My birds beak is getting darker

[Birdsrcute13]

This is my IRN who is about five months old now. Its very picky with food and almost completely rejects all deeds and formulas fed to her since she was 8 weeks old.

As of such, her diet now mainly consists of sweet corn and sunflower seeds because she refuses to eat anything and she went up from 95g to 110g.

However, over time I've started to realize her beak has gotten darker. Is this a cause for concern?

Should I bring her to the vet? It's my very first pet bird and I'm not quite sure what it means as I have no experience and I hope people can shed some light.

I've attached two photos for reference. The first is the current state and the second is from 3. 5 weeks ago.

 

[Yoshi&Raphi]

Bump! Btw your baby is beautiful

 

[Zara]

Welcome to the Avenue Sofia

I will tag in a couple of IRN owners, @cassiesdad @fashionfobie

 

[cassiesdad]

Welcome to you and your bird.

Titan's beak did the same thing when he was not much older than your little one is now...our AV never said anything about it.

Her diet is an obvious concern, though...IRNs seem to be a bit picky at times about eating...corn is starchy...and sunflower seeds are fatty.

I'd advise to keep trying different fresh veggies...fine chopped. "Model" eating them in front of your bird...and make sure you let her see you enjoying them!

IRNs are intelligent...and independent...a combination that can bring out stubborn in them in a big way.


If you are still concerned about her beak discoloring, contact your vet...if s/he is a good vet, they will understand your concerns and answer your questions...

 

[fashionfobie]

Beaks can go through some changes as the birds mature. I will agree that your current diet has many holes. Add greens: silverbeet or Swiss chard, broccoli including leaves, brussel sprouts, green beans (super popular with my guy), zucchini, sweet potato, mango, and carrot. The list continues but hopefully it gives you some ideas. If you have questions about any please ask. There are so many great options for our birds, but some are not bird safe. Avocado is toxic. So if in doubt please ask, but don't be afraid to get creative. IRN can eat more fruit than some species so offering some apple or pear and assorted berries are also good options.

This should be part of the daily diet. Especially as your bird is young. She will be more willing to try new things. When she is about 10 months or so, she will get even more stuck in her ways.

I am so glad you came to the forum. Welcome to you and your gorgeous little IRN. She is really cute!

Just going to add: Birdies do toss a lot of food, and will waste some stuff. Sometimes it doesn't mean your bird is being picky. It is pretty common for them to take one bite out of say a blueberry and just toss the rest. It is the nature of parrots. They eat cleverly and pick out the best parts that they like. Then they chuck the rest to the other wildlife. In captivity we call this making a mess

 

[Monica]

The beak looks fine to me, for the most part. Indian ringnecks naturally have some dark areas on their beaks, although the upper mandible is typically a bright red.


The only concern I see (besides diet issues) would be a small indent just below the right nostril... which could either be an indication of an injury or a sinus infection. I would recommend keeping an eye on that and as long as your bird is healthy, may not be anything to worry about. If it worsens or your birds behavior appears sick in any way, see a vet.

 

[berries]

The beak will get darker but when in doubt, ask your vet! Like everyone else mentioned her diet does need to be diversified for optimal health. Something that worked for getting my picky eaters to try new foods was to chop it up very finely in a food processor or serve it as a mash. Since most birds tend to enjoy food with a mushier texture it encourages them to try things they didnt like in whole or rough chop form.

 

[Rain Bow]

Hiya & a big Welcome to you & your fid to the avenue!

I'm very concerned about your babies diet. First of all think about nature & how each of us on earth eat & feed off of one another. Birds waste for a few reasons in our ecology. Birds waste as the feed insects from their dropping of foods, fruits & veggies. 2nd they help grow things by dropping different seeds which land on the soil & turn into berry & other plants including different weeds & wildflowers. They're going to continue this process as a wild bird kept in captivity.

Ok now you should check out our feathered foodcourt. We share all different things but most important the wide variety of veggies that our fids eat. A few things are species specific as there are a few fids that need things like nectar & diets high in fruits & sugar. IRNs are not one of these fids.

In the feathered food court we share things like sprouting & nutritionally varied chops. Both of these are important for your fid. The hardest thing is to get them to eat thier seeds as graining incentives & as sprouting. Please come by & checkout the fun. The current diet your fid is on is ok occassionally but not all the time.

Feathered Food Court

Discuss diet-related topics for your birds here

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Rain & Buddy