• Welcome to Avian Avenue! To view our forum with less advertisments please register with us.
    Memberships are free and it will just take a moment. Click here

Curious about shelter bird's beak

SmallFeather

Walking the driveway
Joined
4/26/19
Messages
174
Hello! I visited my local bird shelter yesterday to drop off some fresh produce, and I noticed something strange about a female eclectus that has recently arrived. Her upper beak curves to the inside of her lower beak, and her lower beak is really overgrown. I haven't seen this in a bird before and was just kind of wondering what was going on. I would have asked the shelter owner, but he was busy at the time. Is this an ecelctus thing or can it happen to all birds? What leads to it? How does she eat and preen? I have been wondering about it and figured this would be a good place to ask.
 

Mizzely

Lil Monsters Bird Toys
Super Moderator
Vendor
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Avenue Concierge
Joined
8/9/11
Messages
39,964
Location
Northern Mitten Michigan
Real Name
Shawna [she/her]
It can happen to any bird with a misaligned beak (also known as scissorbeak) whether from injury or poor handfeeding. It can also be found in birds not given toys to chew or with a bad diet. Liver problems can also manifest as an overgrown beak.
 

SmallFeather

Walking the driveway
Joined
4/26/19
Messages
174
Thanks! It’s been bugging me all day. Is it correctable with vet care or do they just have to adapt?
 

Mizzely

Lil Monsters Bird Toys
Super Moderator
Vendor
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Avenue Concierge
Joined
8/9/11
Messages
39,964
Location
Northern Mitten Michigan
Real Name
Shawna [she/her]
My Jardine's has a slight scissor beak that is maintained mostly by chewing woods. When I first got him though the vet had to dremmel his beak down to get it to a place he could do that. Some birds will need routine maintenance on their beak to prevent issues.
 

Mizzely

Lil Monsters Bird Toys
Super Moderator
Vendor
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Avenue Concierge
Joined
8/9/11
Messages
39,964
Location
Northern Mitten Michigan
Real Name
Shawna [she/her]
This was him before his beak trim and after. So not as extreme as what you're seeing on the eclectus. She should get her beak filed as itv definitely can interfere with playing, eating, and preening.

IMG_20180813_221237_348.jpg
 

SmallFeather

Walking the driveway
Joined
4/26/19
Messages
174
Your Jardine is beautiful. I’m going to keep checking on the eclectus whenever I visit. Hopefully she gets a beak trim soon! Thanks for the information!
 

SmallFeather

Walking the driveway
Joined
4/26/19
Messages
174
Screen Shot 2019-08-08 at 4.28.55 PM.png Thought I would share a picture of the bird I was talking about. His name is Dusty and he is now up for adoption.
 

Birdbabe

Ripping up the road
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Avenue Concierge
Joined
11/17/09
Messages
26,105
Location
The valley of the sun
Serious beak maintenance needed! The shelter should have a vet or qualified vet tech to trim that, poor girl. Hopefully, the " shelter," will adopt to someone who can deal with the beak issue .
 

Mizzely

Lil Monsters Bird Toys
Super Moderator
Vendor
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Avenue Concierge
Joined
8/9/11
Messages
39,964
Location
Northern Mitten Michigan
Real Name
Shawna [she/her]
@Mizzely
How much does a beak trim usually cost? I am wondering if it might be a money issue for the shelter, which is no reason to neglect the issue, but maybe I can "sponsor" her and pay for her beak trim if it isn't too much.


Usually its only about $20 to $45. Ripley's last one at his "charge through the nose" vet was $46 and change :)
 

SmallFeather

Walking the driveway
Joined
4/26/19
Messages
174
@Mizzely
Thank you! I need to pick up some stuff from the vet's tomorrow anyways, so I will discuss it with them. I would really like to help this bird. The shelter she is from admittedly isn't the greatest, but it is one of the only bird shelters in my area so I am still grateful that they take birds in.
 

SmallFeather

Walking the driveway
Joined
4/26/19
Messages
174
I tried to talk to the vet yesterday, but she was in surgery when I picked up some supplies and the receptionist couldn't give me a price quote without the vet seeing the bird. Today I dropped some fresh chop off at the shelter and managed to catch the owner of the shelter when he wasn't busy. He said that they were aware that Dusty needs a major beak trim and plan to get her one, but they are waiting for her to adjust to her new foster home first as to not add more stress to an already stressful time. They said they put her up for adoption early because their process takes a long time, but will not be placing her until she gets a beak trim. She is in her twenties and I was told that they think she was born with a deformed beak that will need regular trims. She previously lived in a hardware store and hardly ever, if at all, got her beak trimmed. I am really happy about this outcome, but will keep asking about her to make sure they actually go through with it. I think she will be so much happier with a trimmed beak!
 

TikkiTembo

Rollerblading along the road
Joined
5/13/19
Messages
1,447
Real Name
Chelsea
Aw, beautiful baby! Which Rescue is she at? Maybe an AA member would be interested?!
 

Love My Zons

Cruising the avenue
Vendor
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Avenue Concierge
Joined
10/16/09
Messages
11,343
Location
Central NC
Real Name
Claire
View attachment 312018 Thought I would share a picture of the bird I was talking about. His name is Dusty and he is now up for adoption.
Dusty is a Girl Eclectus. Males are green. She should go to a bird Vet for a complete check up.

Beak needs attention.
 
Top