brown matted feathers above cere

Question
We adopted a male budgie approximately 5 months old.  His cap feathers just above his cere is matted in brown.  It hasn't changed. I cannot find any pictures or information that suggest it might be mites or a disease.  His beak and cere are fine, just the feathers the join the cere, about 2 millimeters wide and the  length of the cere. Could it be from not having a friend to preen him here?  I'm concerned that it isn't a health issue as we are getting a 6 week old to join him soon.

Thank you for your input!

Answer
Hi, Gwen,

Have you tried to "wash" this area with warm water on a cotton ball or Q-tip to see if this could be dried on food or something else like this?  Sometimes birds get their heads down in their food, which can result in food all over their face.  Could this be a female budgie?  Females have brown/tan/beige/white ceres and when they come into breeding condition, their ceres turn crusty-looking dark brown.  Otherwise, I'd need to see a picture of this area to try and determine what might be going on.  Perhaps you need to seek certified avian vet medical assistance if you are concerned about a health issue.  Could also be that the bird has a respiratory problem and stuff coming out of the nostrils is landing on this area causing the problem.  Does your bird have any liquid/discharge from its cere/nostrils?

Chrys