My rainbow lorrie keeps plucking her feathers and biting me

[Sienna&Achilles]

Hi, I'm looking for some help and answers as to why my rainbow lorikeet keeps plucking out her feathers and biting me, I got my bird 3 years ago now from my little cousin when I first got her/him they had all their feathers but their tail feathers, they grew back after a while and then she started plucking out her body feathers, and I don't know how to stop it, at first we thought it was mites so we got her treatment for it and that never worked, and we've asked people from pet stores what they thought it was and they said it might just be a habit since she's been doing it for a while now, I've gotten her toys and stuff that I thought might help distract her from plucking but she doesn't play with them, ive thought about getting her a cone for her body so it would keep her from plucking while they grew back but i dont kniw if its a good idea, she's got a pretty big cage for a bird her size and I always got her out before she started attacking my hands and face. she's Always been a weird bird but when I first got her she barely ever bit and was very playful I don't know what I'm doing wrong but I can't even get her out now without her trying to attack me, (I keep calling her a she cause that's what we assume she is but we really don't know) she likes my dad but also sometimes attacks him but not as much as attacks me. when I try to get her put she ruffles up her feathers makes a clicking noise while rubbing against my hand and then after a while she bites me, it's not the first time my family has had a rainbow lorikeet, we had a couple when I was little but they never acted like this one and I don't know how to help if I can't even get her out of her cage without attacking me.

 

[LaManuka]

Hi, I'm looking for some help and answers as to why my rainbow lorikeet keeps plucking out her feathers and biting me, I got my bird 3 years ago now from my little cousin when I first got her/him they had all their feathers but their tail feathers, they grew back after a while and then she started plucking out her body feathers, and I don't know how to stop it, at first we thought it was mites so we got her treatment for it and that never worked, and we've asked people from pet stores what they thought it was and they said it might just be a habit since she's been doing it for a while now, I've gotten her toys and stuff that I thought might help distract her from plucking but she doesn't play with them, ive thought about getting her a cone for her body so it would keep her from plucking while they grew back but i dont kniw if its a good idea, she's got a pretty big cage for a bird her size and I always got her out before she started attacking my hands and face. she's Always been a weird bird but when I first got her she barely ever bit and was very playful I don't know what I'm doing wrong but I can't even get her out now without her trying to attack me, (I keep calling her a she cause that's what we assume she is but we really don't know) she likes my dad but also sometimes attacks him but not as much as attacks me. when I try to get her put she ruffles up her feathers makes a clicking noise while rubbing against my hand and then after a while she bites me, it's not the first time my family has had a rainbow lorikeet, we had a couple when I was little but they never acted like this one and I don't know how to help if I can't even get her out of her cage without attacking me.

Welcome to the forums, @Sienna&Achilles, though I'm sorry to learn of your baby's feather plucking issues. May I ask what part of the world you hail from? If you are in Australia, it may have something to do with their long (long!!) breeding season and the various "frustrations" associated with that. There are a lot of commonalities within the species, but even so, some individuals handle breeding season better than others, and it can vary from season to season and between hens and roosters too. For example, I have had a rooster purple crowned lorikeet who pretty much sailed through "that" time of year with no issue, and although my hen never resorted to plucking, she got EXTREMELY aggressive and VERY bitey indeed during her hormonal phase every year. It might be worth a visit to your avian vet, particularly if your bird hasn't been seen in a while. Our list of avian vets worldwide is linked for you below...

Avian Vet Resources

After a suggestion by a member, @Abu Colo, the Mod Team decided to create a list of veterinarians around the world who see birds. This was something we had discussed a few years ago, but the task seemed so large that we didn't get very far. However, the need is there and we decided that the time...

www.parrotforums.com

The following link about plucking in general may be of help to you too...

Plucking: A Search For Answers

If you've spent very much time with parrots you've probably heard the term or seen the results of plucking. Plucking is disturbing and complex, in many cases the reasons are difficult to pinpoint. There are no easy answers or explanations. It's a terrifying event to discover a pile of feathers...

www.parrotforums.com

I hope that some other members will weigh in with some advice for you as well, and I wish you all the very best of luck finding a solution for your girl