, turnip, kale, chard, spinach, broccoli and commercial dandelion, peppers, carrots, dark orange yams and sweet potatoes, winter squash, peaches, apricots and papaya.

15 - 25% - Other Vegetables and Fruits: peas, bean sprouts, Summer squash, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, beets, tomato, potato, apples, grapes, banana, mango, pomegranate, oranges, figs, guava and berries of all kinds.

15 - 25% Whole Grains: whole grain pasta, brown rice, low fat granola, amaranth, oats, commercial /home produced ‘quality cooking mixes’ for Parrots (no sugar cereals).

No More than 5 - 15% Fats: EFA’s such as Flax seed oil added to food, nut, seeds, small amounts of low salt cheese, occasional commercially produced meal worms.

Items not to be found in an Amazon’s Diet: salt, sugar, animal fat, butter, bacon, chocolate, avocado, rhubarb, soft cooked eggs, rare meat of any kind, caffeine, dog food, cat food, monkey food (no foods formulated for other pets or wild animals). This is not a complete list!!!

NOTE: There is no such thing as a diet that Everyone in this Wide and Wonderful World of Amazons will full agree too! That said; this diet provides a solid foundation that meets the general agreement of many experienced Amazon owners with only minor changes in percentages and/or content. You will note that the low and high percentages will provide either less or more than 100%. This occurs to allow for natural variation /availability though out a year and the hardcore likes and dislikes of your specific Amazon.

In addition, with the wide range of Amazons in physical size, activity, metabolic rate and the quality of the food provided. There is no hard and fast amount (measurable in grams) of ‘food’ provided. The only type of food that would lend itself to a formatted diet is Parrot Pellets. Although, Parrot Pellets had been believed to be a ‘complete’ diet product. The Pellet only approach is quickly being replaced by the abundant across-section diet that relies heavily on the greatest percentage being Fresh Healthy Foods as found above.

So if this is true, why are so many Avian Vets recommending 100% Parrot Pellet Diets! Simple! In general, they do not believe that their clients will follow their recommendations and their hope is that the client will provide at least some Parrot Pellets in addition to the ‘all seed.’ Every time a diet as defined above is presented to an Avian Vet, they agree with and support such a diet!

The diet provided assume that the food sources are all ‘Human Grade’ and if processed, is only processed in a ‘Human Grade’ approved facility.


Amazon’s Have More Fun!

Sources: Joanie Doss - The Amazing Amazons, Gary Gallerstein D.V.M. - The Complete Pet Bird Owner’s Handbook, and Sally Blanchard - Nutritional Guidelines.

FYI: Most Bird Club libraries will have several excellent Parrot Health books that provide information on Parrot Nutrition. In addition, there are several knowledgeable Club or Forum members that have the same Parrot species as you. I am certain they will be happy to provide solid advice on a healthy, nutritional diet for your Amazon; it’s also a great way to meet other members.

Sailboat is an Amazon expert. He has worked with many Amazon's. We are lucky to have him. Like he says did you feel your bird? Fire he feel thin?

Your Amazon is nearing the end if his life span, and you have done wonderful to get him to this age!!!! I posted in my Ornithology thread that the ages reached by most parrots including those houses at Zoos, is less than the what is often stated.

Are you tracking the weights? Are they stable? Going up going down?

Blood work would be good as it would let you know live and kidney function, or see if there is an infection . But you've seen two vet's, who have examined him. You have done good, it's great that you had stools checked. As that catches a lot of hidden problems.

On seeds , I like pumpkin, squash seeds, quinoa, the seeds from any of the fresh pepper family . You can feed zucchini and squash and cucumber fresh they have a lot of seeds that might temp your bird. You can also sprout seeds , tgstvrekeases a lot of nutrition and you can feed them just as they crack open and start to sprout do they still seem like seeds to your bird.

I also recommend probiotics! I learned of them here and they helped my bird. You can buy bird probiotics to sprinkle biver the food at the pet store in bird section. I prefer to feedive culture yogurt a couple big times a week. My birds just lick it off my fingers , even one of my Budgie has kicked it off my fingers.

With the blunted, and they vision problem, it definitely seems like low Vit A. A common problem for parrots that don't eat veggies or pellets. He probably has low Vit D as well.. but now that he eats pellets as part of his diet he will improve. As others have explained, the black Feathers are from what he was going through before he molted. Probably the stress if the rapid diet changes. So they don't reflect what's currently going on. I'm sure he has probably stsbleized on his new healthy getting those nutrition and vitamins in his pellet diet. You also mentioned he is a plucker? At this age that's not something that will change. It's embarrassing to us and makes us feel we aren't being good to our parrots. But plucking is a really complex issue, and once started is extremely difficult to stop. Unless it's a medical issues, is the plucking new?

As an elderly parrot, he will benefit from increased warmth. I'm going to link the sweeter Heater. It's a radiant heat panal, not a light. It puts out a lot of warmth, so you only need the smallest size they make. Hang it off to one side on the back outside of the cage, out a perch in front of, he can seek out the warmth or move away. It's kinda expensive but it is so worth it. I have mine on all the time and I live in Florida! My birds seek it out after baths.

http://go.skimresources.com/?id=162...tz=240&xuuid=04ad97ccd31c575a1530d68364c5f3d7

Sailboat you are an amazon expert indeed. I love reading your forums, I just wish I would’ve read some of this stuff 20 or more years ago, the beauty of internet definitely has its pros with all the help out here. I’m just not sure what Else I could do for my little man. Can you give me any info on Choanal papillae which vet #2 seemed concerned as pretty birds was completely smooth, without ridges, most likely from vitamin deficiency. I tried to download pic of pretty bird, even adjusting size, but it keeps failing to download. I’m worried that he starts out pigging out in morning but then quits and starts this yawning and letting out sound with it until he is just “yawning” with no sound coming out. At first I thought he was gulping for air but then I was told probably adjusting his crop. He does this quite often, at least one to two times a day. Is this because of damaged Choanal papillae? I keep him out of his cage with me most of day unless I’m not home but he is almost afraid to walk since he can’t see. I Have been weighing him every morning and he fluctuates between 163 to 166 grams. He was a bit higher at vet 2 but that was an afternoon weight. He loves listening to parrot videos and gets very talkative. I think his lack of foraging and climbing is mostly due to his blindness. I also told the vet that his poop has bubbles in it 90% of the time, sometimes worse than others. He did a poop smear and said it looked good.
Should I be concerned about Choanal papillae as the vet said there is nothing that can be done about it, ridges do not grow back.
Should I be concerned about poop with bubbles in it even though neither vet seemed alarmed?
I read your food article for amazons and I am basically doing all this.
I’m so sorry I did not know what a bad parrot parent I was and I’m afraid it may be too late. If you can think of anything else I can do for him I will be forever grateful.

The Yawning is a common reaction based on adjusting his crop. Normal, Common of no concern.

One can drive oneself nuts with Should Have Dones!!!
The Past is just that, the Past!
The important thing is what you do from this day forward.

Much can be reversed by enhancing your Amazon's diet.

Your Amazon is Blind... There is much that can be done to improve your Amazon's quality of life by simplifying the cage and room layout. By placing things in the same place and providing guides /markers you can create pathways.

Complete a Web Search for Handicapped Parrots. There is tons of information available to provide support for your Amazon.

Did Either 'Vet' complete a Blood Test?

You are doing great to have a parrot in their 40s no matter what.
I strongly urge probiotics. And warmth.
Talk to your vet about milk thistle. Do a CBC and chem.
Here is a link on bird poop. Bubbly can be a sign of bacterial overgrowth it yeast. A recheck fecal might in order.
https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/birds-abnormal-droppings
https://www.herebird.com/parrot-poop/

Neither vet did complete blood test. Vet one basically did nothing saying he looked fine. He did look at his eyes because that was my reason to being there. He just agreed that he was blind but offered no explanation or advice. He said he looked good for his age and asked what I fed him. I told him I was trying to get him off seed as I found out this diet is not so good for him. He agreed to give him the parrot mash I was making, fruit salad, and keep trying different pellets until he likes one.
Vet 2 told me he was completely blind in left eye and had some vision in right eye. He offered no advice on caring for his special needs.
I told him about poop with bubbles and he did poop test and came back saying poop looked fine. Not to worry about bubbles.
He seemed most concerned about Choanal papillae and most likely vitamin deficiency. He did give him shot of vitamin a and d and he said some vitamin b in there that may help him with his appetite.
He said he didn’t think running blood work would change anything we were doing as he feels his problems are mostly caused by vitamin deficiency. Nothing to be done for his blindness or Choanal papillae as it will not grow back. He basically said other than being a little underweight, the blindness, and papillae problem, for a 40+ yr old parrot he was doing ok. Again he seemed concerned about the papillae but I’m not sure exactly what that does and should I look for particular problems from this. I’m under the impression from reading that this is what kind of pushes food down the throat. I was more stressed than pretty bird that day after I was told about this papillae problem. It seemed that important to doc. He told me it was usual for vitamin deficient birds to have some smooth edges but pretty bird was completely smooth, no papillae. He did give me Harrison’s birdie bread and told me to try feeding him that.
Another observation was his feathers were not black until after seeing vet 2. I’m guessing stressed out from vet or just because of exam as doc did spread all his wings looking for abnormalities and touching him all over.
It just seems that once a pet gets so old, vets just say he had a nice life, the same thing happened to my 19 year old cat. Not one vet could find a problem but said he was old and it was his time. Ugh.
Thank you so much for listening to my rambling but I just want to make sure I’m doing all I can. Funny how life works, I finally have time to give my undivided attention to my sweet bird and now he can’t see how much he means to me.

A CBC will show if he has infection. A chem panel will show organ function. Common with seed eaters is liver disease , milk thistle helps support liver function. I find it a red flag if neither vet discussed blood work with you.
Poops can change. You can have poop culture done as well as a in house stain or diff quick.
Probiotics are helpful. They helped my bird fight off a yeast overgrowth.
Supportive care like added warmth has a huge Benefits, as limiting stress in the environment.
Continue to love and spoil your guy..

Love does not require sight!
Your Amazon knows that he is loved!

It is sad that the two individuals that you visited where neither Certified Avian Vets nor Avian Professionals. They likely see Birds as part of their general dog and cat practice.

An Avian Professional will start with a full hands-on physical examination. And, if this is a first time visit, they will commonly start with a full blood screen, especially with an older Parrot that has not been seen by them or another Avian Vet.

Keep loving your Amazon!

Actually they are both avian vets, the second one was well thought of in these parts and he did do a much better hands on exam of pretty bird. He basically spread his wings and did a thorough check of feathers and was surprised there were no stress marks or very little. He did check his mouth and beak very well which led him to the vitamin deficiency. He did mention blood work but after poop test came back he said with parrot this age not sure what more I would want to do and he seemed healthy other than vitamin deficiency which could be corrected with change in diet and then the fact that he is blind. I already know his sex as white fronts are supposedly the only animal species that sex can be distinguished externally. Vet number 2 was impressed with him as in all his years as avian vet, pretty bird was the first white front he had ever seen. I did not want his wings clipped or his toenails trimmed. The reason I did not want toenails trimmed was when I took him to first vet approximately six months prior, that vet clipped his nails and they were bleeding and I know he hurt him because he had a hard time perching when I got him home. It was almost like his feet hurt. That lasted approximately a couple weeks. He is blind and when he hangs on, he hangs on for dear life as I think he’s afraid of falling and with his feet hurting it was so sad. I do think I will take him back for blood work to get a better idea of what more I can do for him. Thank you so much for all your help and expertise on amazons.