dull feathers?

vmerten87

New member
May 4, 2016
2
0
Hey everyone,

So I'm asking about a parrot which isn't my own, but belongs to my girlfriend's family/parents. They didn't ask me to ask....they have a vet and will no doubt consult him but I'm just very curious and feel somewhat (perhaps oddly) invested in his well-being. I volunteered at petshops when I was younger to give the parrots there extra attention/care, and we used to have an amazon parrot when I lived in Guatemala as a kid, so I'm very fond of these animals :)

I'm far from an expert, but with a lifetime of experience keeping a variety of animals (reptiles/amphibians/birds/ferrets/dogs) I think I have a pretty decent general understanding of animal health and well-being.
I've met this bird on a few occasions. He's a really nice, healthy looking bird (perhaps somewhat spoiled!) who gets fed a varied diet including lots of fruits and veggies, though apparently he is somewhat selective/finicky about which items he picks out. There have never been any outward signs of bad health, certainly nothing like feather plucking going on (this animal gets ALOT of attention and stimulation, I can assure you). He just looks very....fresh and I daresay virile :p He's always real happy. Singing, talking, just doing what parrots do.

Anyway, the animal has recently developed some dull looking feathers towards the posterior end of its body. As far as I know the ends of feathers are 'dead' the way that our hair is...so just mostly composed of keratin or something like that. I can't imagine that they would suddenly become discolored, that way that a plant with a nutrient deficiency might...I figured maybe he's just molting his feathers or something, but I honestly don't know. I've included a few pictures to show the animal in-situ (and getting his nails filed :p) to show that he looks, as far as I can tell, like a pretty healthy bird. Also one showing the dull feathers. Does anybody have any experience with this? Does this require some type of corrective action or will it probably resolve itself?

Thanks in advance!
Vincent
 

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OOwl

New member
Oct 12, 2010
723
3
Texas
Parrots
Rosebreasted Cockatoo, Congo Grey, MRH Amazon, Lovebird
It's so nice to hear a story of a parrot that is given all the essentials of life (good food, care, attention, love, and even friendship). I'm not a vet, but that bird looks very healthy. I also have a Congo Grey and he sometimes has color variation on some of his feathers. I know my vet always inspects his feathers for stress bars and asks about color changes when we go in for our well-bird checks, so it might be something to mention at his next vet visit. Maybe he needs more natural sunlight (you can look into avian full-spectrum lighting to provide that indoors). Kudos to your girlfriend's parents for giving such good care to their bird.
 

Aquila

New member
Nov 19, 2012
1,225
1
Philadelphia
Parrots
Sydney - Blue Front Amazon
Gonzo - Congo African Grey
Willow - Cockatiel
RIP:
Snowy, Ivy, Kiwi, Ghost - Parakeets
Berry - Cinnamon GCC
In some of the pictures it looks like possible over preening, but it's hard to say. He could be getting too many baths (or maybe not enough?) Or he could just be a rough player and scraps himself on toys. One of my greys, Gonzo, is a very rough player and sometimes destroys his tail feathers from hanging upside down in his cage. Other than that, this grey looks great, I wouldn't really be worried and they'll probably molt out soon.
 

DRB

Well-known member
Jan 23, 2016
1,024
75
Ohio
Parrots
Perjo - Female CAG hatch Nov 2015
I agree with everyone else, the bird looks healthy in general. Maybe a bit too much contact with the wings due to preening or playing or handling?

Bathing with any soaps is a big no no if I remember my research correctly, could it be an issue with bathing with soap which would surely impact the look of wings.
 
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vmerten87

New member
May 4, 2016
2
0
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Thanks to everyone for their input! I'm glad (for the bird) that we all agree about him looking healthy overall. I'll be sure to pass on the suggestions which were made.

About the over-preening...is there anything than can be done if this were the case? I mean if a bird feels the need to preen constantly, what can you really do about that? Telling them 'no' won't make any difference haha. It seems like something which would be more likely to happen if a bird isn't occupied enough with other stuff or doesn't have enough energy outlets like toys/games, no?

Regards,
Vincent
 
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MichelleAdrianne

New member
May 17, 2016
9
1
Albany, New York
Parrots
African Grey Congo
Did you make the wood perch stand? It's nice I am looking for the same one for my African Grey parrot. Any idea where to find one? Glad to see your bird likes Grapes my bird likes the red grapes. I have to ask how do you keep the bird from flying off the chair?
 
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MichelleAdrianne

New member
May 17, 2016
9
1
Albany, New York
Parrots
African Grey Congo
My african grey parrot is plucking more around her beak area, the last two weeks she's been flying i get nervous if she is flying into something she might injury herself. She has in past, bleeding from the left side... Any help or advice on what to do, is greatly appreciated?
 

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