Sometimes we wonder such things as: is my bird healthy, is it overweight, or too thin? I found the best way to guage the birds weight/health is to hold the bird in your hand and check the flesh in either side of the keelbone. The keelbone is the center bone that is located from below the base of the neck to the bottom of the ribcage. What you want to do is part the feathers and look at the flesh on either side of the keelbone.
Tiels can range from 75 grams to 150 grams in weight. Like people the sizes and weight vary.
Allot of this weight variance is due to bone structure. A large boned bird is going to be heavier. Some birds will be long bodied and some short bodied (kinda like long and short waisted people).....and this makes a visual difference in size and a noticeable feel in weight.
I did up a simple illustration to show what to look for. Click on the thumbnail pix for a larger veiw. Feel free to print it out and save it for reference.
If you suspect your tiel is fat you can check the level of flesh on either side of the keelbone, AND also part the feathers on the abdomen to see if the skin has a semi-transparent look, which some intestines and organs may be visible Or if it is opaque as shown in the illustration below which shows fat under the skin. When this is seen it can lead to health and liver problems that need to be addressed.
Tiels can range from 75 grams to 150 grams in weight. Like people the sizes and weight vary.
Allot of this weight variance is due to bone structure. A large boned bird is going to be heavier. Some birds will be long bodied and some short bodied (kinda like long and short waisted people).....and this makes a visual difference in size and a noticeable feel in weight.
I did up a simple illustration to show what to look for. Click on the thumbnail pix for a larger veiw. Feel free to print it out and save it for reference.
If you suspect your tiel is fat you can check the level of flesh on either side of the keelbone, AND also part the feathers on the abdomen to see if the skin has a semi-transparent look, which some intestines and organs may be visible Or if it is opaque as shown in the illustration below which shows fat under the skin. When this is seen it can lead to health and liver problems that need to be addressed.