Why are my green cheek conure feathers turned black

[Nolila]

Hi so I have a green cheek conure and he is about 5 months old and I only had him for 2 or 3 months and his feathers were blue but now there turning black is there something wrong with him and sometimes he stands on one foot and Tuck himself into his wings for like a few seconds is that normal and he doesn't play with his toys a lot I give him a lot of toys in his cage but he just like to stay around me and Bite or play is that normal or am I doing something wrong. Sorry it's a lot or questions but this are something that im Concerned about so can someone please help is my bird ok or shuld I take him to the vet and here are pictures from the before and after.its not so clear but his wings from the bottom were blue but now there turning black or gray. And His Behavior haven't changed a lot. Hope someone can help thank you

 

[LaManuka]

Hi so I have a green cheek conure and he is about 5 months old and I only had him for 2 or 3 months and his feathers were blue but now there turning black is there something wrong with him and sometimes he stands on one foot and Tuck himself into his wings for like a few seconds is that normal and he doesn't play with his toys a lot I give him a lot of toys in his cage but he just like to stay around me and Bite or play is that normal or am I doing something wrong. Sorry it's a lot or questions but this are something that im Concerned about so can someone please help is my bird ok or shuld I take him to the vet and here are pictures from the before and after.its not so clear but his wings from the bottom were blue but now there turning black or gray. And His Behavior haven't changed a lot. Hope someone can help thank youView attachment 61792View attachment 61793

I think your little one looks ok Baby birds are pretty rough on their feathers and that breaks the pigments down, plus your little guy is the right age where he'll be starting to moult his old feathers out and grow news ones very soon, that happens at around 6-8 months of age. So in the next couple of months your birdie's feathers should regrow and be beautiful again. He's a lovely baby - what's his name by the way?

 

[Nolila]

I think your little one looks ok Baby birds are pretty rough on their feathers and that breaks the pigments down, plus your little guy is the right age where he'll be starting to moult his old feathers out and grow news ones very soon, that happens at around 6-8 months of age. So in the next couple of months your birdie's feathers should regrow and be beautiful again. He's a lovely baby - what's his name by the way?

Thank you so much and his name is Coco he loves to get in trouble and do things that could hurt him my eyes has to be on him 24/7. Thank you

 

[LaManuka]

Thank you so much and his name is Coco he loves to get in trouble and do things that could hurt him my eyes has to be on him 24/7. Thank you

You're most welcome, Coco is such a cutie-pie!!

 

[Jexnell]

Very young birds are hard on thier first set of feathers. I got my Sunny right after being fully weaned, 17 weeks old. By time he got to his first molt he had only one single intact tail feather, having broke the rest in half. In time they learn how to better care for the feathers.

Third or fourth molt and they are masters of feather care.

 

[wrench13]

Feathers , once they are fully formed and grown, are like fingernail material, keratin. Once fully formed there is no blood supply to them and really can't change much. Break, yes, become dirty, yes, or chewed upon yes, all which make them look like crap. Black spots or bars that appear on feathers represent times of stress that occurred while the feather was growing, called stress bars. Stress bars do not spontaneously appear on fully grown feathers.

As noted by LaManuka and Jexnell, Baby and juvenile parrots are very hard on feathers, as they learn proper preening and grooming. The first set of feathers are like a throw away set, and its only following set, after the parrots first big molt, that one can expect to be looking good, and maybe it might take an additional molt for the bird to really get it down well.