# Red mark on beak, bruise?



## Nikster199 (Oct 5, 2013)

Hello, i have a 7 year old cockatiel, Zazu and I noticed he was getting a red mark on the side of his beak (3 days ago) and it seems to be going further down the beak. He seems perfectly healthy still eats and plays like normal. Is it a bruise? He hasn’t had any accidents or anything. 
Pictures aren’t great but i could only get some in the cage. He gets camera shy 🙈
Thanks
Niki


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

It's hard to tell from the picture, but it looks like it might be a bruise. Beak bruises don't seem to bother the bird. It won't heal and go away the way a bruise on flesh does, but it will gradually disappear as the beak grows out. The beak grows continuously starting at the part where it attaches to the head, and the outermost edge gradually wears away as the bird uses it for eating and chewing on stuff.

Zazu is pied, and pied cockatiels can have dark marks and streaks on the peak as part of the pied mutation. But in that case I'd expect him to have the mark all the time, and not have it suddenly appear.


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## Nikster199 (Oct 5, 2013)

tielfan said:


> It's hard to tell from the picture, but it looks like it might be a bruise. Beak bruises don't seem to bother the bird. It won't heal and go away the way a bruise on flesh does, but it will gradually disappear as the beak grows out. The beak grows continuously starting at the part where it attaches to the head, and the outermost edge gradually wears away as the bird uses it for eating and chewing on stuff.
> 
> Zazu is pied, and pied cockatiels can have dark marks and streaks on the peak as part of the pied mutation. But in that case I'd expect him to have the mark all the time, and not have it suddenly appear.



Thanks for the reply i think it might be a bruise. It’s still there but hasn’t got worse and he still doesn’t seem bothered by it. 

Yeah i did think the black mark might be just general markings but it it did just pop up recently and it seems in the beak rather than the outside as such. 

His vet is off until next week so will have to wait to see him. 

Thanks


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## LunaMarie05 (Jul 15, 2021)

Nikster199 said:


> Hello, i have a 7 year old cockatiel, Zazu and I noticed he was getting a red mark on the side of his beak (3 days ago) and it seems to be going further down the beak. He seems perfectly healthy still eats and plays like normal. Is it a bruise? He hasn’t had any accidents or anything.
> Pictures aren’t great but i could only get some in the cage. He gets camera shy 🙈
> Thanks
> Niki


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## LunaMarie05 (Jul 15, 2021)

I noticed today that my cockatiel has red underneath her beak but am not 100% sure if it’s bruising or something more? Should I be concerned


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