Why is my cockatiel plucking its feathers? Should I be worried?

Question

My bird (cockatiel) has been kissing a lot of feathers lately. Should I be scared? Pet's info: Bird | Cockatiel | Male | unneutered | 4 months and 22 days old

Jessica Desrosiers · Accepted Answer

If you mean just preening and grooming, then this is normal behavior. If you mean that your bird is pulling the feathers out, I would try to find the cause. Issues such as molting, where the old feathers are replaced by new, are normal. You will see pin feathers (new feathers poking through the skin that look like pins) if this is the case. If you aren't seeing new feathers, but are instead seeing redness, wounds, irritation, or "stuff" attached to the feather base, then this could indicate an issue such as parasites, infections, etc that should be checked out by a vet. In some cases, behavioral issues such as stress or boredom can lead to over grooming as well. Making sure Rio has an adequate diet, plenty of enrichment such as toys or treats he can play with, time spent with you, etc, and making sure his cage is in a stress-free and quiet area can help with behaviorally related feather plucking.

Why is my cockatiel plucking its feathers? Should I be worried?

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