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Could this be my lost cockatiel?? (does feet color change?)

lilypilly

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Key Question: can a 6 year old cockatiel's feet change colour in the space of a year?

The story: I lost my cockatiel one year ago (housemate left cage + windows open..). Recently, I saw an ad for someone trying to sell a cockatiel that looks just like my cockatiel.
I contacted them and the timeline works. They bought the cockatiel from a pet store around 6 months ago, and the pet store had apparently received the cockatiel from a little boy.
My cockatiel was super tame so it's possible that a little boy found him, kept him for a while but then gave him up.
I haven't been able to go and see the cockatiel yet due to the seller's limited availability but I have now realised that the feet of this cockatiel are dark grey, whereas my cockatiel's feet were pink.
Aside from the fact that this bird looks super similar to my lost cockatiel (i.e. white faced with white spots behind the head), does the marked difference in feet colour mean this bird is unlikely to be my lost cockatiel? I wonder if a cockatiel's feet colour can change with age (note, my cockatiel had had pink feet even up to 6 years of age), stress, expose to the sun, change in diet, etc?
Grateful for any advice.
 

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Shezbug

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@Hankmacaw @Mockinbirdiva @Macawnutz is it possible for a birds skin colour to change with diet and such? I have honestly never thought about this, I have read about macaws getting their cheeks sunburned but not about skin colour changes- I guess it could be possible just like in humans but probably rare?

I would think you may know straight away once you go see the little guy in real life. I can not wait to see any responses to this topic. I hope for you it is your little one and you can be reunited with him.
 

Mockinbirdiva

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I don't believe they can change color. Sorry..
 

lilypilly

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@Hankmacaw @Mockinbirdiva @Macawnutz is it possible for a birds skin colour to change with diet and such? I have honestly never thought about this, I have read about macaws getting their cheeks sunburned but not about skin colour changes- I guess it could be possible just like in humans but probably rare?

I would think you may know straight away once you go see the little guy in real life. I can not wait to see any responses to this topic. I hope for you it is your little one and you can be reunited with him.
Thank you. Yeah, I would definitely recognise his songs and I hope that he would also remember me. I'll post back in here once I know, either way.
 

Mizzely

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I would still go just in case. My hunch is that foot color can't change much after adulthood, except perhaps for medical reasons.
 

Shezbug

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I would still go just in case. My hunch is that foot color can't change much after adulthood, except perhaps for medical reasons.
That is what I was wondering too.
 

expressmailtome

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I am not aware of it happening in cockatiels, but in some species the bare skin can change color when given regular exposure to direct sunlight. The most notable cases that I can think of involve the rings of skin around the eyes. I am only remembering seeing examples of this in peach-front conures and one of the caique species, but have heard of it happening in other species as well.
 

Mockinbirdiva

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Yeah, it seems super unlikely so I'm expecting it to not be my bird.. It'll be worth the drive to find out for certain though.
Just be sure to present all identifying photos of your bird when you go. I'm assuming your bird was not banded.
 
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