My cockatiel tucks its head back and has a bald spot. Is it sick?

Thanks for reaching out about Angel and including photos. Birds with their heads tucked are often weak and sick. Providing supplemental heat in the 80-85 F range can give comfort. Placing a thick towel on bottom of cage and removing perches will conserve energy. She probably needs to see a veterinarian soon, as birds are great at masking illness, and once start showing signs, are fairly sick. Good luck.

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 your question, and thanks for the photos - they are very helpful. From the photos, it looks like the feathers on the back and around the crop/underside of your bird are not present. The black spots you are seeing appear to be areas of blood, and this may be where feathers were removed. Usually the body feathers come in before some of the major wing feathers, so I would be worried that your bird is destroying the feathers itself. This can be due to a number of medical issues, and also behavioral ones. With a bird that is so young, I would be suspicious of a nutritional deficiency leading to feather destruction. From the photos, the feathers that are present look ragged and dull in color. If you are not feeding a pelleted diet, I would recommend switching to one. I would also recommend that your bird be evaluated by a veterinarian. They’ll be able to provide husbandry recommendations, and may be able to find what the underlying issue is through this and a physical exam. They may also recommend some diagnostic testing. I hope that gives you a place to start, and I hope your bird feels better soon!

Hello. You do describe a bird that may be unwell. Infections, parasites, poor nutrition, possibly unsuitable environmental conditions can all cause malaise in a bird. It is very important to have a hands on examination done on your bird so the reasons for his condition can be identified & addressed. I hope Bunty is feeling better soon & thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for reaching out about your birds and including a photo. Birds can be fluffed for basically two reasons: too cold or ill. Providing supplemental heat in the 85-90 F can test for the first one. If no improvement or worsens a veterinary visit is recommended to test for contagious diseases and prescribe a treatment. Good luck.

A more fluffed up appearance is usually symptomatic of high temperature which can cause lethargy as well. High temperature is usually caused by an infection which is very often of respiratory origin. A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Antibiotics may be needed. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Unfortunately, without an in-person exam, it would be impossible to say. Birds are extremely good at hiding illnesses, and by the time they do show symptoms, it's usually pretty serious. I would try to schedule an appointment with a vet that can see birds ASAP. In the meantime, keeping your bird in a separated hospital cage with low perches, plenty of food and water, and kept warm can help make them comfortable and may help.