Q&A for How to Care for a Molting Parrot

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How can I help my parrot molt?

Hayley Heartfield
Bird Specialist
Hayley Heartfield is a Bird Specialist and the Owner of About Birds, a Pet Bird Shop in Montgomery County, Texas. Hayley specializes in pet bird care, behavior, training, and breeding. Hayley studied Animal Science at Texas A&M. About Birds carries many species of birds and offers grooming and boarding services as well as bird care products.

Hayley Heartfield

Bird Specialist

Expert Answer

Try giving your bird a weekly bath as it molts. Bird bath sprays made with aloe may help your bird.

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Question

How do I tell if the bird is molting?

Community Answer

If a bird is molting, it will have a lot of pin feathers around its head area, and it will look ragged, with a bunch of dropped feathers at the bottom of the cage.

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Question

What should I do if my parakeet has bare patches of skin?

Community Answer

Take it to a vet, this isn’t normal for a molting bird. During a regular molt, the bird should not lose all its feathers at the same time. Bare patches could mean the bird is plucking.

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Question

I'm not experienced with cockatiels much, I would like to know if my bird is a male or female and how old it is. I was not told this.

Charlie the Cockatiel

Community Answer

You can tell the gender of your cockatiel if you look at the tail and the cheek mark. If your cockatiel is a female, it should have dark yellow or brown streaks on the tail feathers, you might have to look under a light to actually see it. If it’s a male, you will not see streaks. Another way to tell the gender is by looking at the cheeks, if the cheeks look like a bright reddish orange, then it is a male. If it’s pale and not vibrant, then it’s a female.

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Question

How can I get a parakeet to stay still while I help remove old feathers from the head and neck? He's okay with hands but tends to move away from them two thirds of the time.

Dope Tiger

Community Answer

Try to slowly move the hand towards his chest first and begin to pet him, then slowly make your way up his back while still petting him and them gently try to pull out the feathers. Make sure they are loose and if not, give him some time and he will most likely do this himself.

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Question

What to do if your 29 year old Senegal parrot plucks?

Community Answer

There can be many reasons as to why your bird would pluck. Either it is stressed over something -- did it have enough sleep, does it have a good diet, does it have enough space, does it have enough attention/stimulation? It could also be that something recently changed in your house and it doesn't like the new change. Another reason could just purely be addiction to plucking. Start at the root of it and find what is causing it. There are many toys you can buy for birds that allow them to "pluck" the toy instead of their own feathers. There are also soothing sprays made for pluckers that can relieve itchiness.

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Question

How do I tell if my red Lori is a male or female?

Community Answer

You can take a sample of their droppings to a vet. The vet will be able to test it and tell you its sex.

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Question

Is it normal for a Quaker parrot to lose some weight while molting?

Joe Amezcua

Community Answer

It depends. If the weight loss is minimal, it may just be from the feathers falling off. However, if your bird's weight begins to drastically drop, it could be a concern.

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Question

My parrot is molting, and I noticed it is taking longer than usual. The feathers are not coming in with enough volume, and there are some bare patches.

Joe Amezcua

Community Answer

Be sure your parrot is receiving proper nutrition. If slow feather regrowth continues, consider adjusting the diet or increasing food intake. If there are no improvements, consult a vet.

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Question

Why did my parrotlet lose all of her flight feathers?

Joe Amezcua

Community Answer

It is most likely just molting. If the feathers don't grow back, you should take it to a vet for a check-up.

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Question

Is it problematic or natural if my molting parrot is eating less and has watery poop without diarrhea or vomiting symptoms?

Joe Amezcua

Community Answer

It is not uncommon for parrots to eat less and have watery poop during molting. However, if these symptoms persist, it is advisable to have your bird checked by a vet.

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Question

Is my 4-month-old black-capped conure too young to be molting?

Joe Amezcua

Community Answer

It's not unusual for young parrots to start molting at this age. My conure began molting around the same time, so it should be fine.

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