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Why is my lovebird plucking her tail feathers? What's the cause?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Bird | Lovebird | Female | 5 months and 28 days old | 1lb

My love bird pulled out all her tail feathers last night!? Help

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Jessica Desrosiers

Veterinary Technician

Published on January 18th, 2020

I'm sorry to hear that! There are several things that could be causing Indie distress. The first step is to check for any obvious issues such as parasites, skin infections, redness, wounds, etc around the tail or vent that could be causing distress. Digestive issues that are causing loose stools may also cause matting around the vent leading to tail feather pulling. If you suspect a health cause, a trip to your vet is best to address these problems.

If Indie checks out healthy, making sure she has enough enrichment can help. Adding in toys she can preen, puzzles to play with, etc can all help. If she's housed with another bird, making sure the other bird isn't picking on her and that there are enough food, water dishes, etc around can help prevent competition. Spending time together playing or interacting can also help.

In some cases, the feather pulling behavior can become learned. Making a bird-sized Elizabethan (cone) collar (Google tutorials on how to make one) can help stop her from plucking and help break the habit.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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