Hello Fritz. Yes you are right, it's almost always a sign of illness. How old is your bird? do you now what gender it is? If not, look at the area just above the beak, where the nostrils are located and tell me what color it is. What is it's dailey diet? Have you seen a change in any of it's behaviors and is there any change in the appearance of it's droppings? Is it still using the perches or is it sitting on the cage floor? Do you have a true Avian vet? Thanks, Patricia