do the feathers look ok on this blue-fronted amazon?

[iheartparrots]

Hi all, my friend knows someone who needs to give up a blue-fronted amazon for adoption. I am interested because the bird is adorable but I'm a bit worried because the tail feathers are split up and look a bit rough. Some pics:











Is this normal, or the sign of an unhealthy or an old bird? (We're not sure how old the bird actually is.) Thanks for any tips!

 

[JerseyWendy]

Hi there, and welcome to the forums.

Even though the tail feathers do look a tad bit raggedy, I'm confident that's an easy fix. Frequent baths, a good diet, and ample room should have him looking like new in no time at all. That is, of course, unless he's an exceptional hard 'player'. And no, a raggedy tail is not a sign of an ill or old bird.

Beautiful BF!!

 

[iheartparrots]

Thank you Wendy for the feedback! So could it just be a sign of molting, or maybe his diet hasn't been very healthy? I was looking at videos of blue-fronted amazons online and haven't seen this pattern of feathers before.

 

[iheartparrots]

Oh by the way, slightly off-topic but, I'm also curious what the typical lifespan of this species is, based on actual experiences. Many sources say "up to" 50 or 70 or 80 years and so on, but I have also read lower estimates (we humans live "up to" 120 years, too) If anyone has some personal data, I'd appreciate it!

 

[JerseyWendy]

Nah, I personally don't think it's a sign of molting. To me it just looks like he's either played really hard, and therefore his tail feathers look a bit raggedy, or he hasn't been bathed regularly, and they are dry and brittle. A bad diet will show up on feather condition as well.

Here are some links for you with pictures of Kiwi. He's also a BF Amazon, so you can compare.
http://www.parrotforums.com/amazons/54441-kiwi-gets-roughed-up-his-human-pics.html
http://www.parrotforums.com/amazons/54176-how-many-times-do-i-have-tell-my-husband.html
http://www.parrotforums.com/amazons/53276-kiwi-games.html
http://www.parrotforums.com/amazons/52154-human-toys.html

Overall the BF you are potentially interested in looks fairly good to me. Perhaps a bit on the 'chubby' side, but that is something you can easily work on, LOL.

And yes, a BF Amazon most certainly CAN live that long, especially if they remain healthy.

 

[Kiwibird]

I agree with Wendy. He looks overall healthy, but in need of a better diet in the long term and more frequent baths. He does look a bit older to me, but he also might not have had a bath in a long time too. It's near impossible to tell an approximate age of a mature parrot with an unknown history. I bet within a year or two, that tail will be back to near-perfect though and he will be healthy, glowing and made himself a permanent member of your family (IF you are willing to put in the time and effort to gaining his trust and teaching him, of course)

P.S. I am Kiwi's mom (all the links Wendy gave). I am quite fond of blue fronts, they are great birds when you put in the time and effort! Amazons have always ben my 'favorite' parrots though. Good, hearty birds who don't give you much trouble so long as you take good care of them!