My timneh African grey (9 yrs old) plucked some chest feathers and now they are growing in red! I’m really worried although he eats and plays a lot and seems normal. Should I do anything for him? Please advise and thank you!
Hi Gael,
This is fairly common with Timneh and Congo Greys. Sometimes a captive raised chick will have red feathers on parts of the body when they get their first feathers, although they generally grow back in grey when the chick molts. Breeders have tried to breed for this trait but it is more likely diet related or in your bird’s case, the body reacting to the feather plucking. It is important for your bird to be on a nutritionally balanced diet. And if the plucking continues, you should take him to your Avian Vet to be checked out.
We are hosting a Free Friday Webinar later today. I’ll provide the link. This would be a great question for you to ask our African Grey expert during the webinar today. If you cannot attend live, the video will be available at the same link later this evening. But I hope you can join us!
Webinar: “The Grey Way: Understanding the African Grey Parrot”
Thank you for asking Lafeber,
Brenda
