Molting/Preening/Plucking ?? So confused :(

[haley]

Hi new to the forum, Firstly i have a Orange Amazon around the age off 6 we have had him now for around a year, He has recently started pulling odd feathers out on his chest and am so unsure as to if he's molting as hes rather fluffy where hes been pulling odd ones out, preening or plucking ?? starting this week hes just not been his normal loud self. If some would could help as am just unsure as to whats wrong.

[Michael]

Keep in mind that even a molting bird can be seen to pull feathers out. Usually they get loose in the follicle and either fall out or just hang there until pulled out. A great way to be certain of molt as opposed to plucking is when you find symmetric feathers in a similar time window. For example the #3 primary from left side and right side. If that is the case, it is definitely molt (unless it's a pile of feathers that it's all feathers).

Many parrots don't pluck but rather barber. They chew on the feathers rather than pulling them out entirely. This is evidenced by ragged feathers with ends chewed off.

[Wolf]

More information and some pictures would be a big help to answering you properly.

[Pajarita]

Well, this is not the time of the year for molting (neither in the Northern nor in the Southern Hemisphere) but unless you are keeping him at a strict solar schedule, he could be molting off-season (they don't when you keep their endocrine system attuned to the seasons).

I've never had a parrot that pulled a feather when preening or molting but I guess it could happen... In any case, the way to tell is by looking at the feather shaft of a freshly 'pulled' feather, if the part of the feather shaft that goes into the flesh is dry and brittle, it's a molted feather. If it has a bit of blood at the very end, the shaft looks a bit pink and it's almost pliant, it's a plucked feather. The difference is basically a 'live' feather versus a 'dead' one. Michael is also right that most pluckers would start barbering before they start the actual plucking so look at the rest of his plumage to see if he is doing this. A barbered feather will stay on his body but the end of it would look uneven (it could be cut and have the very tip missing or it could be chewed up).

Now, are you referring to an Orange-Winged Amazon? Has it been DNA'd a male or are you just guessing? Is he been kept at a human light schedule (artificial lights on after dark)? Is he been free-fed high protein food (seeds, pellets, nuts)?