Both wild birds and pet birds, alike, will go to great lengths to hide injury or illness. It is part of a bird's survival instinct to do so. Hiding vulnerability from predators and illness from flock members helps to keep a bird alive. So, it is no surprise that many parrot owners will go on unaware of a pet bird's minor health issues, not realizing that there is a problem until the minor issue becomes a major issue. If a pet bird owner knows what to look for, he can use the parrot's feather quality, along with regular visits to an avian veterinarian, to help monitor the condition of his bird's health.
Feather Discoloration
There are several reasons why a feather could have a section of discoloration. If the discoloration is found on just one feather the most likely cause of the discoloration is an abnormality while the feather was growing. When feathers grow in, they are covered in a protective sheath. If that sheath is not fully preened away, it can cause a band of discoloration on the feather.
However, if an owner finds bands of discoloration along all of the bird’s feathers, the marks are referred to as stress bars. Stress bars are an indication of something much greater than feather abnormality. When a bird produces a stress bar, it is indicative of an illness, or time of malnutrition. The presence of a stress bar does not always mean that the bird is sick right now, but it does mean that at the time when the feathers where growing the bird experienced a major stress.
Disheveled Feathers
Feather cleanliness is very important to birds. When a bird’s feathers are untidy, dirty or disheveled, they cannot maintain flight, and therefore cannot flee from danger. A healthy bird will maintain their feathers, even if they have had their wings clipped. Any bird that ceases to preen their feathers should be taken to see an avian veterinarian immediately.
Broken or Faded Feathers
Many birds, such as the macaw, have very long tail feathers. When caging a bird like a macaw, it is up to the owner to ensure that the bird has plenty of room to move around inside its cage with out bending or breaking its tail feathers. Repeated rubbing along the sides of a cage can also wear away a feather’s color. Though broken and faded feathers will not usually harm a bird directly, a bird may start to pluck these feathers. Once a bird begins to pluck, it can be very hard to break them of the habit.
Examining a bird’s feathers is a good idea, but it is not a replacement for regular visits to an avian veterinarian. Regular check-ups by an avian veterinarian can help prevent illnesses before they go serious enough to impact feather health.
Janine Logue - Logue is a freelance writer with several years experience in the newspaper industry as both a reporter and editor.
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