The causes for feather loss fall into two main categories: medical and behavioral. In order to determine whether a bird has a behavioral problem leading to this condition, medical causes must be ruled out first.
Lice and mites are occasional causes, along with internal parasites like giardia. Cancer, low thyroid and diseases of internal organs such as the liver or kidney are also possible causes. Poor feather quality and feather loss can also be secondary to stress, malnutrition, viral infections, allergies and heavy-metal toxicity. Bacterial and yeast infections can be a primary problem, or they could be secondary to feather destruction.
Because many medical conditions can cause feather picking or feather loss, a full work-up is needed to detect any underlying disorders. After a physical examination, the work-up might include a blood panel, skin scrapes or biopsies, radiographs, fecal examination and specific tests for infectious diseases such as chlamydophila and circovirus (beak and feather diseases associated with psittacines, or birds in the parrot family).
If there are no suspected underlying disorders, a behavioral cause is likely. Feather-destroying behavior has been theorized to be similar to nail-biting in humans and is a response to an abnormal or inadequate environment. Hand-reared birds may not have had enough exposure to parent birds that would have taught them to preen normally, the lack of which may predispose them to feather-destroying behavior.
Inadequate social interactions with other birds and caregivers can also lead to feather picking. These can manifest in loneliness, separation anxiety, sexual frustration and boredom. Other causes include lack of toys, inadequate foraging and improper cage size. Stressful conditions such as overcrowding, sleep deprivation and sudden changes in environment also contribute to feather-destroying behavior.
Therapy can include addressing environmental factors by modifying the bird’s housing and living conditions. Foraging toys, puzzle feeders and additional perches are often added for a more stimulating environment. For some cases, Elizabethan collars may be needed to help break the habit of picking feathers.
An Elizabethan collar can deter feather-picking behavior.
Many medications have been used over the years to stop this behavior. They have produced variable results, although they might be worth trying for a short while to see if they have any effect on the condition. Antidepressants have been proposed for use in cases that show no improvement even with complete management, but unfortunately, there are currently not enough studies to support use of these medications for feather picking.
If your bird exhibits feather-picking behavior, try the suggestions in this article. Remember that your vet is there to help!