Bird Feather Plucking

Bird feather plucking can be caused by a wide number of factors. Some of these are:

Diet:

1. Not having a nutritional diet tailored to the species of bird being kept. Eg nectar based foods for lorikeets (NOT seed), Fruit based diets for eclectus parrots (NOT sunflower). Carbohydrate based seeds for grass parrots. A little research can help you establish the correct feeding ratio for your bird. Generally a diet that contains fresh fruit and vegetables, premium bird pellets (which are great, as birds can't pick and choose only the seeds they like, plus have added vitamins and minerals) as well as some seeds and nuts.

2. Sunflower. Sunflower is an oil based seed, this means that the seed kernel contains large amounts of oil or fats. This is one of the major causes of feather loss in birds. The birds love it, but too much fat is not good for birds. This can lead to a number of health issues. Best to try and cut this seed out of a birds diet and replace it with fresh fruit and vegetables, premium bird pellets, and a small amount of seeds and nuts.

Stress:

Stress is caused by a number of different factors. Moving house, change of routine, family members leaving home are all causes that can contribute to feather plucking. For birds with feather plucking issues this should always be taken into consideration as a cause.

Boredom:

Birds are intelligent animals, so they require a lot of mental stimulation. They are a foraging animal, and as such require these sort of activities to remain mentally alert and happy. Toys which promote foraging behaviours are the best to alleviate a birds natural instinct to forage for food. You should have a blend of foraging toys, preening toys, natural toys as well as interactive toys. Regular changing of toys every week or two weeks is also recommended.