strange dappling on galah feathers

[Featheredsamurai]

Anyone else ever see anything like this? It's only one feather, and the rest are coming in normal flat gray again. Do your galahs have that dappling?

What do you think could have caused this?

I'm not worried about her health since that was the only feather and the new feathers look fine(as seen below), it's just very strange.

 

[Nocturnal]

It looks so like typical cockatiel dappling I wonder if its just because the species are related and that it's just normal variation.

I don't know how "stress bars" show up on cockatoos and 'tiels though, so that's one thing to think of. Birds with iridescent shine in their feathers get black barring, but I thing it's harder to see on that type of feather.

Perhaps the folicle itself was bumped or somehow damaged as the feather grew. Or again, just natural variation, perhaps.

 

[brianlinkles]

Nigel doesn't seem to have that dappling however one of his wing feathers was slower to grow in and now that it is fully grown the entire end of the wing feather is white. It's kind of strange, he has two toenails that are half white and then the white color on his wing feather.

 

[DallyTsuka]

doesn't look like stress bars.





could just be a plumage variation.

some birds have what are called a "sport", which is a plumage variation that appears in random birds. It affects some birds, its harmless. Tsuka, our male cockatiel, is a bird who has a sport. He gets white tipped feathers on his wings every few molts, but it appears because he is split pied, which can cause weird sports to happen in cockatiels. dont know if it works the same with galahs, but i would assume it can be like the african greys who have one pink toenail and such like that.

pardon the wing, he had a nightfright the day before this

so, it most likely is just a fluke quirk to her feathers

 

[Featheredsamurai]

Thanks everyone, especially DallyTsuka! It would be interesting if that is a sport or quirk that appears every few molts, I'm going to pay attention to this feather to see if it changes after her next molt or if it stays the same.

I didn't think it would be a stress bar, she recently molted a super old feather with a stress bar and these look nothing like it. I was more worried someone would see this and say "That's caused by mites" LOL

 

[MikeyTN]

Very good information there DallyTsuka! A night light really helps with night fright!

 

[Nocturnal]

Yeah I don't think that would be caused by mites, you'd see "dirt" on the feather shafts and there would be other damage. Her feathers look pristine.

 

[Wings]

Yes, Rosie has great looking plumage! I wouldn't worry about the "dappling". What i love about all bird owners (well the good ones at least) Are concerned on smallest things about their bird (which is great) It is just great that their birds so well taken care of and is bound to live a long happy life. Every single person on this forum are great bird owners (if they weren't they wouldn't have joined a forum on birds ) you guys are great!...Sorry for all the compliments...i'm in that mood again...

 

[Featheredsamurai]

Yeah I don't think that would be caused by mites, you'd see "dirt" on the feather shafts and there would be other damage. Her feathers look pristine.

That's great to hear, I've been very lucky that I've never had to deal with mites before D: So happy to hear that her feathers look good, always nice to know something is going right

 

[DallyTsuka]

Very good information there DallyTsuka! A night light really helps with night fright!

these were older photos, so the nightfright was in the past. we keep the kitchen light on for them at night so they have some light. tsuka is just prone to them. he doesnt get them often anymore, but he still does once in a blue moon. he's a jumpy bird.


and the information was passed on to me when i had asked about the white streaks in tsuka's feathers. a long time breeder who is fairly well known in the online bird forum community (particularly with cockatiels) explained it to me.

 

[Featheredsamurai]

Yes, Rosie has great looking plumage! I wouldn't worry about the "dappling". What i love about all bird owners (well the good ones at least) Are concerned on smallest things about their bird (which is great) It is just great that their birds so well taken care of and is bound to live a long happy life. Every single person on this forum are great bird owners (if they weren't they wouldn't have joined a forum on birds ) you guys are great!...Sorry for all the compliments...i'm in that mood again...

I love that too any good parrot should be concerned over anything small because our birds will do everything hey can to hide illness. This amazing family run pet supply store(the owner is a total parront and the store has two aviaries inside for her amazon and Pionus) old me about how the little things really count!

Her bronze winged Pionus suddenly started lunging at her, This was the only thing off and most people i'd assume would think nothing of it . She took her to a vet and it turned out she had aspergillosis.

 

[Wings]

Yeah, I recently lost trust with my budgie, after we had to clot the blood coming from her toenail... she lets me take her out, hold her and give her the occasional kiss, but doesn't let me pet her anymore. Still working on it though!