Birds are known for having beautiful and shiny feathers. Not only do feathers help birds fly, feathers also help keep birds warm, help birds attract mates, help birds protect their chicks, keep birds cool and help to waterproof birds.
If your bird is losing feathers under its wings you’d be right to be concerned, this article looks at why this happens.
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Bird losing feathers under wings:
The feathers under a bird’s wings are usually not as dense as the feathers on other parts of the bird, this is normal.
However, if you notice that your bird is losing feathers under its wing then you should be concerned.
A bird losing feathers anywhere on its body is not normal. Because feathers are crucial for flight, losing them makes the bird vulnerable, if your bird is losing feathers then there is definitely something wrong.
The only instance where birds will lose feathers naturally is when the bird is molting. Molting happens in an orderly fashion symmetrically to minimize the amount of time that the birds are flightless.
This is why your bird may be losing feathers other than molting:
Fear:
Birds experience fear and process fear in very bizarre and destructive ways, fear can cause your bird to start to lose feathers under its wings.
Your bird will lose feathers under its wings but these feathers will not fall out on their own.
If the bird is scared, it will pluck out the feathers that it can reach, the feathers under its wing are accessible to them and yes, the bird does hurt itself in the process.
What to do:
You should try your best to remove or minimize anything that might scare or startle your bird.
Everyday things that can startle your bird include your pets, or you making sudden movements around your bird, especially if it’s not used to you being around.
If you need to approach your bird, approach in a slow and calm manner, make a low and soft sound when you get close to the bird so it doesn’t become frightened and isn’t surprised.
Parasites:
Birds can become infected with a parasite called Giardia. If your bird is infected with this parasite, then the bird will pluck itself because it is irritated, stressed, or feels discomfort.
The more uncomfortable your bird gets the more plucking it will do, the plucking will get more destructive as the parasite keeps living in your bird.
External parasites can also cause birds to pluck at the feathers under their wings and cause feather loss. Mites are common parasites that hide under bird wings between the bird’s feathers.
These parasites will irritate the bird and make it scratch and pluck at the area causing the bird to lose feathers
What to do:
If this is the reason why your bird is losing feathers under its wings then you need to take the bird to a vet.
If the pecked area is slightly red, inflamed, and rash-like then you can soothe the bird’s skin by applying some aloe vera onto the area. Aloe Vera is calming and is a mild disinfectant
Taking the bird to a vet:
If the above scenarios are not the reason behind your bird’s feather loss problem then your bird may have a hormonal imbalance, it may have bald spots under its wing, or the follicles under the bird’s wing may be diseased in some way.
All of this can cause feather loss in birds.
If you think that this is the reason behind the feather loss under your bird’s wings then you’d need to consult a veterinarian, if you can, get your bird to an avian veterinarian, these types of vets are best for birds.
The vet may recommend a change in your bird’s diet, suggest medications that will help your bird, and will be able to spot anything else that may be wrong with your bird
Do birds replace lost feathers?
Birds do replace lost feathers, birds replace feathers that have fallen out due to molting, they replace feathers that they have plucked themselves, have been plucked by other birds, and they replace feathers that have been pulled out by other animals.
That being said, regrowth won’t be so easy if the bird’s feather follicles were damaged or malformed during the feather loss.
In addition, if there is scarring on the skin where the feathers were lost, or if there was an infection that damaged the skin, then the feathers may not grow back.
How long does it take for a bird’s feathers to grow back?
It doesn’t take long for a bird’s feathers to grow back in, this process can take a few weeks at most, however, a lot of nutrients are required to help grow feathers.
The feathers will only grow back quickly and easily if the bird can get the right amount of nutrients in, if these nutrients are not freely available then the feathers will take a while to grow back in
If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other bird related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Why Do Birds Pluck Their Babies’ Feathers?, Bird Plucking Feathers Under Wings, Budgie Plucking Feathers Under Wings, What Happens When A Bird Loses Its Tail Feathers,