Plucking...to nest?

[Mekaisto]

Hi guys, I was wondering if anyone here might be familiar with this situation...

An acquaintance on Facebook has posted a picture of her male quaker with fully plucked legs and underside. Apparently, he plucks himself and uses the feathers to construct a nest during the breeding season. She claims it's not uncommon, but I've never heard of this before!

Does anyone here know anything about this behaviour?

 

[Birdman666]

Hormonal plucking usually involves females, and usually it's the leg feathers. My eckie hen was a seasonal plucker.

Feather Plucking in Pet Birds: Causes and Solutions

"Hormonal Plucking:

Many parrots pluck their chest area as they mature and get into breeding condition. Another typical plucking patterns for hormonal birds may be plucking between their legs.

One bird plucked his chest when he was forced to watch a breeding pair of the same species that were temporarily placed into his room. As soon as the pair was relocated, the plucking stopped.

In some cases, a vet may prescribe Lupron shots to reduce hormonal behavior. The drug Lupron turns off sexual hormones. Some bird owners report that hormonal plucking stopped immediately after administration of this drug and never started again. It works if the plucking is caused by hormonal frustration.

However, vets first recommend that pet owners make environmental changes to reduce sexual triggers, such as removing mirrors or nest boxes and to prevent hormonal stimulation such as petting that induces this behavior, and altering the light cycle to mimic winter sunlight. If all these changes fail than drug therapy may be warranted. Drug therapy is most effective in females but has also shown effectiveness in males.

About Lupron: leuprorelin acetate has an inhibitory effect on the pituitary that should reduce the hormones FSH and LH. This drug has been used in birds for chronic egg laying, hormonal aggression and feather picking. Again, this is not a perfect drug and certainly not for all situations."