What have i got?

[Hazelx]

Hi all,

Please can you tell me what kind of tiel I have bought?
Also, when i got up a few days ago, she (I'm guessing) had no long tail feathers. I think she got them caught up on her ladder or something, they were just lying on the bottom of her cage, beneath her ladder. I was so upset to see her tailless, she looks odd now. Please tell me she'll grow them back and how long it will take? I feel so sorry for her cos it just doesn't look right.
I bought her a new bigger cage now as i feel the 1st one was too small.

Thanks

[animecouple]

thats a lutino! pretty huh, she/he may have a bald spot on the top of her head too... as some lutinos have them. and yes her tail feathers should grow back, not sure how long.... someone here'l know! good luck with him/her!

[red192]

What A Beautiful Baby!

[PowerBBS]

Rest assured that tail feathers will grow back.

Well tail and wing feathers on most birds actually grow at a rate slightly faster than say a breast, back or head feather - of course breast, back and head feathers are also much smaller/shorter. This is primarily due the fact that these are the feathers most commonly lost. If all the tail feathers have fallen out (hopefully she did not pluck them out - as this could be a sign of self mutilation behavior) then it's going to be a few months for them to grow back in. 3 to 5 months is the rough time period that most people "clip" their fids wings. So you should be able to base your expectations closely on that. I'd estimate up to 3+ months before they're fully grown out since they are so long.

Within the next 4 weeks you should notice the "spines" of feathers poking out from her rump. It's going to look odd for a while (especially if she's completely tailess now). Just keep a close eye on her and make sure that she's not "plucking"... If she is demonstrating self mutalation behaviors then you've got a much different (and possibly serious) problem on your hands and should consult an avian vet.

Also, even if it's not for the Bird Board... when you notice drastic changes like this, immediately takes pics of the situation (the bird, the cage, the "mess" and note any recent environmental changes) as it could help your vet in the future provide a diagnosis and treatment. Better off prepaired, you now what I mean?

Also note: Tail feathers provide a lot of "balance" both while standing and in the air. So you may notice some loss of flight control until the fids feathers grow back.

We'd love to see updated pics so we can have an idea of what the situation looks like and get a better idea of what you're referring to.

[sparkysmom]

I love tiels. Such sweethearts of a bird!!! Yours is a beaut!

[Hazelx]

Thank you both, I will take some more pictures tomorrow, and get them on bb just as soon as i can, her droppings are totally normal, she doesn't seem to be self harming at all really. We only got her last week, so there's the change of home. Her new cage is bigger than the 1st, now her head feathers don't touch the bars and her tail feathers are not touching the bottom bars, all droppings fall through the bottom to sandpaper in the tray, a few inches away from her reach. She eats about 15-18 grams of plain seed a day, but we have stopped giving her treats to see if she'll take them from either of us. She seems really chirpy and squarks to us when we leave the room. We talk to her constantly and she makes noises in turn, it's a bit like talking to an alien but i'm sure it'll improve.

[bekfreak]

Originally Posted by Hazelx

Hi all,

Please can you tell me what kind of tiel I have bought?
Also, when i got up a few days ago, she (I'm guessing) had no long tail feathers. I think she got them caught up on her ladder or something, they were just lying on the bottom of her cage, beneath her ladder. I was so upset to see her tailless, she looks odd now. Please tell me she'll grow them back and how long it will take? I feel so sorry for her cos it just doesn't look right.
I bought her a new bigger cage now as i feel the 1st one was too small.

Thanks

I love those cute little Lutino tiels. :) Tiels are great little guys but don't worry the tail will grow back! So consider that you now have the famous duck butt. :) The bald spot is common for lutinos to have.

[Ashling]

The first day I brought my baby lorikeet home- 6 of her long tail feathers fell out! :o lol

[Hazelx]

It really does help knowing that I can just ask anything and someone is there with the answers. I have added some new pics of our Rosie, so you can see her feathers showing the slight grey areas, (not very clearly) and the lack of feathers showing her duck butt! also one of her cage as a rough guide to it's size, that piece of cuttlefish is about 17cm long I know it appears to be a bit cluttered in there, but she loves her ladder, sleeps on it rather than on a perch. The home made perch she's on is much thicker than those in her cage. She also likes to come on the coffee table where she has a dish of water to play in and drink from. We've had her nearly 2 weeks now and she's not talking yet but she moves her beak and makes quiet sounds in turn with me. She's started making a noise in response to next door's dog tho. We have started to put her on a bit of a diet now, as we've been told that this will help tame her, she'll come along her perch near me to eat millet or honey bars but not if we are touching them, I suppose time and patience is the key. She flies fine, round the living room and perches fine, without any loss of balance. Oh and she does have a bald spot on her head too. Thanks for your help and don't stop giving me your advice, it's greatly appreciated.

[leo1955]

It is a Lutino! Its tail feathers will grow in time...