My new canary has red under her wing. Is this normal or concerning?

Thanks for reaching out about Tuyu. Birds often have a feather-less area under the wing but is actively pulling out feathers, that is a concern. Self mutilation or over grooming can be a sign of disease, but also stress. Nutritional deficiencies need to be corrected, especially is on a seed diet. If the feather picking behavior continues, a veterinary visit is recommended. After ruling out diseases, anti-anxiety medications have been used in birds to reduce stress. Good luck

It's impossible to diagnose anything from a picture but I don't see anything obviously abnormal from your pictures. It's always a good idea to get a new pet exam done by an avian veterinarian when getting a new bird. Www.aav.com can help you find one Birds for Dummies by Brian Speer and Gina Spadafori is a great general resource for new bird owners for care and training. Good luck and have fun with your new friend. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Sometimes you will get an area where a few feathers have fallen or been pulled out from. Monitor her to make sure she isn't feather plucking. The skin looks okay so just keep an eye for redness or damage.

It's hard to tell from the photo, but it could be a spot with new feathers coming in. If the area begins to bleed, worsens, swells or a cyst/blister forms in place of a feather, or it is bothersome to Kiwi, having a vet take a look in person is best. Otherwise, just keeping an eye on the spot for now if Kiwi is otherwise doing well and healthy is best.

It may be a genetic condition that is no cause for concern as long as he is behaving normally otherwise. Other possibilities include trauma, infection or nutritional deficiency while the feathers were growing. You would need to have Pupi physically examined by your veterinarian or an experienced avian vet to diagnose any of these conditions.

Monitor him for excessive preening or feather picking. If you see either. Have him examined by your veterinarian or an experienced avian veterinarian to diagnose the underlying cause. In the meantime, clean and sanitize the cage, bowls, toys and perches. Discard anything that cannot be sanitized. Bathe or mist him with warm water to promote preening and healthy plumage. Feed a balanced diet including a commercial pelleted diet, fortified seed mix and fresh fruits, greens and vegetables. You can also feed cooked rice, beans and plain pastas in small amounts.

I would very gently catch Sky and carefully check under her wings for any damage such as cuts. I imagine you won't find anything as like you say she has likely pulled out a blood feather. As long as you don't find anything I would don't monitor her for the next few days. If you find anything worrying I would have her checked by your vet.