Before you acquire or purchase a parrot, you may want to learn what the signs of a healthy parrot are so that you do not waste your money having to send your parrot to the vet so frequently.
A healthy parrot will exhibit the following signs:
o Alertness and showing interest in things going on around.
o The eyes should be wide open and bright, not sunken in, dull or with the eyelids half-closed.
o No discharge from the nostrils.
o The underside of the bird should be clean, with no traces of droppings on the bird's feathers.
o When seen in good light, the feathers will have a slight "boom" and with almost semi-glossy effect.
o Feathers should not be frayed or damaged; slight abrasion is fine if they are captive birds kept in cages since they fly around the cage and get caught.
o No serious loss or damage of feathers (torn, missing) especially on its chest, shoulders around the bend of the wings, which may indicate signs of self-plucking.
o Body feathers should not be fluffed up which may likely be unwell or inactive; feathers should be smoothed down instead.
o Healthy resting birds would stand on one leg and tuck the other one up under their belly; resting on both legs may indicate the parrot is not feeling well.
o No missing claws (should have four toes on each foot).
o No sign of deformities on the feet where the feet should grip the perch squarely and evenly; deformed feet indicate lack of vitamin and mineral during their initial weeks of life.
o No missing feathers on its head (could be due to self-plucking).
o No missing crest.
o Should not be wing-clipped especially for a young or immature bird, which could hinder its development and ability to fly.
o Steady flying abilities and proper landing without any loss in balance ; birds that lose their balance if they fly indicate they had been wing-clipped or not properly clipped and this may cause crash landing and hence serious injury.
o Should have about 9 to 10 of the main outer flight feathers on each wing when you extend the wing out.
Make sure to ask the pet owner to repair any damaged wings due to wing-clipping. Also, observe any signs of nervousness or aggression showed by the parrot when you come close to it. You can also try to feed it with your hand through the cage bars and watch for any signs of aggression.
You may also read my other articles to find out more about nervous parrot, what can cause them to be nervous and how to tame a nervous parrot.
I hope you find these simple tips on signs of a healthy parrot useful before you acquire any of them.
Wilfred is a fellow parrot lover and author of the book "Complete Parrot Guide".
If you need more great information on Parrot Health [http://www.completeparrotguide.com/parrot-health] and other tips on parrot care, visit [http://www.completeparrotguide.com/articles] and get free mini-courses on parrot tips and care.
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