Beak question

[sparkysmom]

Hi all. I have a question about Zappy's beak. It doesn't close all the way. Well it does....but there is a slight gap on the side. AFA as I can tell it doesn't cause him a problem. I just noticed it and am sorta trippin on it.

He is my buzz saw. He gets big Macaw toys and tears them to pieces...so he is always working it. He eats like ahog so that is not a problem.


He doesn't go in for his annual until April. Last one he showed up perfect!

I looked at all my other birds beaks and nobody has that side gap but him. At first I thought maybe he was holding it funny......

I took this one last night I do not know if you can see. Then I checked out one from last X-mas and see he had it then. Um yeh I am a slow study apparently.

So here are two examples.






Think that is bad? Should I take him to the vet? See how there is a gap?

Yeh I am a noider.

Thanks for any advice.

[guest1717171]

i think it varies from bird to bird
if it were bothering him i would say go have it looked at but its probably just the way his beak is

the dudes beak is like that (though he is a macaw) and it bothered me at first because i hadnt seen anything like that before...but ive found a lot of photos with hahn's that look the same as him

heres a couple i found of greys' beaks with small openings in the sides/corners

[sparkysmom]

Thanks Geek. That makes me feel better. I just think it is worn on the sides maybe. I have a bad habit of running to the vet for the tiniest of things....and if it is common I would love to save the duckies. I am a little too broke to be neurotic ATM/

And since it isn't causing a prob...well I guess we could wait for his annual.

Those two pics have a good sized gap. My birds are wigged out on me going up to them and staring at their beaks. Lotta head cocking going on in there. lol

I am more paranoid with my birds than the human kid I have.

[guest1717171]

yeah i am too...i seriously thought about taking dude to the vet...i was so worried about it
i lol'd at myself when i found photos of hahn's with much larger spaces than he has

[pippy]

Charlie's got a gap.




So has Shinda.




Mojo hasn't.




Or, is it just down to whether or not the beak is completely closed when you look?

[greencinacheeks]

looks fine to me.
my late conure had that same thing.
and i have seen other larger birds with the same thing.

[sparkysmom]

Pippy that is the question I have been asking myself. If he is just not closing it cuz I am acting like a freaky chick stuffing my face in his space.

ZZ's beak looks much like your Charlie's .... With the rounded dip on the lower half. Heck that could actually be wear and tear from his buzzsaw habits. Hmm.

Guess beaks are like noses. They just are not all the same.

Thanks for the examples! Look at all the money and stress you all have just saved me! TY!!

[pippy]

You're welcome!

We've absolutely no idea how old Charlie is, only that she's at least three years old but it could well be wear and tear couldn't it?

Although Shinda's has a gap in all the pics I looked at just now maybe he doesn't close his beak completely. Also, the gap you can see in Shinda's beak is straight, not curved like Charlie's which would also suggest wear and tear to me.

I'd never noticed all of this before by the way!

[Lisa B]

I know you got your responce already, which is pretty much dead on...
here is some more beak info............
The Grey Roost

[sparkysmom]

Hey Lisa! Thanks for the link. That was interesting to read. Especially this.........

Large parrots can completely replace their maxilla in 6 months. It has been noted that the mandible grows 2-3 times faster than the maxilla.

That is amazing. WOW