# Blood spots on wings! :(



## M. Dale (Jul 3, 2012)

Oh, no! I just noticed tonight that my girlie has a bloody looking spot under each wing (almost identical on each side). It's hard to see in the picture because her wings are down but please look closely and let me know if you've seen anything like this and know what I can or should do. I'm very worried but we have few vets here that see birds (those that do are very good, but VERY expensive). 
We have recently changed her food but I can't think of anything else new or different recently. We added a cat to the house who is more interested in the bird than the last one but he's been here over two months now and the two of them seemed to have settled into an understanding with one another so I don't think that's the issue. 
The birdie's been with us since May and is somewhere between 6 and 8 years old, I believe.
Please, please help!


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## xoxsarahxox (Dec 13, 2010)

Its nothing to be too worried about, cockatiels can get spooked and panic in their cage ( at night this is called a "night fright"), they thrash around and can get banged up a bit, she has either knocked out some blood feathers or scraped herself its hard to tell from the picture.

Here is a thread about blood feathers for future reference, http://talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=33315


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## M. Dale (Jul 3, 2012)

Oh, thanks! I hope you are right. I will watch her.
To clarify from before, I am more than willing to take her to a vet when needed. I just don't want to start taking her all of the time when I don't need to (I won't be able to afford to feed any of us if I take her every time something makes me worry!).
I wasn't able to read the whole blood feathers post because the photos were freaking me out. I made my husband read it, though! 
I do think she's had a few night frights. I came out one morning and the random feathers that had been at the bottom of her cage and all blown out onto the floor. I can't imagine what else would cause that except her having a freak out overnight and flapping around enough to blow them out. So, maybe that's the cause of this too. (I have noticed she seems a little "afraid" of the dark and isn't happy in low light. She NEVER chirps in the dark but only hisses when anyone gets close to her. As soon as the lights are on, she's fine again!)
She also had a bruise on her beak that I blamed my husband for (I was sure he must've let the cat upset her and she ran into a wall without his noticing). But, he said he'd watched the two of them and they'd been just fine. So, maybe her beak bruise came from a night fright too.
Is there anything to do to help her not freak out so much overnight? I thought maybe getting a cage cover could help but hubby seems to think it is outside noises that upset her the most and covering her cage won't keep her from hearing the wind and whatnot that stirs up at night. Any other thoughts?


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## flippityjib (Dec 13, 2012)

Night lights. I have a blue one and a multi-colored one. I also made sure there was no way a car's headlights could shine in. Having done all that we have not had one night fright again. Fingers crossed! 

I know they can't see all that well in even dim light. If I take mine out of the bird room and into the hall, where there are no windows, they start squacking and calling. It stresses them out.

One time I turned out the lights when they were still out of their cage, and to me it wasn't dark but they flew in two different directions acting all afraid. And they hiss when it's dim in the room too. Its just scary!


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