My budgie has no feathers around her vent. Will they grow back?

A picture of your bird’s vent would be helpful so we can try to determine if the featherless skin is normal or not. However, based on what you are describing, I would assume that the feathers have fallen out because of the matting/stickiness from the feces around the vent. If your bird is otherwise eating and drinking normally then I would not be too concerned. Just be on the lookout for any other feather loss and/or any behavior changes. I hope this helps. Please let us know if you have any additional questions.

Feather loss can be from a large number of things. If it is concentrated around Fidu's vent, it is possible she is having some GI upset or diarrhea which is causing her some discomfort. Making sure she is on a balanced diet, removing any extra treats or snacks for a few days, and treating for any parasites may help relieve this and get her to feeling better. Adding in additional toys and spending time together can help with boredom feather plucking as well, however this type of feather plucking is usually all over the body or along the wings and chest, rather than on the bottom/vent area. If treating at home and changing her diet some doesn't help, or you see loose, watery stools, reduction in eating and drinking, etc, then trying to find a vet near you, even if they don't see specifically birds, is best to try and find the underlying cause and get her started on appropriate treatment.

If Zachary will allow, gently clean the feathers around his vent. A bath or misting a couple times a week may help keep him clean and promote healthy plumage. The change in diet may account for the issue. As long as he is behaving normally, monitor him and enjoy your new winged friend! Symptoms that would be of concern are lethargy, perching all fluffed up, decreased appetite, loose droppings or sitting at the bottom of the cage.

If there is a lot of stool stuck on those feathers, I would trim it back just to remove any excess stool and prevent irritation against the skin. While aging can make it harder for birds to preen and need help (such as the baths you are giving) it is also always a good idea to rule out health issues such as parasites, GI upset, illnesses, etc that could be causing the stool to get stuck around the vent with your veterinarian, as this can sometimes be the first sign of something wrong.

Poor Rio! She may be experiencing some sort of irritation such as GI upset/diarrhea, internal parasites, problems passing stool, or even attempting to pass an egg (though most parrotlets are not sexually mature until 10 months of age or older). Making sure she is on a balanced diet, and checking for any signs of parasites on the skin or stool may alert you to a cause that can be treated at home, however if the plucking continues, worsens, or you see other signs of illness, a vet exam is best to rule out any more serious issues.

While this is unusual it does not necessarily mean anything is wrong. I would recommend cleaning off the vent with a warm wet cloth and seeing if it accumulates again. I would also recommend examining the stool/droppings at the bottom of the cage and make sure they look normal. If Millet is otherwise acting normal, eating well, and the stools look normal then I wouldn’t be too concerned. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck!

Thanks for reaching out about Sky. Feather loss can be due to poor diet, stress, over-preening, external parasites, skin infections, metabolic disease, viral disease and more. Research and correct the diet birds do poorly on an all seed diet. A veterinarian is probably needed to exam and recommend diagnostics/ treatments. Good luck.