A bird’s beak serves more purpose that just about any other part of its outer anatomy. Aside from its obvious function during meals, it is used for climbing and it acts as a “hand” as it explores its world. It can snap a tree branch in half and then gently feed a chick in the nest. A bird would surely struggle without its beak.
Like our nails, a beak is made of keratin. And like our nails, beak tissue is continually growing. Normally, if a bird is on a good diet, a healthy beak will take care of itself. As it navigates its cage and chews on wooden toys, the beak is naturally groomed and any overgrowth is worn down.
There is always a fresh supply of new beak growth just under the existing beak, and it makes its way to the surface by sloughing off the old outer growth. This means that sometimes the visible part of the beak begins to peel away.
In fact, you will more often see a peeling appearance in your bird’s beak than not. Sometimes it looks extreme, but it is all part of the normal growth process. It is not unusual for a bird to try to hurry the process by rubbing its beak against hard surfaces. I try to gently discourage this behavior when I see it happen. I have seen birds wear grooves into their beaks from the cage bars when they become obsessive in this activity.
If there is ever any question that your bird’s beak appearance may be the result an injury or an illness, you should definitely have your vet take a look. Deep gouges, cracks and crevises should not be considered normal.
- Hyacinth macaw – NORMAL peeling
Mitred conure – NORMAL peeling
- Goffins cockatoo – NORMAL peeling
Greenwing macaw – NORMAL peeling
Scarlet macaw – even this degree of chipping can be NORMAL- photo by parrot and conure world
The photos below are ABNORMAL beaks due to disease, parasitical infestation or injury:
Wild Cape parrot with PBFD photo by Rodnick Biljon
Budgie with mites infestation photo by birds-online.de
Amazon beak injury – photo by Anna Sloan
I should also mention that, in a cockatoo, a perfect, shiny beak is strong indicator of PBFD. The cockatoo beak should always be coated in a fine white powder.
Umbrella cockatoo, Linus – NORMAL (Well, the beak is normal)
Watch this video to learn how you can adjust your bird’s diet to prevent many beak ailments naturally:
20 comments
I saw some peeling on my conures beak and was starting to think something was wrong. Me and Toby thank you!
Thank you so much for the easy to read explanations, along with photo’s. My 3 year old Green-Cheeked Conure has normal peeling. I was very worried, as this is my first pet exotic bird and I’m learning as we go. I will definitely use this site again in the future for any concerns or questions I may have for “Polly”.🦜
Thank you for this explanation and the perfect pictures. I realized my parrot’s beak is totally normal and nothing to worry about. I do know he likes to rub his beak on the cage bars as well as his perch- he won’t mess with the fish-looking white thing I got him that’s specifically for beaks. I hope I can move its location and get him to feel more comfortable with it. Anyway- thank you!
Pictures tell it all! For an over-anxious Quaker owner, it was a relief to see the pictures that clearly define a normal beak – I couldn’t find any useful info on this topic anywhere else – thank you!
Helpful info and the pics were good to look at too. I feel relieved that my 2 year old umbrella cockatoo probably just has some normal peeling going on
Thanks for always giving great information. The pictures were very helpful. Looks like my bird has normal peeling😊
Thank you so much for all the pictures and a great article. This was very helpful.
I am worried. My 4month old Macaw’s beak is peeling. It is soft underneath the peeling! Is this normal.
My macaw greenwinged his beak is changing colour to brown at some places , m worried can u help and tell me what’s goin on !?
Hi is it normal for a african grey to have a slit in the bottom beak
What about cracking in the middle straight across both my conures have this
OMG! Thanx so much for the pics!…cuz my 7 yr old Golden Capped Conure has the exact pattern of beak peeling on his lower beak left side…I’m all freaked out today until I read this article!…or perhaps I never thought a little flaking was my bird’s beak regenerating new keratin!
Hi there, I have lovebirds, and no ‘experts’ I asked about my birds beak knew this!!! Thank you thi pics are very helpful. I am a little concerned tho as there are very small dark patches on a couple of the birds beaks, located quite centrally, could these be infections? the birds look healthy otherwise. One has akind of crack coming from the nostril, I could attach pics as again nobody could tell me what was going on here Thank you Leslie :-)
recently i rescued a small parrot in which half of the lower beaks got broken when it fought with crow and it will grow normally ?
recently i rescued a small parrot in which half of the lower beaks got broken when it fought with crow and it will grow normally ?
My ecclectus has a beak that gets enormously long and must be trimmed at least every six months. He doesn’t chew on anything that I’ve ever seen. We’ve got toys and rough perches galore in his cage as well as a pool-side tree “un-cage” which he doesn’t chew on either. How can I get him to wear down his beak naturally? He’s such a friendly, wonderful pet.
Hello I am glad you sent these pictures, and i did read, and see them. you can learn a lot about your bird just by looking at these. My beak friends are just find with theirs. Great to know how they are supposed to look. thanks. I would like to know more about the Cockatoos, and the Nanday Parrots. thanks.
I am happy you showed photos as well. There are no vets where I live to look after a bird so its important to me to be on top of these things. Happy to say my Congo Grays beek looks fine! I tell every one, good diet, good diet soooo important for everything! Thanks Chet!
Great that you have shown lots of photos about this…Thanks!
well that is a relief,I have have had sulphur crested cockatoos and both died from the sulphur deficiency disease and their beak breaks away as they deteriorate.Now my gorgeous quaker Bluebell has slight peeling on the beak and now I know it is normal.you guys are the best :)
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