What are the brown marks around my bird's beak? Are they serious?

Thanks for reaching out about Pekoe and Rico, and including photos. The staining around the nostrils (not noticed on the photos) could be the result of inhalation of dust, smoke or other particulate matter during cooking or other times. Bird's respiratory systems are very sensitive and inhalation of cooking smoke or other products can be potentially acutely fatal. Removing birds from the vicinity when cooking is important, especially if cooking with Teflon. Good luck.

Thanks for your question about Luna, and thank you for the photos - they are very helpful. From what I can see on the photos, the feathers may not be growing in brown, but may be discolored brown. This is frequently from discharge from the nose that then gets crusted around the nostrils on the feathers. I would recommend taking Luna in to see a veterinarian, as this discharge is often related to an infection. They can evaluate Luna closely and determine if the brown coloration is on the feathers. They may recommend administering a course of antibiotics as well. Please do not give Luna any human medications, as many of them are harmful to birds. I hope that helps to answer your question, and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Thanks for including the picture of Kukoo. A millet seed is a perfect size to fit into the nostril of a budgie. But they also possess a normal part of the anatomy that is a keratin piece inside the nostril. This piece is normal and no attempt should be made to remove it. If Kukoo is doing well, no need to do anything additional. Placing him in a warm steamy shower room ocassionally can help moisten nasal accumulations and allow the bird to maybe sneeze it out. Vitamin A in the diet (red, orange, and yellow vegetable) help with the integrity of epithelial cells. Dietary deficiencies can lead to secondary sinus (and other) infections, so correcting the diet might help.

Those pictures are very blurry so it is hard to tell anything, but if there is discolored discharge coming from the nose and it is making Bella have a hard time breathing, she could be suffering from an upper respiratory infection or blockage of the nasal passageways. It would be best to get her into a vet ASAP so any blockage can be flushed out and treatment can begin to treat the underlying issue. In the meantime, keeping her warm, stress-free and gently wiping any debris from the nose to help her breathe better may help. You may also want to place her in a hospital cage if she is housed with other birds, and provide easy access to fresh water and a balanced diet until you can be seen by your vet.

Thanks for reaching out about Rachel and including photos. Fluid coming from the nostrils could be a sinus infection but also regurgitation. Sinus infections can be bacterial or fungal. Regurgitation can be caused by multiple things: ingestion of toxins or heavy metals (lead or zinc), liver or kidney disease, stomach infections or inflammation, gastrointestinal obstructions and more. Provide heat support in the 80-85 F range to give aid. Monitor appetite and activity. If symptoms continue or worsen, a veterinary visit is recommended. Good luck.

Hi there, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Snowy may have an eye infection or allergies affecting her eye. The discoloration around the eye is probably from the excessive tearing. Since you are unable to take him to the vet try flushing the eye with a sterile saline solution and using a humidifier in the room to help in case it is allergies. Best of luck. Let us know if you have any further questions.

Thanks for reaching out about your parakeet and including pictures. This appears to be a condition called cere hypertrophy. It is most often associated with females being hormonal. After the ovary stops secreting hormones, the thickening should decrease or slough off. If your parakeet shows signs of respiratory disease, a veterinarian is needed. Good luck.