Cockatiel owners love their birds. They want them to be healthy and happy. However, sometimes they develop bad habits such as plucking their feathers, biting, and screaming. Not only does feather plucking make the bird unsightly, it is not healthy. While other behaviors are certainly annoying, feather plucking can be quite traumatic for both owner and bird. The good news is, training cockatiels not to pluck their feathers is possible, and it is necessary.

Veterinarians estimate that nearly half of all domesticated birds over-preen or pluck their feathers. Cockatiels are more predisposed to doing this. Some veterinarians believe the reason is because they live in large flocks in the wild. Once separated from this large flock, they become fearful and anxious. This may lead them to over-preen. Read the rest of this entry »