Male budgie’s cere changed from blue to brown after 6 years — is this normal?

[меня нет]

Hello Everyone! I currently live in a city that is under occupation, and because of the ongoing shelling, I do not have the possibility to leave the city. All of the avian veterinarians in my city have left, so unfortunately there is currently no avian vet who can examine my budgie or help me here.

It is very difficult for me to write this post. I am extremely worried because, despite the fact that he is active, eating normally, and behaving like himself, I am afraid that the change in his cere could mean that something serious is happening inside his body.

My budgie is 6 years and 7 months old. He was sold to me as a male, so I have always believed that he is a boy. He eats regular budgie food, as well as fruits and vegetables. I also give him bottled water — the same bottled water that I drink myself. As recently as August, his cere was still a very light, soft, delicate sky-blue color. Now it has changed and become brown. Apart from his cere, he looks exactly the same as before. He is active, he eats normally, and his behavior has not changed. I have not noticed anything else unusual about him. The only thing that looks different to me is his cere. I am honestly desperate. I don't know what I am supposed to do or how I can help him when I don't even know what is happening to him. And right now, I am in a situation where I don't even know how to keep myself safe, so feeling helpless about my bird is especially painful...
I am not expecting anyone online to diagnose him. I just desperately want to understand what could possibly be happening and, if there is anything I can do for him under these circumstances, what that might be.
I am attaching photographs from different periods of his life, including photos from when he was younger, when he was an adult, and recent photos. I hope the attached photos will somehow help and allow you to see how his cere has changed over time.
Even an approximate idea of what this change could mean would help me enormously. I would be grateful for any answer, opinion, or advice you can give me.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and for any help.
!!!!I made a mistake in the photo: I wrote “7 years” instead of “6 years.” The correct number is 6 years!!!!.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and for any advice you can give me.

 

[AMD110]

Hello and welcome to the forum. You have a beautiful Budgie there. With your circumstances and not having any vets around, the most that you can do right now, is just keep a close eye on him. He cere changing color can mean hormonal issues, which you cannot know for sure without testing. Wishing you both the best!

 

[меня нет]

Hello and welcome to the forum. You have a beautiful Budgie there. With your circumstances and not having any vets around, the most that you can do right now, is just keep a close eye on him. He cere changing color can mean hormonal issues, which you cannot know for sure without testing. Wishing you both the best!

Thank you so much for your kind words and advice, I truly appreciate you taking the time to reply.

 

[Kathleen]

Uncertainty in the environment can affect hormones, that is; Parrots will not lay eggs. I too think the homones are affecting the cere. The stress around your environment may be contributing to this. There are several ways to help reduce stress. Rescue Remedy for pets (or children) works, as does Tulsi tea. I use both in my business.

 

[Vampiric_Conure105]

Yeah, I'm with the others. Could be something hormone-related, though some male budgies will get a female-colored cere when they are out of breeding condition. But as your fella has been blue until recently, it's likely something else.

Stay safe and keep us updated

 

[меня нет]

Uncertainty in the environment can affect hormones, that is; Parrots will not lay eggs. I too think the homones are affecting the cere. The stress around your environment may be contributing to this. There are several ways to help reduce stress. Rescue Remedy for pets (or children) works, as does Tulsi tea. I use both in my business.

Yeah, I'm with the others. Could be something hormone-related, though some male budgies will get a female-colored cere when they are out of breeding condition. But as your fella has been blue until recently, it's likely something else.

Stay safe and keep us updated

Thank you all so much for your replies and for taking the time to read my post. I am very grateful for your thoughts and advice.I will continue to keep a close eye on him and monitor any changes in his behavior, appetite, or appearance. Apart from his cere, he still seems exactly the same as always, so I hope that this is something hormonal rather than something more serious.Thank you also for your kind wishes and support. It means a lot to me, especially in my current circumstances. I will keep you updated if anything changes.

 

[меня нет]

Yeah, I'm with the others. Could be something hormone-related, though some male budgies will get a female-colored cere when they are out of breeding condition. But as your fella has been blue until recently, it's likely something else.

Stay safe and keep us updated

Your parrots are so beautiful! And I absolutely love Votex’s coloring!

 

[Vampiric_Conure105]

Your parrots are so beautiful! And I absolutely love Votex’s coloring!

LOL! Thank you! And you're very welcome!!

 

[feywick]

I had this happen to my male budgie before his passing. Turned out to be untreatable testicular cancer.
Obviously, this does not necessarily need to be the case here, but it's worth to keep an eye on cere changes.