Bloodied Wings- night frights?

[Hypancistrus]

So this is the 2nd day that we have noticed that our baby lutino tiel (he is about 4 or 5 months old) has bloodied wings. We saw a patch of dried blood yesterday and checked. There was no fresh blood, and it was right on the wings edge where new feathers were growing in. We thought maybe he has nicked a blood feather, and since there was no fresh blood, we didn't worry much. This morning I noticed that BOTH wings have dried blood on them, and I found some on the cage bars.

Could he be having night frights and battering his wings again the bars? Or is it something else? If it is night frights, what can I do to solve this? Night light? A cover for his cage? We don't cover them at night because the room is dark and warm. Is there anything we can do to help him?

Other than the dried blood, he is acting 100% normal-- eating and playing and not bothering the area at all.

 

[Billie Faye]

Sounds like the results of night frights...YES a night light is very important with birds/especially Teils for this very reason...I don't cover ANY of my birds and they all have night lights in their rooms...
I found with my Teils, that covering them just caused it more because they couldn't see anything around them BUT could hear noises....
I would put the night light across the room if possible..

 

[Kristy]

Betty gave you excellent advice.

It is scary seeing blood, esp when it's splattered all around.

Good question, glad you asked it.

How big is your little guys cage at this time?

 

[saroj12]

I use a baby monitor and if I hear a disturbance during the night I can race into the bird room and flip on the light and stop the fright and check for injuries.

and of course at all times the hall light is on and filters in diffusely to act as a night light.

 

[birdlvr466]

I am within ear shot of my birds. In fact this morning our dog spooked our Grey and I flew out of bed to calm him before he broke a blood feather. Great idea Saroj.

 

[BraveheartDogs]

Sounds like the results of night frights...YES a night light is very important with birds/especially Teils for this very reason...I don't cover ANY of my birds and they all have night lights in their rooms...
I found with my Teils, that covering them just caused it more because they couldn't see anything around them BUT could hear noises....
I would put the night light across the room if possible..

I agree. I would never cover my tiels because when they get night frights I can hear them and they don't calm down until I turn a light on and settle them and talk to them. If they were covered, i think it would be more frightening for them. I think some people recommend covering tiels in hopes that if they can't see anything they won't have a night fright and the darkness will help, but I have a lot of other birds in here and I feel pretty sure that they are sometimes spooked by a noise made by another bird or something and it's not always visual. I am going to have my husband put a dimmer in my office so that it will help them cope with darkness better.

 

[Hypancistrus]

Okay, I will get a night light. Is there any color preference? It will have to be about two and a half feet away from his cage, on the same side of the room, unfortunately. The only plug across the room has the PC on it and it's full.

We had a lutino 'tiel when I was a kid who was prone to night frights, as I recall. My grey 'tiel is nearly 8 and hasn't had that issue.

 

[canarymerry]

1/2 volt LED nightlights work great too.
also i discovered the reason for my own bloody night fright experience was MICE! they forage in the cages at night and if startled by a frightened bird, they fight n bite. especially dangerouse for disabled floor and shelfed birds. because their cages are on wheels, i sleep near my birds and jump right up at any unusual sound- especially a scream. i've seen mice jump from the cages. they don't always leave poop as evidence, btw. now i remove food at night, am working on some homemade stainless 1/4 inch mesh mouseproof cages, and have bird safe humane traps all over the place.
w/luv4allbeings

 

[srtiels]

Sounds like the results of night frights...YES a night light is very important with birds/especially Teils for this very reason...I don't cover ANY of my birds and they all have night lights in their rooms...
I found with my Teils, that covering them just caused it more because they couldn't see anything around them BUT could hear noises....
I would put the night light across the room if possible..

--------------------------------
I agree.

Below is something to have on hand to stop bleeding, when needed.

Also to remove blood from a tiel/bird you can soak a cottonball with hydrogen peroxicide and dab the bloodied area. it will remove the stains in seconds.

 

[J*M*L]

I only cover my lovie and budgie cages. Not my tiel's cage. And there's a night light in the bird room. She still has night frights though. That's just a tiel thing. I'm going to get a baby monitor so I can hear what's going on in there at night.

 

[srtiels]

they don't always leave poop as evidence, btw. now i remove food at night, am working on some homemade stainless 1/4 inch mesh mouseproof cages, and have bird safe humane traps all over the place.
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Mice and rats are also a source for pasteurella (same/similar bacteria as cats). I lost a few mousebirds last year and learned it was from rats running across the cage tops and now I keep something on the tops (flattened carboard boxes, or boards) of the cages so that nothing drops in the cages, food, water, etc.

 

[canarymerry]

i'm new here and am already getting lost, but finding something to learn or say at ever wrong turn. so i don't know where i've been but i left this thought someplace else n now here too... in the wild, silence means danger. i wonder if sounds of crickets or soft music being played all night would help our birds be unafraid.
w/luv4allbeings.

 

[Big Blues]

i'm new here and am already getting lost, but finding something to learn or say at ever wrong turn. so i don't know where i've been but i left this thought someplace else n now here too... in the wild, silence means danger. i wonder if sounds of crickets or soft music being played all night would help our birds be unafraid.
w/luv4allbeings.

I agree with both night lights and relaxing background music. We have gone to both. If it is too quiet and dark and the bird hears a sound he isn't used to hearing, he can easily get freighted.