Ask Lafeber

Bird lost all tail feathers by accident and not eating properly since, sleeping a lot.

My bird (cockatiel) lost all of its tail feathers by accident, one of my family members actually stepped on its tail by mistake. Since then, my bird has been sleeping a lot and not eating properly. I’ve tried handfeeding it, but most of the time it doesn’t want to swallow the food properly. What should I do? How much time will it take him to recover?

Hi,

It sounds like the bird suffered an injury. Losing tail feathers would not cause the symptoms you describe. The best thing to do is take the bird to an Avian Vet as soon as possible. He is not likely going to recover without medical care.

Take care,

Brenda