#powder down

[bluewillowmoon]

“I love to examine

that distance

between me and what I desire.

It sparkles. It hurts so much. It smells great.

It is full of needles.

It looks back.”

— Lena Moses-Schmitt, from “Powder Down,” True Mistakes (University of Arkansas Press, 2025)

[bluewillowmoon]

“I long. In longing, I elongate myself. And oblong, I touch everything.”

— Lena Moses-Schmitt, from “Powder Down,” True Mistakes (University of Arkansas Press, 2025)

[tser]

Powder Down: Bird Dust Wars

We had our maintenance on our air conditioning unit for the first time in years, and the guy’s like, "Yup, this filter needs changing. It’s dirty. But...” Kind of an awkward pause. “It’s white, this white dust. You wouldn’t know it it was dirty if you just looked at it, it’s not what I usually see.... I--I don’t know what it is.” Zlato grins, and says, “Bird dust?”

“Ohhhh....” PSA: Birdblr -- be safe, don’t keep birds in your bedroom, and use HEPA filters. Keep at least one in your bedroom and one in the room with your bird(s). We also have one in our computer room, as bird dust is hell on electronics (my laptops die premature deaths). 

This is especially important if you have powder down birds (African greys, cockatiels, cockatoos, mealy Amazons, doves, etc.), but everyone should be careful, as the proteins that cause problems can be found in broken down feathers of all types. People with chickens are at risk as well, and may benefit from wearing a mask when cleaning their coops.

This is the HEPA filter kept in the room my African grey lives in. This is when it is changed regularly on the dot, right when the filter’s recommendations say so. The filters start out black. We change it more often than recommended. Notice we also have hard floors throughout the house; this helps a LOT! Hypersensitivity pneumonitis (birdkeeper’s lung) is a real threat for bird keepers, and other respiratory ailments like asthma, allergies, and similar can be seriously aggravated by bird dander. I speak from too much experience.

Be safe! 

[flock-talk]

My bird has white flecks on her that kinda look like dandruff, there not pin feathers though

Some species do get quite dusty, namely cockatiels, typically it’s a result of the powder down feathers which is completely normal for many bird species. If the flakes you see are more like dust that’s likely all it is, give them plenty of baths to help relieve itchy skin and keep the feathers in good health, otherwise dust is completely normal for many parrot species.