Why is my cockatiel pulling feathers with black roots and no regrowth?

I'm sorry to hear Coko isn't feeling well. If he's acting ill and isn't wanting to eat or drink in addition to losing feathers, it is best to seek veterinary care ASAP. There are many possible causes for his symptoms including illness, infections, parasites, malnutrition, etc, and a complete exam in person is needed to help determine the cause. In the meantime, keeping him warm in a hospital cage separated from other birds, and continuing to give him food and water may help, but a vet visit is best.

Thanks for your question about Coco, and thanks for the photos - they are very helpful. You are correct that it could be taking him a long time to molt, however he may also be preening excessively and removing his feathers. In one of the photos he looks to have acreddebed area of skin - this is not typical of regular molting. If you are seeing feathers continuously at the bottom of the cage, this would also be suggestive of overpreening. I would recommend ensuring that his cage is very clean, that he is provided with multiple toys (which you will have to introduce slowly as budgies are often very nervous about new items), a mirror if he doesn’t have any company, and proper nutrition. These would all help with a molting issue, and may also help a bit if he is overpreening himself. If you are able to take him to a veterinarian, they would also be able to assist with this problem. They could look at the skin and feathers to ensure that there isn’t a medical reason for his condition. I hope that helps, and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

The grey covering is a sheath that is on new or developing feathers. His skin looks irritated which may be due to parasites or infection. Ideally, he should be examined by your veterinarian or an experienced avian veterinarian. Clean and sanitize the cage, bowls, perches and toys. Discard anything that cannot be sanitized. Transition him to s commercial pelleted diet such as Harrison's, Lafeber, Exxact or Pretty Bird. You can supplement with a small amount of a fortified seed mix as well as with fresh vegetables and fruits.

Thanks for reaching out about Cookie and Coco. With both being infected, external parasites such as mites or lice should be considered, but also viral and bacterial problems. Contact problems such as dust, smoke and other items that can settle on the feathers need to be ruled out. A veterinary visit is recommended to assess and provide a diagnostic/treatment plan. Good luck.

Turmeric and coconut oil may help a little with dry skin, but they won't treat any underlying conditions. If you notice something such as flecks of "stuff" on the feather base, that can indicate parasites such as mites which need to be treated with a mite spray. Visible wounds, redness, sores, etc, can indicate other problems such as fungal or bacterial infections that should be treated by a vet (and you should keep your bird from scratching at it with the use of an Elizabethan/cone e-collar). Making sure your bird is on a balanced diet for cockatiels can also help keep the skin and feathers healthy. You can add in some treats such as fresh fruits and veggies as well.

Thanks for reaching out about your cockatiel. Fragile feathers could be an indication of a poor diet but also some other more serious diseases. If he is that weak, a veterinarian should be visited. Providing heat support in the 85-90 degrees could help stimulate the immune system but does not replace a veterinary visit. Good luck.

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.