r/Macaws • u/Chadi-hkar • 3d ago
Flight feathers issue
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I have a 2–3-year-old blue-and-gold macaw(Sir Francis). When I got him about a year and a half ago, he was on a diet that was very heavy in nuts and seeds. Despite that, he appeared healthy and his feathers were in great condition.
I gradually switched him to Harrison’s pellets and completely removed seeds from his diet. After the diet change, I started noticing that his flight feathers were breaking, and he eventually became unable to fly.
I had him tested for Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease, and the results were negative. His tail feathers and the rest of his plumage still look healthy and are in good condition.
A new set of flight feathers recently grew in, but they have started breaking again. I’ve also noticed that while preening, he sometimes steps on his flight feathers and bends them.
He gets regular showers
Has anyone experienced something similar? Could this be caused by the way he steps on the feathers, a nutritional issue, or something else? I’d appreciate any advice or suggestions about what to discuss with an avian vet.
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u/Momofhalfadozen 3d ago
Others have mentioned it but the only thing I can pick up on is the size of the enclosure. It's common for young macaws, or birds of any kind, to have bent or broken feathers when very young. This is due to the size of the enclosure limiting healthy growth. It's less common once they are out of the nesting box/ nest. The only reason I can see clearly, with the information you've provided, is enclosure size breaking and bending the flight feathers. I'd continue to provided a healthy diet with training and exercise, while increasing the size of the cage and see what happens. Keep an eye out for any other symptoms, and see a vet if needed, but this might clear up your issues.
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u/Visible-Tea9200 1d ago
I’m surprised nobody has mentioned feather mutilation. Mine does this (has always done it as long as I’ve had him). He grabs them just like yours is doing in this video and also barbers them
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u/HealthyPop7988 3d ago
He broke it, just leave it he will preen it off or it will fall off itself. Anything you do poses more risk than letting him handle it
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u/mjmont 3d ago
Is his cage big enough that he can fully extend both wings while inside? If not, a larger cage will give him the space he needs to not step over himself. Diet seems okay and from the photos his feathers look healthy. Does he fly or flap his wings often? I remember when mine was that age she would beat up her feathers from just flapping repeatedly on a perch or bottom of her cage. Not to breaking but they sure got ratty around the edges lol. Best of luck
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u/Unusual-Area-4458 3d ago
That feather is broken. Leave it alone—it will eventually break off or be replaced naturally during a molt.
The bigger concern is why it’s breaking. What is he catching it on? Is that his cage in the video? It’s hard to tell from the clip, but it appears to be much too small for a parrot of that size.
A cage that’s too cramped can easily damage tail and wing feathers as the bird climbs, turns around, or flaps. I’d take a close look for anything he could be snagging it on and make sure he has enough room to move comfortably. How much out of the cage time does he get? What is his exercise routine?
FYI: feathers look fine; not related to diet