Ask Lafeber

Amazon tail

i have 33 year old amazon. she has no tail, never has. when feathers start to grow out, she picks them and they bleed till pulled out. years ago had many tests run and never could find anything….thoughts??

Hi Deb,

I have seen birds with this issue. There was a macaw that had a follicle issue with her tail, where several feathers would grow from a single follicle. Think of it like if you had an ingrown hair, or several strands of hair that grow from a single follicle. We had to routinely remove the clumps of feathers, which of course caused temporary bleeding. The Vet suspected a genetic deformity or an injury from when she was a chick. I worked with an Amazon that had a similar issue with the wing. In her case, the Vet ended up amputating the wing tip, which is the same procedure performed on some birds in zoos to permanently prevent flight.

I suspect some sort of follicle issue may be involved here. Because there are always advancements being made in Avian medicine, it wouldn’t hurt to revisit the issue with a Board certified Avian Vet. I will also check with Dr. Tully and some of our other Vets to find out if they know of a possible permanent solution to spare your Amazon from the discomfort as feather regrow.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda