Why is my parakeet's cere discolored with bigger holes? Is it serious?

Thanks for reaching out about Skye. Could be beak and feather mites, that will cause a thickening of the skin. How old is Skye? It is not uncommon for older male parakeets to have testicular tumors that produce estrogen, thereby cere changes color as if a female. A veterinary visit is recommended to help with diagnostics and to discuss possible outcomes. Good luck.

Firstly, are you sure he is male? If he is young and the cere was a lighter color, he may be female and is now coming in to reproductive age which has caused the cere to become darker brown. If he is definitely male, then yes, this change is usually due to a testicular tumor - since the testicles are inside the body you cannot really check this. If you are worried you need to take him to an avian vet and have some blood testing done to check the hormone levels. There is nothing you can do for diagnosis at home. Be sure to take him to a vet that is used to treating birds. I'm glad he is seemingly fine now but that could change quickly as birds often hide how sick they are until they are very sick. Nutrition is important but an all/mostly seed diet usually causes other issues like fatty liver. You need to speak to the vet about how to get him changed over to a pelleted diet like Harrison's. Here is a link to their website. ( https://www.harrisonsbirdfoods.com ) Hope this helps. Best wishes.

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.

Thanks for reaching out about Snake and including a photo. The thickened brown cere is typical of female's that are hormonal (hyperestrogenemia). This is usually a normal situation and recedes one hormone levels decrease, but is often cyclic. Good luck.

Thanks for reaching out. A thickened tan cere on a female budgie is a common clinical sign of an ovulating bird. After the reproductive phase stops, the beak usually returns to normal. If it doesn't, there is a possibility of an underlying disease problems and a veterinary visit should be scheduled. 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!

It looks like Ruby is pretty young, and it is hard to determine sex in young birds. If the cere is turning pink, brown, or crusty, Ruby could actually be a female that is becoming sexually mature. If the cere becomes very deep blue, that is usually the sign of a mature/active male. However- in some color variations cere color doesn't always indicate sex correctly. If the brown is separate from the cere, is discharge, or you're seeing any signs of illness, then this could indicate an issue such as a respiratory infection which should be checked out by your vet.