Concerned about coloring

[Jong81]

Hey guys ...

Jake got his new palace - I'll have pictures soon. However, i'm concerned about his tongue coloring. It seems more red than usual. It's usually a pink color, but today I noticed it was many shades redder. Could he have burn his tongue on food that was too warm? Could this be an illness? Did his tongue just get redder? I could just be seeing things, but if anyone knows an illness or what-have-you that Senegals (or other parrots) get with the symptoms being a red-turned tongue ... lemme know.

[Monica]

Has he eaten anything red??? My only guess...

[Jong81]

No - I don't think so ... a toy of his has red on it. It's more like a deep pink ... darker than the surrounding area of his tongue ... where the black meets the tip, the tip is a dark dark pink ... more than usual. I could just be over-worrying. What color are your birds tongues? Darker pink on the tip than around the edges of the tongue? I'm just afraid that maybe his food wasn't cooled off enough or something.

[Monica]

I remember somewhere about people talking about birds tongues and how some of them just appeared different... I dunno...

[peeker]

If he burned his tongue I would think he'd be off his feed. If he's still eating and acting normally I really think it's from the toy! Many of the wood toys bleed color when they get wet.

[SnowWa]

My bird's tongue is black.

I agree if your bird's tongue were burnt enough to turn it red - he wouldn't be eating.

Also a real burn would also be swollen and perhaps even beginning to peel.

I would think that he got something in his mouth that colored his tongue.

Some of my bird's toys or equipment has been colored red (a food-type coloring). It could easily color a bird's tongue.

Also some of my bird's food has coloring that might color his tongue. It certainly can make their droppings a different color.... green or red or yellow, etc.

If your bird is eating and acting normal and happy - I wouldn't worry about it.

Carol Jean

[Jong81]

Thanks guys! You rock!

[Jong81]

Okay - yeah ... it was one of his red colored pellets. I'll go look in the mirror now and call myself an idiot. Thanks again folks! You know, I wouldn't be this paranoid if the Parakeet I had gotten when I was 15 hadn't just mysteriously died the day after I had a party at my house. Someone must have been smoking something in my room without my knowledge.

[smallonion]

I don't know about bird tongues, but Jake is adorable. Just had to say that!