Macaw Facial Feathers

The black striping you see on Merlin and other macaw’s faces are actually feathers, not colored skin or hair. These are extremely small feathers that are uniquely arranged on the birds cheeks. They are like finger prints for birds; every bird’s markings are slightly different.

They feathers are used for communication. They can fluff up these feathers independently or keep them down. The white against black serves as a strong contrast for easier visual appearance and better communication. They can also blush their cheeks, which I’ve talked about in the past. This also serves as communication.

We don’t know a whole lot about body language, communication, and the ecological reasons as to why for a lot of things for parrots, especially when compared to the in-depth knowledgeable we have on other species. Birds are incredibly complex creatures and are still being studied to understand better.

It’s super cute when Merlin fluffs up these little back feathers. That’s when I know he’s super content and enjoying himself. He mostly does it when in deep head massage or when we are dancing