What is the importance of a Parrot's feet and nails? Rosemary Low gives us her expert advice including tips for caring for your Parrot's beak and feet.

A Parrot’s beak can be a good indication of its general health. An overgrown beak can indicate poor management or disease. The beaks of different parrot species vary greatly in shape and size in relation to body size. The parrot owner needs to know the correct shape for the species kept. Many captive Parrots have overgrown bills and the owner does not even realise this. The internet is useful for looking for photos of Parrots in the wild. They must keep their beaks in good shape and they do this by gnawing tree bark.

In our birds, usually it is the upper mandible that becomes overgrown. The most common cause is lack of gnawing material. Some breeders complain about their birds gnawing the aviary framework or the nest-box, and owners of companion Parrots are annoyed when the parrot damages the door frame or strips the wallpaper. But this is the owner’s fault. The most vital occupation for a captive Parrot is biting at fresh, bark-covered branches. If these are not supplied, it will destroy anything it can reach.

The beak consists of a material called keratin, the same material as out fingernails. It is constantly growing, and I have read that the entire beak is replaced every six months. That seems amazing – and I don’t know how true that is. If a Parrot has a mark on its beak due to injury, that statement could be tested. Anyway, it is quite fast-growing and unless gnawing material is provided the beak could become seriously overgrown. You might often notice your Parrot “grinding” its beak. This is to keep it worn down.

It can be very difficult for some people to provide enough fresh branches from suitable trees such as willow and apple. In Europe, these are the best but others such as hazel, hawthorn, ash and beech are also safe. Before acquiring a Parrot, thought should be given to how a regular supply can be maintained. For anyone who cannot travel, asking a tree surgeon to save branches of willow and apple is a good option. If you have a garden, you can plant fast-growing trees such as willow (it will even grow from cuttings) and eucalyptus.

Why is it important to trim your Parrots beak?

Have you ever heard a vet question why trimming the nails and/or beak of a psittacine bird should be necessary? After carrying out the trim, I would suggest that vets ask questions about management. With a few exceptions, such as with the rare fig Parrots, a beak trim will be avoided if the Parrot has a regular supply of wood, such as apple branches, on which to gnaw. This is especially important for some species, such as Caiques and macaws.

The other question that should be considered is whether the bird should have a blood test. An overgrown beak can, much more rarely, be caused by liver disease. This is quite likely to be the case if there are abnormally coloured areas of plumage.

There should be no problem in trimming nails but cutting or shaping the beak is much more difficult, especially in large Parrots. Normally it will be necessary to shape the beak using a dremel tool. Using only strong clippers is very risky – the beak could be fractured -- and results in an abnormal shape. If the extreme tip is broken or trimmed, where there are no blood cells, the Parrot will not suffer pain but further up the beak any damage will be very painful.

Problems occur when trying to trim a very overgrown beak because the point at which the sensitivity starts to occur is unknown.

How many people realise that the tip of a Parrot’s bill contains many touch-sensitive cells? If the nerve is cut, the Parrot will be in a lot of pain, perhaps for weeks, and will not be able to feed. So please leave bill trimming to an experienced veterinarian who is highly competent. You might not find one locally, so be prepared to travel.

This Mealy Amazon has a slightly overgrown beak which is starting to fracture at the tip. Compare it with the perfect beak of another Mealy Amazon

Do you know how to cope with a beak injury?

Many Parrots suffer beak injuries, often due to a bite from another, larger parrot or, in the case of cockatoos, due to an attack by its mate. If this happens, urgent veterinary help should be sought. A puncture wound will need to be cleaned by a vet and sealed with dental acrylic.

In many cases the upper mandible is partly or completely severed. Such attacks can be so serious that the unfortunate bird dies of shock or injury. Prosthetic beaks have been fitted in some cases. This may be only a temporary solution because if and when the surviving part of the beak starts to grow, the prosthesis will no longer fit. Prosthetic beaks have been made for other Parrots, also toucans and hornbills. A follow-up study to see how long-lasting they were, would be interesting.

In Brazil, non-governmental organization (NGO) Renascer ACN created a prosthetic beak for a wild White-eyed Conure (Psittacara leucophthalmus) that had lost three-quarters of its upper mandible. Renascer ACN worked with veterinarian Maria Ângela Panelli Marchió—who specializes in animal orthopedics—to create a handmade plastic resin prosthesis. After attaching posts in the bird’s stumped beak, the polymethylmethacrylate material was formed into the natural shape of the Parrot’s beak and then fused to the metal. Polymethylmethacrylate is an extremely durable substance that would “take a chainsaw” to remove from the Parrot.

Another cause of beak injury is the gross carelessness of letting a parrot out when a ceiling fan is operating. It should not be necessary to warn people against this. According to one vet, not only are such injuries extremely painful – if the parrot survives – but serious bleeding may occur over the following few days. This factor and the shock might stop the parrot from eating. I could become dehydrated and need a vet to give it fluids and probably also crop-feed it.

This Hahn’s Macaw has been bitten on the beak by a larger Parrot.

What is the importance of a Parrots feet and nails?

Parrots have strong, curved toenails which help them to grip tree branches or bark. It is the nails which give the more acrobatic species such a good grip, enabling them to hang below branches or even to swing from the foot of another bird that is swinging below the perch. So strong are the nails of the larger Parrots that they can dangle from a tree or the roof of an aviary by holding on with just one nail.

Fledglings have especially sharp nails. For several days before they leave the nest they climb to the entrance where they are fed by their parents. Without such sharp nails it would be difficult for them to climb up from the base of the nest.

For captive birds it is important that the nails are in good condition. A missing nail is no disadvantage but long nails not only make perching uncomfortable, but they can be hazardous, making climbing on wire mesh difficult, with the risk of the foot being trapped. This is very stressful for the bird and can lead to death if not discovered quickly. Also, a trapped bird can be susceptible to attack from other Parrots in the aviary.

Why do birds lose nails?

The most common reasons are being trapped in mesh, being exposed to frost-bite and being attacked by another bird. Pet birds are at risk if there is more than one in a room and one is let out, the other(s) caged. The free one is very likely to land on the top of a cage, and the caged bird will climb to deter it and get its foot bitten. Foot injuries are very painful for Parrots and will result in the injured bird resting on one leg, looking very miserable. Every effort should be made to prevent this kind of incident.

Photographs copyright Rosemary Low

Why is important to clip your Parrots nails?

Nail clipping should be a quick and uncomplicated procedure for a competent vet who is familiar with handling Parrots. It should involve little stress and no blood loss. Unfortunately, not all vets are competent, resulting in serious blood loss. If in doubt as to where the blood vessel in the nail ends, be very cautious. In birds with light coloured nails there is no problem as the blood vessel is easily seen.

Often such trips to the vet are unnecessary. The owner wants the nails cut because they are so sharp the hands are scratched. Some young hand-reared Parrots can be trained so that they permit their nails to be filed very slightly, to remove the sharp point. Alternatively, special perches can be bought which are said to blunt the nail tip. The cutting of nails encourages nail growth -- so prevention is the key.

I am always dismayed to hear of owners of young hand-reared Parrots trimming the nails to avoid being scratched. Normal nail length is of the utmost importance for all Parrots, but especially young ones, because they cannot grip the perch well or balance properly with short nails.

In very old birds nail trimming is sometimes necessary because the nails grow in a spiral. This makes perching very uncomfortable. However, in older birds with arthritis, longer nails help the bird to balance and to grip. Wide perches can also be helpful.

My advice to those who care for companion Parrots and/or aviary birds is to keep a careful watch on the feet. This applies especially to ringed birds. Damage to the ring, usually caused by a strong-beaked species crushing an inappropriate (wrong material – not strong enough) ring onto its leg can ultimately cause the loss of that leg. Always check the ring!