stripe of missing feathers down belly of macaw

brianlinkles · Oct 17, 2012

This may be a dumb question but do all macaws have a stripe down their belly without feathers? (kind of a split) When Moses (greenwing 4 1/2 mos) plays on his back I notice that there is a stripe of skin down his belly where the feathers look like they almost split and skin shows through. I have heard that this is what they all look like however I am wondering, there are some times when he is playing on his tree that I look at him and there is some of that skin showing through like a stripe. Not sure if I'm making myself clear.

JerseyWendy · Oct 17, 2012

Brian, Moses is TOO adorable!!!! What a cutie pie! Almost looks like you parted his feathers, giving him a "do".

I believe it will go away as he matures because Niko had it as well. Not as pronounced as Moses, but you could see when he was on his back, too.

cd4565 · Oct 17, 2012

my greenwing had the same nakedness when he was a little guy too. It will go away.

tab_xo · Oct 17, 2012

Fargo is like that, but not as visible

i was just having a look at bird bone structures, and i had a look at fargos, i THINK its that big chest/rib bone (number 23) that just sticks out ?

plax · Oct 17, 2012

tab_xo said:
i was just having a look at bird bone structures, and i had a look at fargos, i THINK its that big chest/rib bone (number 23) that just sticks out ?

That's the breastbone (or keel bone). Feathers usually grow beside it but few grow directly over the thin ridge it creates. Young Macaws, especially, may have less feather coverage in that area. And if the feather shafts growing beside the keel ridge are pointed away from it (a trait in some individual birds), the bareness effect will be more apparent. It's nothing to worry about and it almost always fills in.

tab_xo · Oct 17, 2012

thank you plax! *bows* haha

mxdeanmay · Oct 17, 2012

my greenwing macaw has stripe missing down the belly to and she is 7yr old

brianlinkles · Oct 17, 2012

You guys are awesome! Thanks for all the replys, I feel much better! I was a little worried that something was wrong. Mxdeanmay, your greenwing is gorgeous! She is a big girl! I am also wondering, do greenwings beaks get wider and larger as they age. Not longer but wider and larger. When I look at grown greenwings they always look like their beaks are more massive than on Moses. Don't get me wrong, his beak is large just not as big as a grown up bird. Mxdeanmay, how much does your greenwing weigh?

JerseyWendy · Oct 18, 2012

:11: STUNNING!!! And gigantic, too. And she looks a bit pissy in that picture, is she?

Sorry for the threadjack, Brian. My apologies.

mxdeanmay said:
my greenwing macaw has stripe missing down the belly to and she is 7yr old

horsesculpter · Oct 18, 2012

Mxdeanmay, your bird is awesome! Brianlinkles, baby Moses is adorable and looks fine to me. I can still see that stripe on Sunny when she moves or fluffs her feathers just right. It's just the ridge on the keel bone showing through.

stripe of missing feathers down belly of macaw

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