Feather Picking: Why?

Feather Picking: Why?

This is one of the more frustrating problems a parrot owner can face. Feather destruction by overpreening, shredding or plucking, is a symptom of another problem rather than being a disease itself. It’s most common in Cockatoos and African grays, and it is also common in Quakers, Conures, and Eclectus parrots. And, although it’s been seen in all parrot species, it is rare in Amazons, Pionus parrots and Poicephalus parrots. It can often take some detective work to figure out what’s wrong.


a) Health Reasons

i. Giardia. The presence of this intestinal parasite can cause a parrot to shred the feathers just below its neckline.

ii. Skin Problems. Itchy skin, external parasites, feather cysts, or a skin infection can all cause discomfort that could cause a parrot to destroy its feathers. Many pet stores sell flea, tick and lice remedies for parrots. Never use these without receiving advice from a vet. External parasites are not common in house birds.

iii. Malnutrition. A bad diet can give a parrot dry, itchy skin that may cause it to pluck or shred its feathers.

iv. Bad Wing Clip. If the parrot was clipped too severely and cannot glide to the ground if it slips, the resulting anxiety could cause feather plucking. It you’re not sure how to clip a bird properly, consult someone who does and get his or her help.

v. Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease. This is a viral disease that causes the feathers to look very abnormal. If the bird’s head feathers look bad, this could be the cause.

vi. Internal Pain. If a bird picks at one spot, this could be the cause. For example, a bird with fatty liver disease may pick at the skin above its liver.

vii. Zinc toxicity. Heavy metals can be toxic to parrots. Very old cages may have bits of metal flaking off. If the parrot ingests these, it may become ill.

viii. Allergies. These can cause dry itchy skin.

b) Psychological Reasons (These are the cause of most feather destruction problems)

i. Grief. Parrots may pluck if the lose a favorite person or mate.

ii. Stress. A number of things can cause stress. For example, an anxious shy parrot may feather pluck if it’s placed in a noisy area with nowhere to go where it feels safe. If a pet parrot starts destroying its feathers, try to determine if anything in the environment changed when the problem started.

iii. Boredom. A parrot with nothing to do may feather pick because of boredom. Make sure the bird has a big cage, and lots of toys, and that it gets plenty of time out of the cage.

iv. Overpreening. The parrot may not be preening its feathers properly, or it’s doing it too much.

v. Hormones. Some female birds pull some breast feathers out of their chests during the breeding season. They do this to create a brood patch, or a warmer spot on the skin, to use to incubate eggs. However, this is not common in pets. Other birds may pluck out of frustration with not having a mate.

PARROT BEHAVIOR

In our efforts to protect birds from infectious diseases, drafts, and other environmental factors, it is easy to put our birds into plastic bubbles. To sentence the bird to spend its entire life in a single room is not fair.
They are intelligent, sensitive animals that deserve better.
Have fun with them and they'll have more fun too.
It is advisable to have more than one area where the bird spends time. Get an extra cage for a different part of the house.
Alternatively, a T-stand will suffice. If your employer allows, take the bird to work.
Birds make excellent greeters for businesses and many customers get to know them well.
Of course be careful that the bird is kept where he/she cannot get into trouble or nip customers fingers! Take your bird for car rides. Many of them really love it.
Bring them into the shower with you (there are perches made for the purpose).
The enjoyment you get from your parrots depends on how much
you are willing to put into socializing them. Have fun and you and your parrot will both be happier.