Digging in eye ball/eye lid with toe nail

[Barb E]

Has anyone ever seen/heard of this behaviour in other macaws?

I almost adopted a B&G that did this - he did'nt actually puncture his eye lid or eye ball but did have scare tissue on his eye lid. It seemed to to be a random self soothing behaviour but I was concerned enough that I passed on him. I don't know what became of him so I don't know if he's still doing this.

Now, recently someone else I know had their B&G actually split open the eye.
Coincidentally??? both of these birds originated from the same parents but different clutches.
Could this be a behaviour specific to that parentage or have you heard of other macaws doing this?

[birdsnreps]

how did he do that?? with his nails??

[Barb E]

Yes, it was with the nail.
I'm wondering if this has happened with other macaws?
I'm also wondering why a bird would do this .... is it similar to plucking and self-mutilating?

[Chief's Mom]

Chief somehow manages to get his nail in his 'ear' and scratch around, but he never hurts himself. My sun conure used to stick one of his nails in his nostrils and never hurt himself either. We used to joke and tell him to stop picking his nose! I've never heard of a bird actually hurting themselves like that...

[Barb E]

Ha, yes Ollie also "picks" his nose :) and then has a great sneeze afterwards.

[birdsnreps]

ive never had a macaw that mutilated itself, mine just scratch their faces and sometimes they poke their noses, lol, but ive never had one actaully scratch at itself like that

[Beaks]

it probably started as an eye infection and turned into a habit

[new@birds]

My B&G does it all the time i thought they all did. its kind of gross to watch he gets his nail in and around the eye ball as if he was going to take it out :) never hurt himself though