My bird is picking feathers. What are preening toys for birds?

Some toys or changes to the environment are definitely a great way to help reduce boredom. You can look for toys that are soft or fuzzy to encourage preening and chewing behavior, or toys that can move around such as swings or bendy ladders for exercise. Treats that have to be pecked at are also great enrichment. Just be sure to choose toys that are designed for your bird's size and activity level. If you have a pair, you may also want to add in a nest or some nesting material to encourage building and give them extra enrichment.

Feather picking is common in birds and is usually related to behavioral issues like stress and Boredom. I recommend trying to increase the amount of toys and interactions through the day. Also keep in a low stress area of the house. If that does not help I would recommend taking him to a veterinarian for medications to try and stop the behavior.

Treating feather picking really depends on the underlying cause. Mites can be a possibility, and you may see an increase in itching, redness of the skin, or visible flecks of "stuff" on the skin or feather base. Most pet stores carry a mite spray that can be used to treat this. If you see visible wounds or oozing on the skin, it could indicate something more serious such as an illness or skin infection which should be looked at by a vet. If the plucking is around the vent, this can sometimes indicate an internal parasite or digestive upset causing issue. Boredom can also sometimes cause feather plucking. Adding in more enrichment such as fun puzzle toys, toys that can be preened instead, or even spending more time together can help reduce boredom behavior and feather plucking. Moving the cage to a lower traffic area without pets or people bothering Kiwi as much can also help. if you can't seem to find a cause, home treatment doesn't work, or the problem worsens, seeking veterinary care is always best.

The excessive preening can be caused by parasites, molting, boredom or stress. You can have Shelly examined by your veterinarian to diagnose infection or parasites. In the meantime, clean and sanitize the cage, bowls, toys and perches. Discard anything that cannot be sanitized. Mist her with warm water to encourage bathing and to promote healthy plumage. Rearrange her cage and rotate out toys to freshen up her environment. Survey the area around the cage and eliminate or decrease any negative stimuli.

Feather picking can be due to infection (bacterial, fungal, viral or parasites), stress or boredom. Ideally, Coco should be physically examined by your veterinarian or an experienced avian veterinarian to diagnose any medical causes. In the meantime, clean and sanitize the cage, bowls, toys and perches. Discard anything that cannot be sanitized. Provide a variety of toys and accessories to keep him distracted. Increase playtime and time outside the cage if possible. A small e-collar (cone) may be necessary to prevent further picking.

Poor guy! If the collar isn't working, making a larger diameter one may help deter him some. If he's bored and trying to overpreen, adding in some toys with feathers or soft fabric materials on them may also encourage him to redirect his attention to them without resorting to getting a mate. Making sure he is on a balanced diet (and gets some fun treats) can also help. In some cases of extreme anxiety or behavior-related feather plucking, temporary medications to calm anxiety may be needed in addition to the behavior modification, cage rearranging and e-collar to stop the plucking habit. Talking with your vet to see if this is a viable option may be best if other efforts haven't helped.

If you mean just preening and grooming, then this is normal behavior. If you mean that your bird is pulling the feathers out, I would try to find the cause. Issues such as molting, where the old feathers are replaced by new, are normal. You will see pin feathers (new feathers poking through the skin that look like pins) if this is the case. If you aren't seeing new feathers, but are instead seeing redness, wounds, irritation, or "stuff" attached to the feather base, then this could indicate an issue such as parasites, infections, etc that should be checked out by a vet. In some cases, behavioral issues such as stress or boredom can lead to over grooming as well. Making sure Rio has an adequate diet, plenty of enrichment such as toys or treats he can play with, time spent with you, etc, and making sure his cage is in a stress-free and quiet area can help with behaviorally related feather plucking.