OK this is really weird....

[clark_conure]

My laptop died, bought a new one so still getting everything set back up...but anyways...


Either Clark knew what he was doing or it bothered him or....


Clark's beak started to get a little long and he's either semi molting or molting and I haven't found the feather explosion yet, but....his inside part of his upper beak was getting kind of long. I told him I was going to take him to the vet and we were going to sand his beak down a bit....

This morning when I got home his beak was shorter...so I don't know if he broke it off (looks clean, not sharp), sanded it down himself or ....what, it was about 1/8" to 3/16" longer before today....

I figure he either understood "vet" as I was messing with his beak, or he figured out for himself it was getting to long and hung out on the abrasive perch.
Anyone experience anything like this other than natural wear and tear?

 

[clark_conure]

instead of wear and tear I mean more....natural abrasion.... has your bird done it's own rhinoplasty?

 

[Carl_Power]

I dont have the experience to say really but Xander always files his beak down on his cement perch and he chews his nails on the end and then grinds them on the cement perch. He knows its a tool for him and not just a perch. His beak and nails are always short and normal size. I think Clarke knew what you meant for sure and is way smarter than you maybe thought x

 

[clark_conure]

THANKS! that or he got annoyed with it as well. I was wondering if it was possible thanks carl. Anyone else feel free to comment.

 

[EllenD]

They absolutely will file their beaks on whatever is available if it gets too long, as it will start to cause them to have trouble eating eventually...that being said, it's probably not likely that he "filed" his beak down that much in that short a period of time. He may have been doing it and it split a bit, or he was doing it and a piece broke off, that can happen, especially if their beak is extremely long. As long as you don't see any splits in the beak or jagged, pointy areas that are left behind then it's okay. But if you ever see a split of any kind going up the beak, or a large chunk missing, etc., then that's when it's a problem, as beaks bleed and have many nerve endings...

 

[MonicaMc]

Beak grinding.... it's not just a 'sign of contentment', but actually has a very specific function that, surprisingly, I don't think very many people see the connection in...