military macaws swollen/closed nostril

Question
our macaw's left nostril appears to be swollen and closed..there is no apparent discharge and does seem to be effecting her overall health...the area around the nostril feels hard to the touch ....any thoughts...thanx

Answer
Birds will many times look and act "fine" when illness is advancing throughout their system. When astute owners catch subtle things like you have apparently noticed with your bird's nares, early intervention can be secured and chances of a successful recovery (usually at a much lower price than delaying until it can't be missed) increase.

I suspect this is an upper respiratory infection, which can advance rather quickly to more serious and life threatening problem if untreated.
It might also be a number of other things - all of which would need a hands on exam at the very least.

We have our birds seen twice a year no matter what. This insures that when (if ever) an emergency situation arises, we have a vet who not only knows us, but knows the birds and is much more likely to see us. In the middle of the night. On weekends and holidays. You get the idea.
 It's so much better to err on the side of caution.  

 See our girls and find out more about bird care, contact me anytime  www.4AnimalCare.org