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Cockatiels (Nymphicus hollandicus) are fun pets to live with. They enjoy the company of human companions, and they usually have a cuddle for their favorite person, which can brighten up a long day. They are comical and outgoing and can be excellent whistlers. However, like all pets, they are certainly an undertaking, and can be demanding both financially and socially. They require the appropriate diet, living conditions, access to healthcare, and time commitment from you.
Cockatiels can be really rewarding pets, and they are often good with kids too, but it’s important to know what your commitment entails before you take on one of these feathered friends. If you’re new to owning birds, it might surprise you to see your cockatiel lose their feathers. It could have a natural and normal reason, or it could be a problem that requires attention. Read on to learn the ten most likely reasons that your cockatiel might be losing their feathers.
The 10 Possible Reasons Why a Cockatiel Loses Feathers
1. Molting
Cockatiels seasonally go through a process called molting. It happens about once or twice a year, at which time, your bird will lose their old and damaged feathers to make room for newer ones that will serve them better. This is a natural process that is normal and healthy for birds.
In North America and much of the Northern Hemisphere, healthy adult cockatiels would molt heavily during February, and may sometimes also molt again to a moderate degree around September.
It requires a great deal of energy for a cockatiel to molt, so you may find that your birdie spends most of their time resting during the process. Ensuring your bird is on a good quality, balanced diet, will improve the chances that a molt will occur without any problems. As such, it’s worth discussing your pet’s diet with your veterinarian during this period, at least for the first few times they molt in their life.
Do take note though that a cockatiel shouldn’t go bald or develop bald spots as they molt. Molting is a normal physiological process and your bird shouldn’t appear unwell and shouldn’t lose the ability to fly during this time. They will, however, likely spend more time preening themselves. As such, you would likely observe them taking more baths (in water) during this time.
You would also be able to notice many new “pin feathers” on your plumage as your cockatiel molts; these are the replacements of their molted feathers and have a shaft which has a dark blue core. They’re also known as blood-feathers. These are new, rapidly growing feathers and shouldn’t be plucked out as they will bleed profusely. A healthy molting parrot does not remove their blood feathers.
Image Credit: Oleksii Maznychenko, Shutterstock
2. Self-Mutilation
Perhaps the most concerning form of feather loss is when a pet bird begins to pluck their own feathers out. This is a relatively complex psychological disorder which requires the input of a veterinarian, ideally one who specializes in pet birds or exotic pets.
One of the ways to figure out if your parrot is just plucking out a feather as part of normal preening or compulsively trying to self-mutilate themselves is by inspecting your parrot and looking at the quality of their feathers, especially those on their backs and plumage.
A parrot that’s inflicting self-harm may show the following signs:
The feathers are often of a different length – They can be trimmed all the way down to their skin, just the tips, or may appear “eaten”, with just a frayed shaft left on your cockatiel’s body.
“Moth” appearance – Your cockatiel may appear similar to if your favorite sweater was attacked by moths. This is described as an unkempt, disheveled appearance with bald patches around their body.
Screaming – Some cockatiels will pull their feathers out and often vocalize painfully as they do so.
The total list of possible reasons that lead to self-mutilation is very extensive and therefore, helping you better understand why your parrot is losing their feathers due to self-mutilation is something only a veterinarian can do.
A brief list of such possibilities is as follows:
Predator Stress from Other Pets – examples include cats, dogs, and ferrets
Compulsive Behavior Disorder
Boredom
Sexual Frustration – can happen when parrots are inappropriately cuddled
Lack of Preening Training – often seen in hand-raised parrots or those that are weaned too early
3. Bullying from Another Cockatiel
In multiple-cockatiel households, one individual may display territorial dominance over another and bully them by plucking out their feathers. In most instances, the aggressor often prefers to perch up higher than the bullied individual. They may also be seen chasing and attacking the other cockatiel.
Such incidences require separating the two birds and also ensuring they are placed out of sight of each other – being able to see their aggressor can trigger some birds to begin self-mutilation.
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4. There Are Underlying Health Problems
Sometimes a bird’s feathers can be affected if they are dealing with an underlying health problem.
Examples of such health problems include the following:
Bacterial infections of the skin
Fungal infections of the skin
Viral infections of the skin
Certain yeast infections
Liver diseases
Kidney failure
Certain cancers
Certain respiratory system disorders/diseases
Parasites of the skin and feathers (very rare)
Internal parasites – Giardiasis is of key importance for cockatiels specifically
If you suspect an underlying health issue with regards to your parrot’s feather loss, schedule a checkup appointment with your veterinarian promptly. Perhaps interestingly, many of these diseases don’t directly attack the feathers but lead to stress (which in turn often leads to self-mutilation in parrots).
Image Credit: Roman Fenton, Shutterstock
5. Barbering
At times, members of a flock preen each other so much that it can lead to an increase in feather loss. However, this is often distinguished from bullying by the fact there doesn’t seem to be an element of aggression involved. Whether or not this warrants intervention is something that can only be assessed on a case-by-case basis. As a general rule though, the development of bald spots warrants intervention.
6. Malnutrition or Inappropriate Nutrition
Feather plucking can also be caused by nutritional deficiencies or an inappropriate diet. Specifically, a cockatiel that’s not offered sufficient protein in their diet may resort to either overeating (leading to an obese pet) or plucking their own feathers (as they are a source of protein), or both a fat and a bald bird!
Though cockatiels naturally fit the ecological role of granivores (seed eaters), their life as pets doesn’t afford them the mileage that their wild counterparts are able to attain by flying for many miles everyday in search of food. As such, pet cockatiels on a seed-only diet often quickly end up obese, as seeds are very calorie-dense.
In addition, the diet of wild cockatiels has a very high variance; wild cockatiels may have a nutritional profile of over 60–70 types of seeds. This is often impossible to replicate for pet birds. As such, pet birds on a seed-only diet are also prone to nutritional deficiencies.
A pellet-based base that’s supplemented with appropriate portions of vegetables, protein sources, and a very small fraction of fruits is considered the general best option for pet parrots, including cockatiels. We do, however, recommend that you reach out to your veterinarian to decide on a diet plan that best suits your pet.
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7. Irritants
Many common household items and products that we use on our skin or hands can be an irritant for a parrot’s skin and feathers.
This can lead to feather loss in one of two ways:
The product itself causes damage to the feathers and skin, and the feathers fall out
The product irritates your bird, and they resort to excessive grooming, and by proxy they remove their own feathers at an excessive rate.
Examples of such products include:
Ointments not intended for birds (that you apply on your own skin)
Hand lotion or cream
Essential oils
8. Parrot Tonics
Many products manufactured as “beauty products” for parrots are not regulated, and these tonics can irritate a cockatiel’s feathers and skin when applied on them.
Image Credit: Oqbas, Shutterstock
9. Improper Trimming of Flight Feathers
Flight feathers that are incorrectly trimmed can also be an irritant to your bird. They may try to overpreen and remove such feathers in an effort to “fix” their wings themselves. As such, it’s best to have your bird’s flight feathers trimmed or clipped by your veterinarian.
10. Cage Injuries
Finally, your cockatiel might be losing feathers due to their cage being inappropriate for them. In a cage that’s too small, a cockatiel’s attempts at flight might be met with their feathers colliding with the cage bars, ornaments, and perches – which can damage their flight feathers.
Likewise, a cage with bar spacing that’s too wide may result in your pet’s feathers (particularly those of their wings) getting injured if they get caught between two widely-spaced bars. The bar spacing in a cockatiel’s cage should be ½ to ⅝ of an inch. Horizontal bars are preferred to vertical ones, as these allow your pet to easily climb around their enclosure safely.
The absolute minimum size for a single cockatiel’s cage is 20″x 20″x 24″. However, when placed in a cage this small, a cockatiel wouldn’t get enough exercise and as such, this should be looked at as a “bedroom” of sorts. Your bird would definitely need exercise outside of their cage if it’s not large enough for them to properly exercise in.
Image Credit: Nick Beer, Shutterstock
Conclusion
All pet cockatiels naturally molt once or twice a year as healthy adults. During this period, the rate at which they lose feathers is increased but doesn’t lead to a pet with bald patches. Generally speaking, if you notice changes in your cockatiel’s behavior, appearance, and demeanor, or observe bald spots on your pet, it’s time to have them looked over by a vet.
Featured Image Credit: AnnJane, Shutterstock
