They say that human noses never stop growing, on the other hand, human lips get smaller with age. But what about animals that don’t have lips or noses? What about birds? Do bird beaks grow? This article looks into it
Bird beaks do grow, they grow throughout the bird’s life. If they grow and become too large they may need to be trimmed by an avian vet
Table of Contents
Do bird beaks grow?
Bird beaks are made out of keratin, keratin is the same material that human nails and hair are made out of, and just like human nails and hair, a bird’s beak grows continuously throughout its life.
A baby bird’s beak is not the same size as an adult bird’s beak, beaks need to be proportional to the bird’s body in order to suit the bird.
As the bird grows and ages, its beak will grow with its body and will even grow after the bird has developed into a fully grown adult
You don’t usually see birds with oversized beaks because birds maintain them.
Wild birds already know how to maintain their beaks, their beaks are usually kept at a reasonable size. A reasonably-sized beak for all birds is a beak that can be used efficiently by the bird.
Birds in the wild maintain their beaks by constantly grinding them down. This grinding isn’t intentional, it happens as the bird performs its daily activities like foraging and eating.
These activities not only grind and wear the bird’s beak down but they also maintain the shape of the beak allowing the bird to forage and eat efficiently.
Why does my bird’s beak grow so fast?
Bird beaks can sometimes grow too fast, these beaks will grow faster than normal even if the bird is doing all that it should to maintain its beak.
Your pet bird’s beak may overgrow if the beak isn’t used as often as it should be and if the bird doesn’t have the opportunity to maintain and wear it down.
Bird beaks may also overgrow if the tissue is infected with viral, bacterial, or parasitic infections. Other causes of overgrown beaks are metabolic abnormalities, nutritional deficiencies, and trauma to the beak.
What to do if my bird’s beak is too long?
You as a bird owner can help with beak maintenance by offering the bird chewable items that will keep the bird’s beak in good shape and keep it at a manageable size.
Giving your bird cuttlebones, natural wood perches, unshelled nuts, and chewable items will help your bird maintain its beak.
If your bird’s beak is still too long, even after you’ve given them materials to wear it down, then you’d likely need to have the bird’s beak trimmed.
Trimming your bird’s beak yourself is not recommended unless you’re experienced in veterinary medicine.
If you trim the bird’s beak with no experience in veterinary medicine this will only cause injury to both your pet and yourself
The best thing to do if your bird’s beak is too long is to contact an avian vet and make a beak trimming appointment. This is helpful as your vet will also have a chance to examine the bird and check its health
The beak trimming process can be stressful for your bird, when beak trimming, the vet will gently remove layers of your bird’s beak using a file.
This will likely be a stressful process for your bird.
Your bird will need peace and quiet after this process and needs to be left alone and allowed to calm down in a familiar spot in your home. Make sure that your bird has access to fresh water and food when it gets back. Avoid disturbing the bird until it comes to you
Conclusion
In conclusion, yes, bird beaks do grow, they grow in size right from the beginning of their life, when the bird hatches, and continue to grow throughout the bird’s life.
It is made of keratin, keratin is the same material that our hair and nails, which grow throughout our lives are made out of
The beak is maintained by the bird who will grind it down to a reasonable size as it grows. If your bird’s beak becomes overgrown, you’d need to take the bird to an avian vet to get its beak trimmed.
If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other baby bird related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Why Is My Baby Bird Shaking?, How To Protect Baby Birds From Crows, Do Birds Mourn The Loss Of Their Nest?, Do Mother Birds Leave Their Babies At Night?, Do Mother Birds Sit On Their Babies After They Hatch?