There are many causes for feather destruction in Eclectus parrots. From boredom, unhappy environments, itchy skin, food imbalance, over preening as juveniles. There are many plucking sprays available in shops that’re supposed to ‘cure’ plucking & many parrot owners opt for trying these first but finding the cause of plucking can be hard & a long process & plucking cannot be cured without knowing what has started it in the first place. Plucking sprays are often no more than simple quick fixes if they work, some don’t work at all.
One of the easiest ways to tell if your Eclectus is plucking is by looking at the tip of it’s feathers that have come out. If he’s pulled them out the feathers can look chewed &/or have blood on tips. The feathers can also look like they've been over preened (thinned out). If they’ve moulted out naturally you won’t see any blood on the feather tips & the feathers should look clean.
One of the easiest ways to tell if your Eclectus is plucking is by looking at the tip of it’s feathers that have come out. If he’s pulled them out the feathers can look chewed &/or have blood on tips. The feathers can also look like they've been over preened (thinned out). If they’ve moulted out naturally you won’t see any blood on the feather tips & the feathers should look clean.
Juvenile parrots can often over preen while learning to preen. It’s very common in Eclectus parrots. My Eclectus did this from about the age of 6 months & his feathers were a mess & ends chewed from the over preening. I gathered all his moulted feathers up & made him a preener to hang on his perch. This encouraged him to practice his preening without destroying his own feathers & his own feathers started to look healthier. Most Eclectus parrots get over their over preening stage once they mature but sometime over preening an also lead to feather plucking if the Eclectus isn’t discouraged from too much over preening on it’s own feathers. Bathing will also assist & a light diluted aloe spray every now & then. Lack of bathing can also cause some over preening if the skin becomes dry & irritated for the Eclectus.
Eclectus parrots are generally not a needy bird . Most are quite happy to entertain themselves as long as they have a large enough toy selection, toys are rotated often & they have plenty of space to move around. But they still need human interaction. Boredom can lead to plucking. Many parrot owners complain that their Eclectus is plucking but it’s not because it’s bored because it has an endless supply of toys. No amount of toys & space will make them happy if they don’t spend quality time with their human owners. You simply cannot place an Eclectus in a large space, full of all the toys in the world & expect it to be satisfied if it never gets to spend time or not enough time with you (his family).
An unhappy household can lead to plucking. Anti social behaviour by other parrots can also lead to your Eclectus plucking. The stress of being placed with another parrot that it is not compatible can lead to plucking. If your Eclectus is unhappy within it’s environment then you need to act on this by removing the problem.
Hormones can cause the Eclectus parrots to pluck. The need to breed can become very frustrating for some Eclectus parrots. The hormonal periods are the only times your Eclectus will pluck.
The male can also become a plucker if paired up with a female that comes across as being too bossy.
Eclectus parrots are generally not a needy bird . Most are quite happy to entertain themselves as long as they have a large enough toy selection, toys are rotated often & they have plenty of space to move around. But they still need human interaction. Boredom can lead to plucking. Many parrot owners complain that their Eclectus is plucking but it’s not because it’s bored because it has an endless supply of toys. No amount of toys & space will make them happy if they don’t spend quality time with their human owners. You simply cannot place an Eclectus in a large space, full of all the toys in the world & expect it to be satisfied if it never gets to spend time or not enough time with you (his family).
An unhappy household can lead to plucking. Anti social behaviour by other parrots can also lead to your Eclectus plucking. The stress of being placed with another parrot that it is not compatible can lead to plucking. If your Eclectus is unhappy within it’s environment then you need to act on this by removing the problem.
Hormones can cause the Eclectus parrots to pluck. The need to breed can become very frustrating for some Eclectus parrots. The hormonal periods are the only times your Eclectus will pluck.
The male can also become a plucker if paired up with a female that comes across as being too bossy.
A chewed feather due to over preening
Diet & allergy can lead to plucking. This can often be hard to diagnose if your Eclectus is on a reasonably good diet. If it’s on a main pellet diet it possible this can cause plucking. Offering too much of a certain food can lead to allergies & plucking. Even if the food is said to be good, too much is not a good thing. Eliminating foods one at a time is usually the only way you’re able to tell if plucking is due to diet.
A very common cause of feather plucking is from nutritional deficiencies & Chlamydophilosisin in the aviary Eclectus.
Moulting can cause itchy skin & if allowed to get too itchy & irritating can lead to plucking. Regular bathing & diluted aloe sprays will help during these times to avoid the start of plucking.
A very common cause of feather plucking is from nutritional deficiencies & Chlamydophilosisin in the aviary Eclectus.
Moulting can cause itchy skin & if allowed to get too itchy & irritating can lead to plucking. Regular bathing & diluted aloe sprays will help during these times to avoid the start of plucking.
The longer your bird has been plucking the harder it is to stop. Often parrots that’ve been plucking for long enough start doing it out of habit. Habits are very hard to break. Once it has become a habit it can take many months to stop plucking.
Basil. A 4 year old adopted
Red Sided Eclectus
Red Sided Eclectus
Basil today
Some parrots have plucked for so long that it’s become a habit they have for the rest of their lives. This doesn’t mean they can’t lead normal happy healthy lives, they can.
You can buy sock buddies for pluckers as a deterrent to plucking as well as keeping the bird warm in winter.
Bach Flower Therapy for feather plucking is also highly recommended. Many Eclectus owners have used Bach flower remedies & recommend it. You should see an avian vet or holistic expert about Bach flower. The correct flowers will need to be made up for your Eclectus' condition & if it's not made up correctly, it won't work.
You can buy sock buddies for pluckers as a deterrent to plucking as well as keeping the bird warm in winter.
Bach Flower Therapy for feather plucking is also highly recommended. Many Eclectus owners have used Bach flower remedies & recommend it. You should see an avian vet or holistic expert about Bach flower. The correct flowers will need to be made up for your Eclectus' condition & if it's not made up correctly, it won't work.
Weak chamomile tea is excellent for stressful pluckers. It acts as a calmer for the bird.
Feather Destruction