what does your bird weigh?

[littleredhen77]

i was able to weigh Ziggy for the first time today, and the scale was bouncing between 369 and 370. this was half way through the day after he had eaten breakfast and some of his mid day snack though. through the reading ive done this seems just a tad low, so i figured it might be a good idea to ask you guys i feel that would give me a much more accurate idea than the 'average weight' listed on breed profiles online.

so, what do your birds weigh? if it helps, Ziggy is a male SI eclectus, approx 25 years old according to his previous owner.

 

[kq_fan]

Lilo weighs 56 grams. How big are Electus parrots? Like how tall, I have never been around an adult Ekkie

 

[RavensGryf]

Are you only asking about Eclectus, and specifically to compare to your SI Ziggy? There are many Ekkie owners here who have the SI subspecies, and I'm sure they'll chime in. I think that sounds about right though. I had a Grand subspecies which is also a smaller one like SI and she was about 380. Remember, birds of any species can vary between individuals.

 

[Mariar]

Sissy is a severe macaw..or chestnut crested macaw and she's holding steady at 368 grams

 

[Anansi]

Morning before breakfast is considered the official weighing time. I like to weigh mine morning and night, however, to get an idea of their range.

Jolly and Maya tend to be around 376 in the mornings and maybe 388-390 after dinner. Both are SI's.

Bixby was a red-sided and he weighed closer to 425.

A good way to tell whether your bird is getting enough to eat is to feel the pectoral muscles to either side of his keel bone. The bone itself shouldn't seem to be protruding sharply from the chest, and the pectoral musculature should be firm. Not flaccid.

 

[Nakiska]

Well...my Green Cheek conure weighs 62.grams....all the time....such a tiny guy he is compared to our Yellow Naped Amazon at 501 grams.

If I hold DeRita, then go get Frankie....he is light as a feather!

Toni

 

[chris-md]

Parker is a red sided like Stephens Bixby. I only ever weighed him once at the vet for his well bird visit. He came in at 452, which I understand is on the bottom of the range for this subspecies (450-525). Stephen, Bixby was pretty young when he passed, right?

Parkers a plucker and was only down feathers all over. but he has since feathered out and is on a good diet so I would be shocked if he hasn't gained another 20 grams at least.

 

[Anansi]

Parker is a red sided like Stephens Bixby. I only ever weighed him once at the vet for his well bird visit. He came in at 452, which I understand is on the bottom of the range for this subspecies (450-525). Stephen, Bixby was pretty young when he passed, right?

Parkers a plucker and was only down feathers all over. but he has since feathered out and is on a good diet so I would be shocked if he hasn't gained another 20 grams at least.

Yes, Bixby was just over a year and a half when he died, and he'd been born with PDD, which might have further hindered his development.

But even so, keep in mind that he was a pretty active flier. His weight whenever he was in one of his sick phases and couldn't fly was sometimes as high as 448, but his flying weight was closer to 425.

The weight ranges are good for general guidelines, but they are really just averages. Checking the keel bone is a better way to determine whether your bird is at a good personal weight.

 

[littleredhen77]

hello again and sorry for the confusion, i was asking mainly for the weight of other birds of the same species as ziggy

i realize i should be weighing him in the morning so his meals dont interfere with the number i get, and that is what i will do from now on but i was curious and just wanted to see.

he eats well, and i do feel his belly often, he likes being petted there as well as under his wings. his breast bone doesnt stick out sharply, but you can feel a slight ridge down the middle. its not visible and i dont think it means he is underweight, since you can only feel it with your finger and there is firmness on either side. compared to the way chickens feel, he is a stocky little bird i know chickens are not anything to compare him to though lol.

i was just a little worried because all the places online list an 'average' weight that is generally 15 grams more than what he was yesterday.

thank you for all the responses though!

 

[Kyoto]

Lilo weighs 56 grams. How big are Electus parrots? Like how tall, I have never been around an adult Ekkie

Wow I thought Kyo was tiny! She is 64 grams :3

 

[melbourned]

My two Red Sided eckies range from 420 to 450 grams.

 

[littleredhen77]

Lilo weighs 56 grams. How big are Electus parrots? Like how tall, I have never been around an adult Ekkie

i would say Ziggy is about 10 inches from head to lower back. he hasnt had any tail feathers the entire time ive had him so hes a little stumpy hes adorable that way though!

 

[katie_fleming]

Jasper is much smaller I guess than most. He's about 315 grams, always has been in that range.

 

[littleredhen77]

Jasper is much smaller I guess than most. He's about 315 grams, always has been in that range.

Katie,
is Jasper a SI ekkie? how old is he?

also, how much weight do feathers add..roughly? ziggy has no tail what so ever, and the chewing of his wings has left him with what looks like a butcher shop clip job. :/ the longest primary on each wing is intact..for now..but every other one has been chewed to half length. it makes him look like the blue tips of his primaries are his tail i wonder how much ((if any)) weight that takes from him?

on a brighter note, ive found that his toilet paper tube/newspaper almond foraging toy is much more effective if i use a clothes pin to hold the tube onto the bars of his cage. i wanted him to play with this while i was gone for work but every time he tried he would drop it on the floor and loose interest. with it clipped, i come home to find newspaper bits on the floor! he didnt get his almond today but he tried! i showed him it was in there when i got home an let him reach in and grab it. if he learns how to shred things instead of his wings, maybe ill be able to see what he weighs fully feathered by his next molt

 

[SailBoat]

The primary and secondary wing and tail feathers are the heaviest of all the different types of feathers. However, even the full body of feathers will not make a major difference in overall body weight of most parrots. As a ratio of body weight to weight of all feathers: MAC's win the larger parrot race with their long light body design and long flight feathers, where Amazon's with they short heavy body design and shorter flight feathers loss.

However, I have not seen a specific measurement of the weight of all a parrot's feathers as a ratio to their body weight.

Keeping tabs on a normal yearly swing or static status in the weight range of your parrot is a strong tool for determining health. Some will measure weight daily, others weekly or monthly (commonly in the morning prior to feeding) and still others never measure weight.

The lack of primary wing and tail feathers will not have a larger enough effect on its total body weight to move a low weight parrot into the center of a 'normal' range.

 

[ruffledfeathers]

I never remember what his last weight was (because in my mind I just say "about five ounces"). He was 150-something grams last time he was weighed, I want to say high 150s.
My vet had told me if I choose to weigh him at home, don't rely only on weight but to check the keel and muscle as this is a greater indication of condition than just the number on the scale.

 

[katie_fleming]

Jasper is much smaller I guess than most. He's about 315 grams, always has been in that range.

Katie,
is Jasper a SI ekkie? how old is he?

also, how much weight do feathers add..roughly? ziggy has no tail what so ever, and the chewing of his wings has left him with what looks like a butcher shop clip job. :/ the longest primary on each wing is intact..for now..but every other one has been chewed to half length. it makes him look like the blue tips of his primaries are his tail i wonder how much ((if any)) weight that takes from him?

on a brighter note, ive found that his toilet paper tube/newspaper almond foraging toy is much more effective if i use a clothes pin to hold the tube onto the bars of his cage. i wanted him to play with this while i was gone for work but every time he tried he would drop it on the floor and loose interest. with it clipped, i come home to find newspaper bits on the floor! he didnt get his almond today but he tried! i showed him it was in there when i got home an let him reach in and grab it. if he learns how to shred things instead of his wings, maybe ill be able to see what he weighs fully feathered by his next molt

Yes, he's a Solomon Island Eclectus. He's 1.5 years old (tomorrow!). Not sure how much weight the feathers add since he had all his feathers of course when I got him

I weigh him once a month and keep track in an excel sheet. His weight will vary now and then but never a dangerous increase/decrease. All minimal. He eats well, is very active, so I'm not concerned his weight is on the lower side. Also the vet said nothing about his weight being a problem.

 

[Kiwibird]

Kiwi is a 'beefy' male amazon and he weighs around 420 after a good meal

You can check with the avian vet what a good weight range/goal is for your bird. Adult parrots should stay around the same weight over the course of their lives.

 

[suley]

Yoshi(SI) weighs between 365-395 at any given time and never seems to deviate from that range.