Feather-plucking in psittacine birds: part1, Presentation and medical investigation

Investigating cases of feather plucking in the parrot family

source: John Chitty
In Practice vol 25 no 8, September 2003
starts p484, 10 pages long

Feather plucking is a common syndrome common among many birds from the parrot family, especially grey parrots and Hahn's macaws, though very rare among budgerigars. There may be more than one cause, so it is important to identify as many causes as possible. Investigation can be time-consuming, and should include time spent viewing the bird, and examining droppings. History forms asking for information on the bird's diet, environment, daily regime, and other factors, are useful. A physical examination follows a thorough history, and includes assessing whether the bird is extroverted, how it interacts with the owner, as well as a dermatological examination. The article discusses diagnosis in further detail.
BI,BT