A Strange Question

[Georganne]

Hello,

My female lovebird, Skye, is about 2 1/2 years old. She is the most common
looking lovebird (green with a peach head and white cheeks and chest.)

Just recently, she has developed a circular pink patch on just one cheek.

I'm just concerned that this could be a sign of illness. She is acting fine but
is nesty right now. Has anyone ever seen this happen?

Thanks so much in advance!

[linda040899]

Do you have a photo you can share with us? That way, we can see what you are seeing.

It almost sounds like the feathering is stained from something they came in contact with. Wet feathering against a swing that is colored with food coloring could produce something like you described.

This reminds me of something really funny that happened at a bird show. I had a bunch of my lovebirds with me and people kept coming over to take a look at my WF Cinnamon Slates. I didn't think anything about it until someone asked me where I got the pink lovebirds! Apparently, the pinkish red dye from the vitamins on their fortified seed rubbed off on their faces and chests while they were eating and the result looked like pink feathers! I never even noticed it until someone pointed it out to me. I changed brands of seed. The feathering molted out and the pink was gone.

[Georganne]

Thanks for replying, Linda.

I can't post a photo because my son does that for me. The soonest I could post is Tuesday.

I know what you are talking about. I already considered that and I just can't come up with anything that could have caused the spot.

I also have a pure white cockatiel born on 9/11 named Angel. One day, we
noticed that all his feathers were turning pink underneath his body and tail.
I couldn't figure it out until I noticed that he was actually resting on
top of his water dish. He has a pink cement swing and when he went on it
wet the pink dye was coming off.

With Skye, it is her feathers that appear pink and it is only on one side of her face. Do lovebirds ever change color as they get older?

[Georganne]

MYSTERY SOLVED. Linda was right.

Because Skye is nesty and I don't give her anything to shred, I caught her trying to "shred" the metal chain that holds up her favorite toy. It is 4 wooden balls with a bell on the bottom. (She rings the bell for attention.)

Anyway, there is used-to-be red wooden ball at the top. As she is turning her head to the side to try and chew the chain, her cheek is hitting that ball. Sorry I didn't figure this out sooner!

[Z28Taxman]

MYSTERY SOLVED. Linda was right.

Because Skye is nesty and I don't give her anything to shred, I caught her trying to "shred" the metal chain that holds up her favorite toy. It is 4 wooden balls with a bell on the bottom. (She rings the bell for attention.)

Anyway, there is used-to-be red wooden ball at the top. As she is turning her head to the side to try and chew the chain, her cheek is hitting that ball. Sorry I didn't figure this out sooner!

Ditto did that same thing (from the sounds of it with the same toy). He about gave me a heart attack one day when I saw blue and red strips on both sides of his face. I couldn't figure out where they came from until a few days later when I saw him take a bath and then rub his face all over the red and blue wooden balls and viola! War Paint! :rofl:

[Buy A Paper Doll]

MYSTERY SOLVED. Linda was right.

Because Skye is nesty and I don't give her anything to shred, I caught her trying to "shred" the metal chain that holds up her favorite toy. It is 4 wooden balls with a bell on the bottom. (She rings the bell for attention.)

Anyway, there is used-to-be red wooden ball at the top. As she is turning her head to the side to try and chew the chain, her cheek is hitting that ball. Sorry I didn't figure this out sooner!

No need to apologize at all!!!! We've all been there with the toys and the color bleeding on feathers. :) My 'OMG' moment was a bird with what looked like bright red blood all over her beak; it turned out to be a case of a birdy getting a drink and then chewing on a dark red wooden block with a wet beak.