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In the middle of this continuum is normal feather care and maintenance, represented by normal preening. To the left is the complete absence of feather
care and maintenance, most commonly seen with domestic, hand-raised birds. These baby birds fall to learn proper preening (technique and frequency) from their parents. To the right of the
middle is overzealous preening or outright damage to, or destruction of, the plumage represented by feather picking. Bird behavior tends to be patterned and ritualized. With this fact and
the feather care and maintenance continuum in mind, it should not be too difficult to appreciate why captive birds, experiencing multiple stresses day after day, continuously pick at
their feathers. There is little difference between drawing a feather through the beak to condition it (preening) and doing the same thing but clamping down on the feather midway through
the process and cutting it in half or pulling it out (feather picking).
Most caged birds seem prone to feather picking. The groups of birds most notorious for engaging in this vice include African gray and Timneh parrots,
cockatoos, macaws, conures, gray-cheeked parakeets, and cockatiels. Interestingly, we rarely see feather picking budgies or Amazon parrots. We do, however, see a self-mutilation syndrome
in Amazon parrots and occasionally in other species (African gray parrots, macaws). This may represent the way in which some of these birds cope with or manifest stress. Others believe
that the condition is an infectious disease, possibly of viral origin. It is not uncommon for afflicted birds to mutilate their skin (toes, wing webs, groin and armpit areas). This
constant and continual trauma results in infection and failure of these wounded areas to heal. These birds must be prevented from engaging in this self-trauma through use of collars,
bandages, etc. They also must be treated aggressively with systemic antibiotics (injections are preferable).
Back to Feather Picking
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