First bath! Help!

[o0msd0o]

Okay! So I hope I am not absolutely crazy... but I'm worried! We usually let our conure in the shower with us.. we have a high shower perch so all he gets is mist and he bathes in his bowl which is fine... but my new guy... I decided to give him a spray bottle bath... because I didn't know if he liked water? I haven't seen him in his bowl... and I am still a little skittish of "cutting him loose" in the house until we get a better handle on "stick training". So... I sprayed him down... and he "tolerated" it... but 15 mins later and he turned BROWN! I immediately got on Google and I couldn't find any other strange colored wet amazons?? Is this brown normal on a wet amazon? Or is this dude super dirty and the water just made the dirt show up nice and bright?

 

[Mizzely]

Parrot feather colors are actually largely due to an optical illusion. They have little ridges on their feathers that reflect lights in such a way that translates to different colors in our eyes. Combined with genetics and diet, they can produce a bunch of colors!

All this to say, when they are wet, their colors absolutely can change, because the water distorts some of the illusion. Here are some green parrots that turned brown during a bath:

 

[Clueless]

What do you think?

 

[Clueless]

This is an old dry picture

 

[o0msd0o]

Okay! I'm not as worried now! Thanks for the feedback! I guess I just panicked a little because he still looked brown... even though he wasn't really wet anymore? And he still has a ton of brown on him! Hours later? I only misted him a few times.. taking caution not to scare him.. and I was not expecting a complete color change like that? I may offer him a huge bowl again in the bottom of his cage and see if he wants another bath "on his own"... just to be sure!

 

[Clueless]

Baths are unique too.

Secret likes water that is tepid. MC liked a little colder.

Secret prefers to do her own thing and crawl into a bowl. I mist over the top of her. MC would stand and spread his wings proudly and let that shower land on him.

 

[Clueless]

Older thread...

Bath time poses . . .

Just because . . . .

forums.avianavenue.com

 

[melissasparrots]

This is normal. Green birds turn brown when wet. Hyacinth macaws turn green.

 

[SumitaSinh]

Okay! So I hope I am not absolutely crazy... but I'm worried! We usually let our conure in the shower with us.. we have a high shower perch so all he gets is mist and he bathes in his bowl which is fine... but my new guy... I decided to give him a spray bottle bath... because I didn't know if he liked water? I haven't seen him in his bowl... and I am still a little skittish of "cutting him loose" in the house until we get a better handle on "stick training". So... I sprayed him down... and he "tolerated" it... but 15 mins later and he turned BROWN! I immediately got on Google and I couldn't find any other strange colored wet amazons?? Is this brown normal on a wet amazon? Or is this dude super dirty and the water just made the dirt show up nice and bright?

Inca turns brown after every bath, so not to worry. I remember my initial days with Inca. I used to freak out on every small event... One night I literally bugging Clueless, when Inca was having reddish poop after eating lots of pellets

 

[Clueless]

Ahhhh but MY initial days I had no one to go to. I thought Secret was dying because of the birds beak sounds, similar to our teeth chattering and I thought she was frozen..... imagine MY surprise to learn about beak grinding!!!

 

[bonjourtok]

Hyacinth macaws turn green.

Seeing our hyacinth green was always the highlight of his bath for me