Several parrots at the Sanctuary have come to us having been plucking out many or most of their feathers for many years. Since plucking can damage the root of the feather, prolonged plucking can mean the feathers will never grow back.
Plucking is not the same as molting. Parrots molt their feathers twice a year, Spring and Fall, and then new feathers come in to replace them. Molting, however, does not leave patches of bare skin like plucking does. Plucking is abnormal and, if a parrot begins plucking, the specific reason for the bird’s behavior should be explored and addressed promptly.
