# Is my birds beak too long



## hareth (Jan 27, 2014)

Hi all,

I have a cockatiel who is around 20 years old. He has been passed around several owners due to his/her behaviour; he/she has been with me for about two years. I am concerned that the beak may be too long. He still seems to eat ok. Wont eat anything other than the standard cockatiel pet shop seeds and treats. I've tried to feed him cucumber, bananas, carrots but he ignores those - should I persevere with this food? I've read that a long beak may be due to a liver problem.

He is cage bound and wont let anyone touch him, including me. It is for this reason that I am not keen on taking him to a vet as I worry that the stress of anyone touching him will kill him.

He regularly eats/scratches cuttle bone and also uses his beak to get around the cage. I have also hidden a mineral stone in his food dish hoping that it may grind his beak down

I would appreciate any opinions on whether the beak is too long and if he may have a liver problem. Thanks for reading this


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## CaliTiels (Oct 18, 2012)

I would say it's long. Does he have any strange yellow wash over his feathers?


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## Odysseus (Jan 27, 2014)

His beak does appear to be too long. I'm not quite sure about whether it may be due to a liver problem though. Does he have plenty of chew toys?


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## hareth (Jan 27, 2014)

He does have a yellow coloring over parts of his body. Attached are two photos taken today and one taken about year and half ago (date wrong) where there appears to be some yellowing.


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## hareth (Jan 27, 2014)

Odysseus said:


> His beak does appear to be too long. I'm not quite sure about whether it may be due to a liver problem though. Does he have plenty of chew toys?


He/she seems to be scared of most of the toys I've bought or just ignores them except for a plastic ball which she/he has been trying to hatch for a couple of months.


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## eduardo (Jan 27, 2012)

It does seem his beak is a bit long. Can you take him to an avian vet? Twenty is a good ripe age for a cockatiel, but if he has been on seed only and cage bound, it may be some health issue that causes his beak to overgrow. Usually it's vitamin or mineral deficiency.


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## CaliTiels (Oct 18, 2012)

Well the yellowing is hard to tell since he's a lutino, but abnormal yellow washes and the beak indicate a liver problem. I would take him to the vet. They can give him a check up and trim his beak for you


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## Haimovfids (Sep 19, 2012)

An illustration-made by Sussane Russo










The yellow mask you are seeing on his face is normal for a Lutino cock. I think the yellow on his wings are an indication of pearl and pied. It may be possible that this bird is a male Lutino pearl pied.


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