Why do macaws pluck their feathers

Though these destructive behaviors can be caused by a physical condition, in the great majority of cases, the bird plucks his feathers for emotional or psychological reasons. A bird who already has a pattern of feather-destroying behaviors, or begins to excessively chew or pluck her feathers, should be seen by an avian veterinarian right away to determine if any health, dietary, or environmental factors are contributing to the problem. Though excessive feather chewing and plucking are not necessarily signs that a bird is ill, your first priority is to rule out illness or disease as a cause of the condition.

To prevent feather picking and destruction from becoming a lifelong habit, you must try to identify and correct the cause or causes as soon as possible. In many cases, it may be possible to reduce the feather plucking, but not to eliminate it entirely. Feather plucking and destruction can be caused by anything that leads to physical distress or discomfort, and negative emotional states like fear, anxiety, boredom, depression, loneliness, and a sense of loss. Since parrots are such highly intelligent and sensitive creatures who experience a wide range of emotions, they can be very prone to stress.

The stress that causes them to begin to pluck their feathers can originate from a great many sources. Some of the more common causes of stress are described below. Please note that not all of these cause stress in all birds — every bird is different. Simply being in captivity is a major cause of stress in parrots. To better understand the effects of captivity on parrots, consider how they live in the wild.

By the way, parrots bred in captivity are still wild, undomesticated animals with many of their natural instincts intact. In the wild, parrots are extremely active. They live in flocks, fly many miles each day, and spend hours foraging for a variety of foods, socializing and communicating with their flock, nesting and raising their young.

By contrast, the average bird kept in captivity is far more sedentary, spending a good deal of his life confined to a cage. Many do not have the opportunity for flight, because their wings have been clipped to prevent them from getting hurt within the confines of a home.

Very often, birds are not kept in groups with their own species. Depriving parrots of their natural desire to fly, forage and socialize with other birds often manifests itself in neurotic behaviors such as excessive screaming, biting, aggression, feather destruction and even self-mutilation.

The following are some other factors that may contribute to feather picking and destruction. The virus has been detected in poultry and in more than different species of wild birds, mostly waterfowl and shorebirds. You should also think about moving your bird to a larger cage.

Regrowing feathers is a natural process for all bird species. Even a bird that has plucked itself bald can grow feathers back if the conditions are right. A more serious cause of feather loss is malnutrition.

Boredom may result from lack of appropriate toys, not enough foraging opportunities, or not enough interaction with other individuals human or avian. Molting, the process when birds shed old feathers to produce new ones, is a naturally occurring event when feathers may look bad. This process takes place periodically depending on the species.

While the details of the urban legend may be exaggerated, it is in fact illegal to collect certain bird feathers thanks to the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of The treaty makes it unlawful to hunt, take, capture, kill, or sell migratory birds. The statute extends to any bird part, including feathers, eggs, and nests. While external parasites are not very common in parrots, if present, they may cause an irritation that could result in excessive preening or feather pulling.

You need to take a good look at the environment your parrot is being housed in. Is there too much noise and disturbance? Does he get enough sleep or do you keep him up till late at night socializing? Is he kept awake with lights on all around his cage and disturbed by the noise of a TV? This kind of disturbance and lack of sleep can lead to stress and anxiety. Environmental toxins such as tobacco smoke, aerosol fumes, and furniture polish, to name a few, may cause allergies or discomfort that lead to a parrot pulling out its feathers due to the stress imposed by these factors.

This can be achieved by using humidifiers or adding a water feature to the room your parrot is housed in. Boredom and loneliness are common causes of feather pulling in African grey parrots. Parrots in the wild spend most of their day busily foraging for food. When kept in captivity this is provided daily in a food bowl and no effort is required from the pet bird.

Boredom can easily set in if toys are not supplied to provide entertainment and mental stimulation. Similarly, African grey parrots are naturally gregarious in the wild, foraging and roosting in large flocks. If left for long periods of time alone in a living room without a human or avian companion, loneliness can be a debilitating factor that causes an immense amount of stress to a parrot.

According to Hildergard Niemann , a parrot behavior consultant, parrots begin to play with their feathers, and as they pull out the first feather the hormone epinephrine is released to dull the pain.