Budgie with Reddish Feathers on Head

Feb 11, 2022
90
64
Brisbane, Australia
Parrots
Periwinkle (Budgie)
Hello everyone!
So Periwinkle has recently had a loss of feathers around his eyes, it doesn’t seem to be that bad now, though. Anyway, this morning when he woke up he had some reddish feathers above his beak and next to his eye. Should I be concerned? Or is this just a part of the molting process? He seems to be is usual self, maybe a little more quiet.

Images attached below:
C384A162-C83B-44D9-93AD-52CD1BDFE441.jpeg

DC1FB878-D977-4C61-9B0B-5783445A8B84.jpeg


And if you compare it to him in my icon, he just looks scruffier in general.
What do you think?
 
Last edited:

MayMaroa

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Feb 13, 2022
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2 female budgies i have a green named tofu she is 1 years old(she turned one years old in April) and i have a blue budgie named sky she is the younger one she is younger then tofu by a few days
is it bleeding if it is he may accordingly broke a pin feather
but highly recommend going to the vet
 

Terry57

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Hello everyone!
So Periwinkle has recently had a loss of feathers around his eyes, it doesn’t seem to be that bad now, though. Anyway, this morning when he woke up he had some reddish feathers above his beak and next to his eye. Should I be concerned? Or is this just a part of the molting process? He seems to be is usual self, maybe a little more quiet.

Images attached below:
View attachment 36320
View attachment 36319

And if you compare it to him in my icon, he just looks scruffier in general.
What do you think?
Have you fed him any red fruits or veggies like beets?
Does he have a toy with red parts?
That is what this usually turns out to be with my flock.
 

Eldarion_

New member
Jun 16, 2020
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4
Australia
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Dirk- yellow-sided GCC
Queenie- pineapple GCC
Dusty- albino cockatiel
Raz - pastel-face pied cockatiel
I can't quite make out the feathers, but do they look like little needles/pins? Since Periwinkle has been losing feathers, they might be new feathers growing in. When feathers grow they need a blood supply, and they also need some protection so they grow with a keratin sheath. Once the feather is mature, the keratin sheath comes off (this is usually done while preening) and the blood supply receeds, meaning you can't see the pink/red part anymore.
This is a normal part of growing feathers.

Sometimes pin feather may break and they may bleed, I haven't heard anything serious happening from a head feather breaking.

Other than that, have you fed them anything red lately? Like a beetroot, strawberry or some capsicum? This could stain their feathers, I always get a little scare from my birds when they have been eating their beetroot messily πŸ˜…
 

HeatherG

Well-known member
Apr 25, 2020
3,893
6,966
Hello everyone!
So Periwinkle has recently had a loss of feathers around his eyes, it doesn’t seem to be that bad now, though. Anyway, this morning when he woke up he had some reddish feathers above his beak and next to his eye. Should I be concerned? Or is this just a part of the molting process? He seems to be is usual self, maybe a little more quiet.

Images attached below:
View attachment 36320
View attachment 36319

And if you compare it to him in my icon, he just looks scruffier in general.
What do you think?
I think the above posts are giving you good advice.

What kind of budgie is periwinkle? Like, which color mutation? I like that dark blue. Is he an opaline budgie? Very pretty.
 
May 2, 2021
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Vermont, USA
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Stormy(M): blue Australian budgie
Picasso(F): green Australian budgie
Apollo(F): sky blue dominant pied Australian budgie
I think the above posts are giving you good advice.

What kind of budgie is periwinkle? Like, which color mutation? I like that dark blue. Is he an opaline budgie? Very pretty.
I'm pretty good at budgie mutations, he looks like a colbalt-violet clearwing spangle :)
 
May 2, 2021
3,527
Media
4
Albums
2
8,038
Vermont, USA
Parrots
Stormy(M): blue Australian budgie
Picasso(F): green Australian budgie
Apollo(F): sky blue dominant pied Australian budgie
I think the above posts are giving you good advice.

What kind of budgie is periwinkle? Like, which color mutation? I like that dark blue. Is he an opaline budgie? Very pretty.
Also not an opaline. Opaline budgies body color seeps into their wings, which his doesn't.
 

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