New member (again)with Senior Maroon Military Macaw

[Bonnetbird]

Hi Everyone,

Here after a feathered friend on Instagram reminded me that this forum exists.

Bonnet is a wild born female military macaw between 40-60 years of age.

She turned maroon about 5 years ago, is blind in her left eye and has frequent foot issues due to deformity and arthritis.

Hoping to connect with other senior macaw and parrot owners about adaptations and changes they have made for their senior or disabled parrots.


She’s on Instagrama at bonnetbird

 

[Brittany0208]

Welcome! Bonnet is gorgeous! I have a disabled parrot (has only one leg, which has tendon entrapment, which restricts movement). Anything I can help you with, just let me know.

 

[Peachfaced]

Wow, did the vet say anything about her change in color? That is very strange!

 

[faislaq]

Welcome (back?) Bonnet is lovely. What has her vet said about her coloring?

@Macawnutz has lots of experience with senior macaws and @Hankmacaw knows all sorts of things about macaws' special needs.

 

[Hankmacaw]

Have you taken this bird to a vet? She needs to have a CBC and Chem panel. I would say that her issue is dietary and that her diet has effected her liver function.

 

[Fia Baby]

She's really interesting looking! Have you ever consulted a vet about her? Her coloring is so unusual, and I'm curious about her eye in the last photo. Is it just the lighting, or is it protruding a bit? Hope I don't sound like a total nut... it could just be the lighting casting a shadow.

 

[Hankmacaw]

It appears to me as if the eyes are protruding and she doesn't have any cheek feathers.

 

[cassiesdad]

Welcome to you and Bonnet...

 

[Macawnutz]

You have posted her picture here years ago right? I recall this condition being discussed. I said then that a vet perspective would be interesting, have you done that?

Honestly, owning a military myself, the coloring does not look diet/illness related to me. They tend to have that burgundy coloring in their feathers to begin with.

My 61 year old military has no hint of that happening, she is going blind though.

 

[faislaq]

she doesn't have any cheek feathers.

It's interesting that only her green feathers seem to have changed. Her other colors are still bright. Buzzard's is half military and his eye rings are a very deep green, not black. I wonder if Bonnet's were green too, and have turned reddish also? They are very faint.

 

[Sarahmoluccan]

Welcome back!!
I'm very curious about her colouring too.

 

[expressmailtome]

Welcome back!

 

[Chopper]

Welcome. I hope you come back and listen to what is being said. We want to help you and Bonnet.

 

[faislaq]

I'm really hoping her coloring is harmless like Sarah said. Fingers crossed it's not an illness or diet-related and she's just unique.

 

[Shezbug]

Wow that is certainly one extreme change in color. She is beautiful and very unique with the red coloring.

 

[Bonnetbird]

Here is a picture of Bonnet today - her coloring was determined a few years ago not to be related to a dietary problem or illness. She completed a full molt and came back as maroon. Recently she got one new pea green feather! I also have come across two other macaws that developed the same mutation. I will try and find the links to photos of them for you guys.

*Bonnet does currently have some health issues, but those are not related to the color change.

Thank you all for your responses !

 

[hrafn]

She's an absolute stunner! What a beautiful girl!

 

[Bonnetbird]

Oh and as far as the eyes go - she did have an eye injury - which resulted in retinitis. We took her to a veterinary ophthalmologist - and we tried medication but the vision did not come back in her left eye. That picture is from a couple of years ago. Thank you for your concern, and good eye !!

 

[Macawnutz]

Color Changing Macaw | Birds Photos | Flickr

So you have seen a vet.

Her coloring is not unrealistic to me, but I own a military. The military feathers have a burgundy stripe going down the center of them. Maybe some sort of pigment loss? I'm going to my vet Friday, I'll try to remember and show him the photo. Maybe he has seen something your vet hasnt.

 

[Bonnetbird]

Color Changing Macaw | Birds Photos | Flickr

So you have seen a vet.

Her coloring is not unrealistic to me, but I own a military. The military feathers have a burgundy stripe going down the center of them. Maybe some sort of pigment loss? I'm going to my vet Friday, I'll try to remember and show him the photo. Maybe he has seen something your vet hasnt.

Thanks! I actually found a bird at reptile gardens in South Dakota - and one that passes away at the national aviary World Bird Sanctuary: Gomer That have a similar mutation!


Since the last time I posted Bonnet has moved from Michigan to NYC so she has been seen by a few more avian specialists. I wish we could figure out if they were all born in the same region and it was some sort of adaptation for the elderly macaw.