Possible broken leg??

Question
I was just getting ready to clip my budgies' nails when i noticed her leg was sticking out and she wasn't using her one foot.  Then i noticed the the top of the leg just under her body was very large and looks swollen?  I'm not sure if she broke it or if she injured it and its just swollen.  She doesn't seem to be acting any different, Still chirping and playing, climbing around the cage but only using one foot and her beak.  How would I know if the leg is broken??

Answer
Hi, Trevor.  Thanks for posting!

I don't know what you mean by "her leg was sticking out."  If the leg bone is broken in half, the lower part of the leg will basically just dangle or you might see a bone sticking out (there would be blood in the latter case).  Their bones are so tiny, you might need to look with a magnifying glass.  A fracture would be impossible to determine without an X-ray (radiograph) by a certified avian veterinarian.

Often times, small birds get their legs caught in things in their cages (toys, food dishes, cage bars, etc.) and in trying to free themselves, they pull muscles, break bones, die from shock, etc.  If allowed outside their cage, the number of things they can get into is endless.  So it's possible your budgie just has a minor injury in that area.  On the other hand, there could be something completely different going on.  A large, swollen area could be a lump or cyst of some type.  

You can do a couple of things at this point.  You can take her to a certified avian veterinarian for an evaluation, which would be the best thing.  You can wait a day or two to see what happens.  However, if it is a break or something more serious, you don't want to wait.  

Birds will usually act normal when they are sick or injured because to do otherwise would attrack pedators to themselves and the flock, so acting normal doesn't necessarily mean a minor injury.  You know your bird better than I do and can see what is going on, you will have to use your judgment as to the seriousness of the situation.  Try using a magnifying glass to see if you can see more details and/or feel around in the area gently to see if this area is soft or hard, see how the bird reacts when you touch the area (pain or not), feel for any broken bones (gently), etc.  

Come back with any additional questions.

Chrys