08/25/2026
Unfortunately, I have worked with MANY birds over the years who experienced feather destructive behaviors. There are a number of reasons a bird may suddenly start barbering, over preening, and plucking. Known causes include hormones, boredom, stress, loneliness, and illness. However, hormones seem to be one of the most common (if not the most common) triggers I see.
General studies place the rate of captive parrots exhibiting feather-damaging behavior anywhere from 11.7% to 25.4% depending on the survey group and species mix, and a notable portion of these cases are triggered or worsened by hormonal and reproductive stress. Certain species can be at higher risk of experiencing this as well.
The primary reason Berry was surrendered was due to behavioral issues related to hormones. He has been over preening and barbering his feathers for some time. When he arrived here my primary focus was reducing his hormones. At my vet’s recommendation, we put in a hormone suppressing implant about 6 weeks ago. However, there is no 100% effective way to stop hormone fluctuations in parrots and hormone therapy, such as implants and shots, can be hit and miss.
If you would like to help support Berry and the other rescues in my flock, you can do so by joining our Patreon. All subscription fees go towards the costs of caring for the birds I help and towards future rescues. Patrons get access to every step of Berry’s journey, as well as hundreds of videos of my birds that I don’t share anywhere else. You can find the link to join on my page.
