Feather questions

[GabeB]

Hello everyone! I have been having an awesome time with my little buddy echo now that we have built a strong bond, but I am concerned about his feathers. When my dad adopted Echo, his wings were already clipped, and now after 8 months of having him, his flight feathers have still not grown in and his tail seems bare as well. I don't know if i need to change his diet or if he needs to see a vet? He just turned 1 so that might be helpful to any responses. My dad was a bird whisperer but he passed away so i'm doing my best. Thank you guys for any help!

edit: He also has a lot of grey fur-like feathers that have appeared over time.

 

[Laurasea]

Hi,
Yiu can attach a thumbnail pic if you click the go advanced button under text box and upload an attachment.
But it can take a long time to molt and regrow fight feathers, sometimes a year...
feathers take protein to grow, I know Eclectus have special diet needs and I’m nit the best person to advise on their diet... but but perhaps a little more protein is needed as well as just time...?
Tail?? Did something happen to those? Is he pulling those?? A bare butt might be indicative of a year infection or bacterial imbalance in the GI.. or other a pic will help us
But always a consultant with a good avian vet specialist is a good idea yearly or if you have concerns

 

[saxguy64]

Are you finding any feathers/pieces of feathers at the bottom of the cage or under where ever he spends time? Honestly, the description sounds like he may be plucking. The fluffy grey feathers were already there. You see them more because the green feathers that cover them are missing. Plucking is a very complex thing, and it's sometimes hard to find the reason. A good avian specialist should be able to help you figure it out. There can be medical issues causing it, so consult with your vet, and consider blood work to see where he's at.

Otherwise, plucking can be behavioral, from boredom, stress, anxiety, or maybe even mourning your dad. They're very sensitive creatures, and they definitely feel the vibes in your environment.

Can't speak on diet change, since we don't know what he's eating currently. That's a whole other discussion with Ekkies. Hopefully you're on track with it though.

So again, please take him to your avian vet. It's always the best thing to do whenever you notice changes in your bird.

 

[Alembic772]

As Laurasea said, the flight feathers can take a long time to replace. Make sure to read up on here about special protein requirements of Eclectus. Pictures would be very helpful as well as possible vet visit.

My male, Basil, is going through a very long and heavy molt. His tail looks terrible because it’s been about a year but I see his new feathers coming down slowly. Each bird is different. He looted faster when he was younger, but at 22 it seems he molts maybe once every 12 months.


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[Alembic772]

Oh yeah. Grey feathers you are referring to look like these:

If so, that is the down feathers that keep them warm. You really shouldn’t be seeing those unless his molt is extremely heavy.

And this bird has them because she is a baby. And she’s sleeping (freaks me out when she lays like this).


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