skinny eclectus with droopy wing

[deds]

hi all,

does skinny bird wings usually look like this?







there is no wound from what i observe. is there something wrong with the wings? the bird seems to be healthy except being skinny. will the wings back to normal when the bird gain some weight? the ex owner usually feed it with corn and sun flower seed and ocassionally a little vegie.

thanks

[Kim S]

I will not even mention the fact that that is NOT a good diet for an eclectus, probably the reason why it is so skinny in the first place.

But that wingposture is not the way healthy birds hold their wings. Wings should be folderd nicely next to the body. Only when they have had a shower and their wings are heavier than normal, or if they had a very long flight and are tired should they hold their wings like that.
In all other cases a parrot will be ill, and being malnurished, underweight and honoustly in my opinion EMACIATED counts as being seriously ill! He just doesnt have the strength to keep his wings up anymore, that is why he is keeping them like that.

If there is anything you can do in this situation I would advise you to take the parrot to a vet. Call the SPCA or whatever you can do. But letting this bird stay like this will definately kill him.

[deds]

will try to find an avian vet though it could be difficult as here in jakarta people dont usually take their birds to a vet. currently feeding it banana, papaya and some sprouted mung bean. what food would you recommend to help it gain weight faster in healthy way?

[Kim S]

I am no expert on these type's of birds, but an easy search on google gave me these links.
http://www.eclectusbreeder.com/diet.htm
http://www.landofvos.com/articles/mydiet.html

If you want to go over the top on spoiling your bird you can check out this link:
http://www.birdsnways.com/articles/efsep4.htm

I understand you got this bird recently? Are those pictures from when he was with his previous owner?
Could you post a better picture of the enclosure you keep it in? It doesnt look very big or even sturdy enough to keep it in. Maybe it will be good enough to keep it in now since it is weak and wont try to break out but a healthy eclectus will break through that mash without any problems!
And I dont see any toys or things to shred. Birds need to entertain themselves with things. Chewing on sticks, shredding paper or play with toys. If it cant find a healthy way to entertain himself he might start plucking or hurting himself, or start screaming.

[ptuga72]

I saw your post and was immediately concerned. But it looks like Kim has pointed you in the right direction. Please keep us updated on how he is doing!

[deds]

1st and 3rd pics are taken at the ex owner place. 2nd pic is taken at my place, that's the temporary cage its about 70cm diameter and 90cm tall. i have bigger cage but i thought it would be easier to keep it in a smaller cage for time being. only got it this afternoon so i havent tried many fruits/vegetables as suggested on many sites online.

in you opinion should i try to look after the bird and bring it back to its healty form or should i get a refund?

[Kim S]

I wouldnt have bought it in the first place for fear of illness. I hope you dont have any other birds? It might not be a nutricional problem but some kind of underlying disease. First you need to ask: why is it so skinny? Is it just not being fed right, or is it sick? Some of these illnesses are highly contagious and even deadly. So if you have any other birds please make sure they dont have contact in any way!

I cant advise you to do one or the other. If you are willing to put in the time, effort and money to patch this guy up then go for it! It would be a very kind and selfless thing to do. But keep in mind that if this is more than just mallnurishment, it could cost you a lot of time and even more money to fix it.

That is why it is very important you take it to a vet as soon as possible. If you dont know whats wrong wit h the bird you can not help him.