[ashcraig]

Hello!
I'm new to the forum so I hope I am posting this is the right place

We have a lovely budgie who is at best guess just over a year old. We got him last year December. His name is Hearts and he's such a cute little guy! He seems very happy, sings a lot, has a pretty good appetite (although he's a VERY fussy eater and refuses to eat any fresh foods to this point).

I have noticed that his cere is turning brown from the bottom up, and appears to be slightly scaly. I'm concerned and just wondered if anyone had any insight please? He seems healthy otherwise and his droppings all look fine.

Is this something I should be worried about?
I've uploaded a few pictures - two current and one from the time we got him.

Thanks so much.

 

[FaeryBee]

Hi and :welcome: to Talk Budgies!

Hearts is indeed a very cute budgie and from the original picture does look to be a male bird. I love his little "heart" cheek patches!

When a male budgie's cere turns brown it can be caused by a Vitamin Deficiency, Hormonal Imbalance or, worst case it can be a sign of Testicular Cancer.

The best thing for you to do is take Hearts to an Avian Vet for a proper diagnosis and treatment protocol.

Avian Vets have special training to determine the cause of symptoms resulting from illness or trauma. This is important as "regular" vets will often overlook symptoms that are quickly obvious to an Avian Vet.
When you rely on anyone who has not had training in Avian diagnosis and care, you may be delaying effective treatment. This can prolong suffering that may be avoidable.
The bird will often require a more intense, prolonged treatment with a poorer chance of full recover than it would have if you seek prompt professional diagnosis and treatment at the first sign of illness.

Please be sure to update us on Hearts condition after you see an Avian Vet with him. I'm wishing him a full and speedy recovery.

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[aluz]

Welcome to the forums!

From that last pic I'm seeing a very purplish cere, indicating that your budgie is male. While growing up, did the cere eventually turn to the royal blue colour or did it turn fully white very early on before your budgie ever reached maturity (at 6 months old)?

I fully agree with Deborah's advice in terms of seeking professional help from a specialized avian vet.
Good luck with everything!

 

[ashcraig]

Thank you both!

His cere did not ever turn a bright blue colour, it was mostly a light lavendar colour.

I am only guessing at his age. He was a gift from my sister, who bought him from a pet store in Dec. 2014 and was told he was a baby.

I will seek out an avian vet. I hope it's nothing serious...

Thanks so much

This photo is from last January...

 

[FaeryBee]

OK then, no worries!!

You have a FEMALE budgie and she is just now going into breeding condition which is why her cere is turning brown, scaly and flaky. :thumbsup:

This is very GOOD news.

 

[ashcraig]

Wow!! Really?

Ok, I've never had a female budgie before - how long does this flakiness and such last? Is it normal that initially his..err, her..cere was purple?

I guess I've got some reading to do.

And now I'm not the only female in the house! :budgie:

I am so relieved it appears to be nothing serious.

Thank you muchly!

 

[FaeryBee]

The first picture indicated a male, but sometimes it is difficult to tell from just one picture depending on the lighting.

The fact that the cere faded out to such a light color rather quickly (correct?) indicates you have a female. If your budgie was a male, his cere would have turned a deep royal blue color.

In certain mutations (but not that of your budgie) the cere on the male will remain deep pinkish/purple for his whole life.
.
When a female comes into breeding condition, the cere can remain brown for several weeks and sometimes months.

 

[aluz]

I'm very glad this mystery was solved in the best possible way and your budgie is perfectly fine!
Most likely in the first baby pic you posted, her cere was momentarily "blushing" from an increased blood flow. We can see slight variations on cere colour in very young, immature budgies and chicks.

 

[StarlingWings]

Hi there and welcome to the forums! :welcome:

Hearts is a precious little girl I agree fully with the advice offered by our experts here :thumbsup:

I'm glad it turns out she was a girl all along!

Just in case, it's always good to know of a trusted avian vet in your area you can contact if Hearts ever were to get sick.

We're so glad you've joined the forums! If you have any other questions after you read through the links provided by Deborah, feel free to ask as we'd be more than happy to help

Hope to see you (and Hearts) around the forums! :wave: