A friend and I did a sort of bird-swap, where temporarily she gave me one of her female budgies and I gave her one of mine, to breed with our then unattached males.

When my girl came back, she had what looked exactly like a 'crest' (like a crested budgie's head, feathers going out in a whorled pattern from the centre) but it was on her chest. I remember reading about someone who saw a budgie like that in a petshop, and someone commented it might be because of an old wound or stress.

Because she went to a new home, then bred, and because it is now moulting out--the reason I can't give you a photo of her like that is she is now moulting it out and looks normal again--I am convinced it was because of stress.

Just wanting to hear you guys' thoughts, make sure it wasn't something else.

Thanks.

It is only the feathers going the wrong way my violet is like that he was normal for 8 months then the chest feathers went up unstead of down, I don't know what coarses it but I am sure it is nothing to worry about. My other vioet does it when I try to spot him for shows his feathers sit up for a couple of weeks, it is classed as a fault in the show world. i really think in some birds it is stress that coarses it as in my second violet.

I currently have a cinnamon cock who does this too and it seems to be that if he is out of condition a bit then his feathers twist around on his chest or if I've held him for any length of time (and sort of pushed the feathers out of place). They go back again but are often sprialled around. Have had other birds do this on occasion too without any lasting effects.