Poor Buddy Has A Bald Spot

[Taw5106]

Buddy is going through a serious molt. Mainly his head. A few months ago he lost about 10 feathers from his wings and tail, we were calling him Gappy for a while, lol. Now it's his red crown and today he has a bald spot. He has a lot of pin feathers though so his red crown has a bald spot surrounded by white pin cases. He's so itchy he has been sitting with me more just for head scritches. Venus is not liking this.

I'm not worried about him, he's eating well, he and Venus eat the same fresh foods, he's supper green, his new feathers look very soft, bright and shiny but I have increased bell pepper in their food for extra vitamin A. I'm just shocked that he has a bald spot, but I'm hoping extra scritching will help to break the pin shafts so he has his gorgeous red crown again.

 

[Kiwibird]

And what might I ask do you have against bald spots on amazons:20:?

Lets just hope him and my moms Barney aren't close relatives (the 'vulture' gene):54: Hope he gets his beautiful feathers back soon!

 

[Taw5106]

Poor Buddy Lol! Is this typical for amazons? Does Barney get his new plumage or should he shine his head to show off his sexy baldness? At first I thought Buddy had an issue but monitoring him he's good health wise. He has a ton of new pins on his head.

 

[Kiwibird]

It sounds to me like Buddy is just molting. Amazons can get pretty ratty looking when they molt. Barney has some kind of genetic problem (or male parrot baldness), and he went bald decades ago when he hit puberty (poor guy, at least Lucy loves him!). He's probably seen 10+ vets over the years, and no one has ever seen anything like him! He gets pins, but they never turn into anything. He looks like a vulture

Do you have a photo of Buddy's bald spot?

 

[Taw5106]

Ohhhhh, poor Barney!!!! He's so ugly he's cute! How old is he?

Buddy has nothing on Barney, today he has more pins that have come in. And I agree about them looking ratty, Buddy was looking rough for a while, so ratty I felt like I did something to him. But he and Venus eat the same things and she looks gorgeous so it couldn't be the food!

 

[Taw5106]

 

[Pinkbirdy]

OMG [that is a serious molt ]

 

[Kiwibird]

Poor Buddy really does have a bald patch going on there Doesn't look like anything to worry about though. He's got some healthy pins and it looks like they just need to open and the area will fill right in. Poor guy though in the meantime, he looks so silly!

As for Barney, he was hatched in 1972 or 73 (my parents hand fed and weaned him). He's been bald for longer than I've been alive:52: Other than being bald, he's in perfect feather everywhere else and in good health. It's the strangest thing.

 

[Taw5106]

What kind of Amazon is Barney?

 

[Kiwibird]

Green cheek amazon AKA a Mexican redheaded amazon. I think him and Buddy actually may be the same species, though I don't know as much about the smaller zons. In the looks department, Buddy wins 1st prize lol (though what poor Barney lacks in looks, he makes up for in personality. He's very sweet and has never bitten anyone in his whole life).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-crowned_amazon

Wikipedia says they are in fact the same species, just has a lot of different names people call them

 

[Taw5106]

Oh Wow! Yes Buddy is a green cheek. I thought I saw yellow fluff on Barney's head so it threw me off. Now Barney NEEDS a hoody, lol.

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

OMG! I have never seen a 'zon..or ANY type of bird that bald! except maybe a baby lol.

Guess I am lucky with Amy..She looses some of her head fluff but nothing like barney or buddy!


Jim