Bronzing

[Kristi]

Someone told me today that my bird has "bronzing" on his feathers....what on earth does that mean??

[Monica]

Feather Grooming Disoders
from http://www.wellvet.com/featherdisorders.html

1. They can rub off the outer pigment coat, causing what is called "bronzing". This looks like brown spots or a large swath of color change to a brown to gray appearance the surface on the feather. What you are seeing is a lack of the original color, since it is worn off by the excessive preening.
   • One theory about feather bronzing is that it is caused by liver disease. This is not true. There are a large number of causes of bronzing, including over-preening, nutritional, hormonal, behavioral (birds can play in such a way that they rub off the normal pigment of the feather that resides out the outer layer of the feather), and internal diseases. Liver disease can be a cause, but is only one of many reasons your bird might have feather disorders)

Full Spectrum Lighting
from http://www.quakerville.net/qic/fslighting.asp

As far as health benefits go, it is hard to separate emotional health from physical health because emotional stress is often revealed in physical manifestations. We know that there are birds that "seem" fine although they haven't experienced the light of day in decades. There are also birds that experience amazing health improvements when placed under full spectrum lighting. We can not say that the improvements are not connected to reduced emotional stress, and I would think that not being able to see the types of things they are designed to be able to see, may cause significant stress in certain individuals. This may be a partial answer to the question of "Why does my bird get feather bronzing without full spectrum light but hers doesn't?"






Not much info out there... especially since most bronzing effect pertained to the colors of pigeons being bred or produced.... but that's all I found...

[Kristi]

So, I'm wondering if it's possibly caused by the sunflower seed diet that Goliath was on before I got him? We're almost completely on a pellet diet now (yay!) so I'm hoping that'll make a difference in his feather.

[Monica]

That could very well be it... though just know for sure that whatever diet he is on (as far as dry foods go.. i.e. seeds and/or pellets) be sure to supplement with fresh foods, and I'm sure his feathers will start to come in more beautifully!

[Kristi]

Thank you, Monica:-) You're the best!

[Monica]

Glad to help out anytime!