I found a red feather in my Grey's neck!!

Darci · Jun 19, 2017

I think red factors Greys are somewhat rare are they not? Does this one red feather make mine a red factor?

Either way I won't be breeding him, just thought it was kinda cool

Rival_of_the_Rickeybird · Jun 19, 2017

I am not a parrot sharpie, so only literary references come to mind. Is this kind of a "Scarlet Letter" thing? :22:

cnyguy · Jun 19, 2017

It's likely that your Grey has a feather follicle that somehow got damaged. Often when a follicle is damaged, a new feather will grow in that will match a color somewhere else on the parrot. My Grey Scooter had been a feather-plucker for many years and grows in red feathers (matching her tail feathers) in odd places among her normal gray feathers.

SailBoat · Jun 19, 2017

Darci said:
I think red factors Greys are somewhat rare are they not? Does this one red feather make mine a red factor?

Either way I won't be breeding him, just thought it was kinda cool

A single red feather does not a Factor make!

It is common for all Parrots to from time to time push a different colored feather in a field of another color. An Amazon with a yellow feather in a field of green can happen.

Young Parrots will commonly push a different colored feather in odd locations and as they get older the coloration will become more stable.

Enjoy and keep us undated as to whether additional red feathers show-up!

LeaKP · Jun 19, 2017

It happens randomly. I've seen it a few times in my friends grey. Healthy bird just has an odd read feather sometimes.

Inger · Jun 19, 2017

This is so interesting, because last night as I was falling asleep I was marveling at the magic of DNA and how the right size, shape, and color feathers grow.

Kind of fun to know that Mother Nature flubs it up now and again.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Sunnyclover · Jun 20, 2017

Ollie is a sun Conure and he has grown in a partial yellow tail feather and I was wondering about it!

Freebird1969 · Jun 20, 2017

Red feathers are normally diet related and can be a sign of liver problems.

SailBoat · Jun 20, 2017

Freebird1969 said:
Red feathers are normally diet related and can be a sign of liver problems.

Good catch! And, that supports the want for a yearly Avian Vet Check with full blood screening. That all said, fatty liver can result in over all poor feather quality and with Africa Grey's the appearance of red feathers in areas of traditional grey feathers. The term 'Feathers,' meaning more than one is operative in this case. A single red feather should point to a want to bring up this subject as part of a yearly Vet Check.

Again, good catch!

I found a red feather in my Grey's neck!!

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