Blue & Gold Macaw feather issue

[OhMsBeliever]

I recently adopted Mickey from someone who couldn’t handle him anymore.
I’m not exactly sure how his feathers got in this condition and was curious if anyone has ever seen anything like this before?
They aren’t chewed up and he hasn’t plucked any they are just wild?
He was basicly stuck in a dark corner of the previous owners house with no toys or anything stimulating to do all day for at least 20 years.

 

[itzjbean]

Sounds like he needs a good bath and some good lighting. Without routine baths or exposure to sunlight, their feather quality can diminish significantly. Offer a good long spray or shower for him and see how he does with this. Also would be good for him to sit in a window and get some natural sunlight, otherwise you can provide him with light from lamps. Of course every new bird should be taken to a certified avian vet for a checkup, perhaps they can give you more insight as to what's happening to his feathers.

Thank you for taking on this rescue!

 

[OhMsBeliever]

Thank you for replying.
I pretty much what I thought could be the issue too.. I forgot to add that he has only drank from a water bottle hanging from his cage and never given any kind of bath even with a spray bottle!
He’s by a window now and it’s so easy to tell that he lacked attention because he’s just in awe of everything going on around him now. His reaction to seeing my Greenwing Macaw was awesome.. he’s been showing off to her..lol
He does have a favorite word “fu*k” which he’s been using a lot like “shut the f up” “what the f”... luckily cussing is allowed in my house so, it’s all good.
I’ll be taking him in after Thanksgiving for a good checkup.

 

[itzjbean]

Thank you for replying.
I pretty much what I thought could be the issue too.. I forgot to add that he has only drank from a water bottle hanging from his cage and never given any kind of bath even with a spray bottle!
He’s by a window now and it’s so easy to tell that he lacked attention because he’s just in awe of everything going on around him now. His reaction to seeing my Greenwing Macaw was awesome.. he’s been showing off to her..lol
He does have a favorite word “fu*k” which he’s been using a lot like “shut the f up” “what the f”... luckily cussing is allowed in my house so, it’s all good.
I’ll be taking him in after Thanksgiving for a good checkup.

It sounds like he is adjusting quite well. Some parrots don't know what it feels like to get the attention, love and care they need, and when they get it, can be confusing for them! LOL. You can experiment with misting or with putting him in an actual shower to see what he may prefer, but a spray bottle may be wise at first to try. That's great he has taken a liking to your GW, as these guys really do seem to thrive when other macs are around and see how comfortable they are. Surely the presence of your other birds will help him adjust to the big changes.

 

[Kiwibird]

Poor guy certainly is in need of a good bath! I bet he'll feel so much better. Don't be shocked if after he starts getting regular baths he goes through a big molt to get rid of a bunch of dirty/damaged feathers.

 

[OhMsBeliever]

Well, I was able to spray him down with a water bottle but, he was freaking out at first.
I ended up having to show him how awesome it was by spraying all my others birds first. He enjoyed it after that and started trying to preen himself better.
He’s been trying to show off to Morgan my female Green wing so, maybe he’ll try to take care of himself better for her lol

 

[texsize]

Thank you for rescuing this beautiful bird.

 

[Kentuckienne]

Gus’s feathers get like that because he doesn’t like showers or baths. One decent bath and he looks a thousand percent better. Thank you for taking him in.

 

[wrench13]

20 years in a corner. Damn, that gets to me. Gve me the old owners address, I;d like to send them a few hundred pizzas. Stuff like that makes me ashamed to be human. Thank you for takiig him in.

 

[OhMsBeliever]

Thank you for your replies everyone..
it’s nice to see so many people who care so much about our feathered friends.
All my birds are rescues except for one of my African Greys who won me over in a pet store by climbing up my arm and started licking my cheek.. that was 16 years ago.
She’s the reason I started taking in other larger birds when their owners “couldn’t deal” with them anymore.
It breaks my heart to see these poor birds suffering just because their owners had not idea what they got themselves into and had no idea they could be so much work.
I’ve had a few that didn’t really want to give them up but, they thought the birds just hated them because they weren’t bonding with them.
I’ve saved a few just by giving the owners the information they needed to learn how to to bond with them and care for them right.
There’s not a lot of people in my area that have large bird experience so, I’ve tried to create at least a few so, maybe they can return the favor by offing help or take in someone else’s “problem” bird lol

 

[Scott]

What a great save, the captive parrot world needs more like you!!

Haven't seen such feathering and assume it as many described.

Hard to see the beak tip in the lateral photo. Is it a bit long or just the image? Asking because elongated beaks can signify illness which may or may not have any bearing on the feather issue.