Unusual Alexandrine pigmentation

[trilliumoz]

Our 11 YO alexandrine Iago has just moulted and his new head feathers have come in with a mix of black and green. Almost looks like a pied. Otherwise he seems very healthy and happy. Wondering if anyone has seen this and if there is a cause.

 

[SpotsandSally]

Odd. No idea, but a guess would be a change in diet?


Cute, but odd!

 

[thekarens]

Just to be on the safe side I'd have a vet check him out.

 

[Betrisher]

If you do a google image search on 'Black headed ringneck', you'll see photos of birds who look similar to your Alex. Apparently, the mutation has been noted among ringnecks, but is not common or readily available. Your bird might be a ringneck/Alex hybrid or an Alex who is showing an amazing new mutation. Either way, a checkup with an avian vet is a good idea. You might also get in touch with an Alexandrine or Ringneck breeder to see what they know about it. Please let us know if you discover anything. I think your bird is gorgeous and if his black feathers turn into a solid black mask, he'll be stunning!

Duh! I just computed that Iago is eleven years old. Now that is odd! It might be something in his diet or something in his environment that's doing it. Ask your vet!

 

[SpotsandSally]

If you do a google image search on 'Black headed ringneck', you'll see photos of birds who look similar to your Alex. Apparently, the mutation has been noted among ringnecks, but is not common or readily available. Your bird might be a ringneck/Alex hybrid or an Alex who is showing an amazing new mutation. Either way, a checkup with an avian vet is a good idea. You might also get in touch with an Alexandrine or Ringneck breeder to see what they know about it. Please let us know if you discover anything. I think your bird is gorgeous and if his black feathers turn into a solid black mask, he'll be stunning!

Duh! I just computed that Iago is eleven years old. Now that is odd! It might be something in his diet or something in his environment that's doing it. Ask your vet!

Maybe at night someone altered one of his genes so he'll become the first documented black headed alexadrine?

Maybe that's why birds die all of a sudden? There's a person out there with a machine and a genius brain altering genes, and Trill's little Iago is the first succesful patient?

Any things possible....

 

[UMARKHANMARDAN]

I have never seen or even heard of Alex with black head.It will be a stunning bird if he is a natural mutant.But first take him to avian to check is it normal.Yes there is black headed mutation in Indian ring necks but in Alex it will be first time.If its normal then he may be Alex & IRN hybrid because all the other colors in Alex are result of hybridization with IRN.

 

[thekarens]

It just seems odd since the bird is 11 and it's just now shown up.

 

[Birdy916]

I thought that nasty beak/feather disease turns feathers black.... ?

I know it aint birds, but Ive bred lots of reptiles, and whenever you get a "mutation", it always shows up right away.

11 yrs is a long time for a mutation to just show up like that...

Id get it checked out if it were me....

 

[thekarens]

When we had our grey his feathers turned red, took him to the vet and he had PBFD. He lived to 3. Thankfully he was an only bird.

 

[trilliumoz]

Thanks folks for all of your comments. One of my good friends is a vet and he has no idea. Iago seems to be perfectly healthy and feather formation is normal other than colouration.

His diet hasn't changed and this is the first year that we have seen this. If it is a mutation, it is something that only manifests late in life. Maybe akin to my grey hair I have a background in genetics and I can't think of a simple explanation.

If nobody has seen this before I will keep an eye on him and assuming he stays well, I'll see if it stays after the next moult. He has always behaved like he thinks he is pretty special - maybe now he really has a reason...

 

[MrSquak]

Haha, poor little guy looks like he stuck his head in an ink well while exploring. Tango is a pied, has some bright yellow feathers on her wings only, it's pretty cool. Never seen the black though.

 

[BirdyMomma]

Iago is beautiful. Please let us know what (if anything) you find out.

 

[Pigletguinea]

It looks pretty darn cute! Hope it's nothing serious, just your run-of-the-mill mutant birdie

 

[Joshuwaaa]

Loki my Eclectus had this sort of colouring, meant to be pure green but actually had black throughout. He had a dietary deficiency and now he looks much better!
I would highly suggest a vet check just incase, Cricket also had a moth eaten look and it's all easily changed with a good check up and some lifestyle changes

 

[zorro]

This is a good website with lots of info about feathers here is the link: All About Your Parrot's Feathers - The Causes Of Molt, Feather Problems And What You Can Do About Them

 

[MonicaMc]

Chances are, it's due to a lack of sunlight.

The black headed ringnecks are birds who have been kept indoors for too long, and when transferred to an outdoor aviary, they eventually molted out the black feathers.


It is not a mutation.

 

[UMARKHANMARDAN]

Monica this is a great information for me as well. Thanks for such great information.

 

[MonicaMc]

You're welcome.

I should explain that this mostly occurs in ringnecks, it doesn't occur very often, and the only way I've heard to "fix" it is to get the birds into outside aviaries. I do not know if full spectrum lighting would fix the issue itself or if it needs to be direct sunlight. Being that it can take 1-2 years for birds to molt out all their feathers, it could take a long while to not only correct the issue, but to have normal, healthy feathers growing back in.

 

[Rossi]

How is he doing now??

 

[Rossi]

It's a pure alexandrine but i think its lack of vitamine d (sunlight)
And same for black headed ringneck has never been proven as inherited mutation...