Black Discoloration on the Ends of Bird Feathers

A recent discussion on the CONURE OWNERS UNITE group on Facebook prompted me to look up a few things on why the tips of our bird feathers sometimes turn black and what some of the causes are of this condition.

It appears that diet and even vitamin deficiencies might be at the root cause. To eliminate any medical cause, a trip to a certified avian vet might be in order. A number of sites mention that lighting can be the problem and recommend special lighting. Here are a few sources that I found to let you determine for yourself if you need to adjust anything in your bird's life.

• "Feather Discoloration," 8/15/09, BirdTricks.com - http://www.birdtricks.com/blog/feather-discoloration-and-dull-plumage/
• "Feather Disorders in our Pet Parrot's," 11/18/09, articlesbase.com - http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/feather-disorders-in-our-pet-parrots-726620.html
• Thrush, Patrick R. "Lighting and Your Bird," (reprinted from the NCS Journal July/August 1999, Vol. XVI, No. 4) - http://www.mmlights.com/bird%20lights.html
• "Birds Need Light - Natural or Full Spectrum UV Lighting: Essential Lighting For A Healthy Bird - http://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/article.cfm?aid=1015
• "Feather Quality and Skin Condition are Nutrition-Related" - http://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/article.cfm?dept_id=&aid=1012
• "Full Spectrum Light for Birds that you can use in regular light fixtures and the AvianSun lamps" - http://www.parrot-and-conure-world.com/full-spectrum-light-for-birds.html
• Beaudoin, Terry. "The Necessity of Full-Spectrum Lighting" - http://www.parrotislandinc.com/articles/alight.htm