Budgie Turning Black

[Cara 0]

Over the past few months I have noticed Molly's feathers are starting to get black tips on all her feathers (not just the feathers on her wings) but under her wings and on her front, this morning i was watching them and caught sight of a small dark grey/black patch of feathers under her wings. Is this normal, what has triggered the colour change?

 

I will try and get a closer look and get some photos but it will be difficult as Molly is not tamed and is scared of people any advise on getting photos without her freaking out too much?

[Finnie 0]

Are you concerned that she may be sick? It's possible that you may have to catch her up to get a good look, whether she likes it or not. When I have to do that, I then cover the bird's head up (or the whole bird) with a cloth. Having their face covered calms them down. Then I peel the cloth back from the area that I need to look at. It's tricky to do all that, and also take a photo. You might want to get someone to take the picture while you hold the bird.

[Ratzy 0]

Does she get sun flower seeds in large quantities?

[Cara 0]

No I'm not worried thats she's sick, there is nothing to indicate that she may be sick and Ive never heard of black tipped feathers to be a sign of sickness, this colouration has happened over a period of about 6 months and its seems to get stronger and more prominant each time she moults. She gets I would say 2 -3 sun flower seeds once a week in a dry mixture I make up for them that includes lucern and other grains also.

[Ratzy 0]

Does she get sunflower seeds?

[Cara 0]

As i mentioned in the last post they both get 2-3 sunflower seeds once a week, so yes they do

[rachelm 0]

Photos might be helpful, like a before and after.

[Cara 0]

Well Ive tried to find a before photo, but can't to tell the truth I don't even know when I first noticed the colour change, all I know is that it gets darker with each moult. The black is so tiny but it is there, the black is even on each individual feather on her front that it almost looks like she has stripes. Its reall hard to get a photo of, but im going to try it on macro setting and see if that works. Here are some pictures taken on the super macro setting, second one is a lot clearer.

 

 

The colour blue under her tail is what she started out being basically when we first got her.

 

Here is the oldest photo of her I have.

 

Her wings were badly cut when we got her it took us months to get them growing right again.

Edited September 12, 2010 by Cara

[**KAZ** 0]

Does she get sunflower seeds?

Did you forget you already posted that question just one post above ??

[Ratzy 0]

Sorry, I didn't read all of the post lol.

[**KAZ** 0]

Sorry, I didn't read all of the post lol.

 

 

Ratzy....it was you that posted the same question twice

You posted this

Does she get sun flower seeds in large quantities?

 

and then you posted

Does she get sunflower seeds?

[*Nerwen* 0]

sorry Cara - i can't see anything with those pictures could you link larger sized ones or take natural ones in daylight (as in not holding the bird)

[Dave_McMinn 0]

I see a yellow faced bird going through a moult and getting darker, but that is all normal.

 

Am I meant to be seeing something different?

[Cara 0]

Well Im not worried if you guys arn't.... I just thought it weird that her feathers had black tips

 

Non of my other birds had black tipp feathers even when going through a moult

Edited September 13, 2010 by Cara

[RIPbudgies 0]

All you have is a well marked Spangle. Spangle can vary in markings with some these days almost devoid of markings to the point they are almost be clear-winged. The YF componant has nothing to do with the black markings. The bird looks like a normal version, not Opaline and this too will make a difference.

[Coki 0]

Hello everyone, 

I've searched the internet high and wide and this topic was the only one that seems to be referring to the same thing that I'm seeing on my budgie (pictures attached). He is acting otherwise normally: chirps, talks, flies, eats, preens etc. I do sometimes notice watery poops, but they also look normal a lot of the time so I don't know, maybe they're watery after he has veggies or something.

Do you think feathers colored like this are a color mutation or a sign of an underlying issue? They were all blue before his last molt, I'm fairly sure. He was hatched June 2020, went through his first molt October 2020, and a second one January/February 2021.

I'm not an experienced budgie person, he is my first pet bird. I did my best to do everything by the book. 

Thank you everyone in advance if you find time to respond with your opinion and I hope you have an amazing day!