Brown Spot Disappearing

[SharonC]

When Fred first came, he had a large brownish spot on his chest that the previous owners said had always been there. It seems to be disappearing...Any idea what it is, and why it is changing?

 

[HRH Di]

I wonder if they were just damaged feathers. Jade very longest tail feathers don't have any color at the tips - where they bump into things and rub against things. Our breeder said that this happens and it's normal - the color just rubs off.

Anyway, could this have been feathers that he over-preened before he came to you and now they're growing back?

 

[SharonC]

I suppose it's possible...although I've never seen him preen excessively...

 

[HRH Di]

Well, not now, because he has a happy, loving home.

But could it have been from his previous home?

 

[nofearengineer]

I vote for nutritionally damaged feathers. Now that he's gradually molted them out, he's returning to his rightful green state. A testament to your care, Sharon.

 

[Pedro]

Di is right & it's actually called bronzing & it's caused by the color being rubbed off.

As Sharon has found out it has molted out & Fred has beautiful new feathers.

 

[SharonC]

I'm glad it's disappearing.

Over preening makes sense....
Nutritionally damged?...He was on a seed mix, as his only food.

Thanks guys!

 

[henpecked]

Just my 2 cents worth,I've seen a lot of poorly feed amazons and haven't noticed the brown spots. The brown color in some amazons usually comes from the red clor mutation in some birds, as you know the green color comes from a mix of blue and yellow. In some birds the blue is replaced by red hence the brown color.Aging and molting will change the color of amazons ie; your YN 's nape getting yellower with age because of loss of the blue color. this may be related to your bird losing the brown spot or red pigment , i would not be surprised if this spot turns yellow many years from now..

 

[SharonC]

That makes sense...I'm just glad it's gone. He looks better now....

 

[Von1983]

I agree with everyone above

I think coupled with what I read on excessive preening with his curved feather that this would make sense!

He's so vibrant now Sharon, you're wonderful for Fred.

 

[SharonC]

Yes, I'd amost gorgotten the feather abnormality. Either way, it's all good, now!

Fred has changed quite a bit. He doesn't bite anymore...well, almost never. He plays too rough sometimes. He plays more, loves more, talks to himself more, and wants to be on me more. I jokingly complain that the bird that I couldn't step up, now has to be discouraged from jumping on me when I walk by!!! He hasn't picked up much in new vocab, though...mostly just changes to words he already knew....Ex. Instead of yelling Pretty bird, he now says flirtingly What a pretty bird you are. I talk a lot to him, but maybe I need more repetiton. I tend to have conversations with him, rather than one word or one sentence.

 

[Rambo]

We have a 18 yr. old yellow nape who showed that type of coloring on his chest when he was a juvenile; 2-3yrs old; but has since faded to all green year 'round now. I don't think it is anything to worry about.

 

[nofearengineer]

Just my 2 cents worth,I've seen a lot of poorly feed amazons and haven't noticed the brown spots. The brown color in some amazons usually comes from the red clor mutation in some birds, as you know the green color comes from a mix of blue and yellow. In some birds the blue is replaced by red hence the brown color.Aging and molting will change the color of amazons ie; your YN 's nape getting yellower with age because of loss of the blue color. this may be related to your bird losing the brown spot or red pigment , i would not be surprised if this spot turns yellow many years from now..

That was very interesting, henpecked!

 

[Pedro]

I have seen this kind of feather discoloration in a few different species, especially young birds at weaning. It has nothing to do with the birds health but is caused by constantly rubbing the feathers on a perch or side of the cage or by rough play.

I found this piece of info. Hope it helps.

1. [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]They can rub off the outer pigment coat, causing what is called "bronzing". This looks like brown spots or a large swath of color change to a brown to gray appearance the surface on the feather. What you are seeing is a lack of the original color, since it is worn off by the excessive preening.[/FONT]
   1. [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]One theory about feather bronzing is that it is caused by liver disease. This is not true. There are a large number of causes of bronzing, including over-preening, nutritional, hormonal, behavioral (birds can play in such a way that they rub off the normal pigment of the feather that resides out the outer layer of the feather), and internal diseases. Liver disease can be a cause, but is only one of many reasons your bird might have feather disorders)[/FONT]