Answered by Glenn Reynolds:

Hello Stephen,
Birds don't naturally molt of sections of feathers. They molt feathers in a way that they will still be protected and able to fly. For an Eclectus Parrot the grey down feathers are normal and should be there. There could be numerous reasons why this is happening. Some more information would be helpful. How old is your bird? Is he caged with a mate or other bird? Is your bird kept indoors at all times or does he get outside? What sort of diet is he on? Has he been looked at by a avian veterinarian? Is he kept in a very dry area? Does he have a lot of toys to play with and things to keep his mind occupied?

Nutrition is of utmost importance, so a good diet consisting of a mix of a formulated diet with vegetables, fruits, and some nuts is a good place to start. Raw nuts are the best choice. Stay away from nuts with salt on them. There are very few nuts in the shell Eclectus Parrots can get into. I use almonds with mine. I recommend staying away from peanuts. There are a lot of fungal issues with peanuts. I also partially crack other nuts like hazel nuts, and brazil nuts. They can work their way into them if they are pre-cracked. Parrots also need minimal and regualr exposure to direct sunlight (shaded areas are fine). All windows filter out at least part of the sun's rays. You can use full spectrum lights, but there is no replacement for natural sunlight, and full spectrum lights need to be replaced often.

The problem could be caused by feather mites. An avian veterinarian should be able to resolve that easily after examination.

Since most parrots come from tropical to sub tropical climates proper humidity is important. Dry skin can cause them to pluck. This seems to occur more in dry winter months than in the warmer more humid months.

If your bird is caged with another bird the other bird could be over preening the male Eclectus. This is not at all uncommon with captive birds caged together. This is easily resolved by caging the birds separately.

Heavy metal toxicity such as lead or zinc can cause feather picking. You will normally see nuerological symptoms and/or blood in the stool with heavy metal toxicity. If you are observing either your bird needs to be seen by a qualified avian veterinarian.

Unfortunately feather plucking is rather common with Eclectus Parrots. In my experience males seem to pluck more than females. The chest area and on their back between the shoulders seem to be their favorite places as well as the legs. I have seen self-mutilation of the legs in Solomon's Island Eclectus to the point that they pull the tissue off of their legs. In most cases there is no apparent reason, but any of the above can cause it. I can say that in my experiences I have seen healthy Eclectus Parrots with proper husbandry grow out of their feather picking behavior with age, but some of them don't.

If your bird is caged alone (ruling out over preening from another bird) regardless of the origin you need to start eliminating causes. The best place to start is an examination by a qualified avian veterinarian. They will be able to physically examine your bird and make recommendations on where start.

This can be very frustrating, and sometimes there is no reason (other than behavioral/psychological/hormonal problems) or cure. It's probably one of the most difficult challenges of owning a captive bird.

I wish you the best of luck,
Glenn

Answered by Glenn Reynolds:

Hello Elizabeth,
120 grams is heavy for the average cockatiel, but there are some that are larger. A lot of it has to do with blood lines, ethical breeding standards in your bird's background, etc. It would be helpful to know what your bird's average weight has been over a long period of time. Furthermore it would be helpful to know if a qualified veterinarian has determined him to be obese.

If he truly is over weight your only choice is to get him off of the high fat diet and increase his level of activity. There are a lot of reasons beyond obesity to do so. Fatty liver disease comes to mind, as well as diabetes, and simply a lack of proper nutrition.

I don't know that anyone fully knows the correct diet for a parrot of any given species. You will find there are as many diets as there bird owners. This is not to say that people aren't feeding their birds properly. What I am saying is that on the research end; although, we are learning a lot more about feeding parrots, there is still a lot to learn. The magnitude of the number of different species in captive circumstances makes this even harder. Wild parrots are geographically located all over the world and in many cases have diets dictated by food availability in that given region. That said you can't necessarily try to feed a captive parrot the same diet it's wild relative would eat in it's natural environment. Foraging birds burn a lot of fat in their daily quest for food. Captive birds don't. Many wild birds eat food items that aren't fully ripe. Un-ripe foods will have a different nutritional make up than the same food once it has fully ripened. Generally we can't purchase those food items in the same stage of development as it is in when wild parrots are eating them.

A broad range of food items in your bird's diet is the best way to go. I use a mix of pellets (about 50% of the daily intake), mixed fresh vegetables and greens (about 30% of the daily intake) and make up the other 20% with fruits, nuts (for larger birds) and a small amount of high quality seed mix. Many people add sprouts, bird breads, bird muffins, etc. I do too now and then. Parrots' nutritional needs do vary by species, and you should spend some time researching what other people are using successfully with cockatiels.

I have found that in most cases the statement that, "My bird won't eat pellets", or "My bird won't eat vegetables" has more to do with the owner than the bird. I don't mean to insult anyone. I am being truthful. You have to find the motivation to be persistent, and you have to be creative. Your bird's long-term health should be the primary motivation.

In my opinion the first step is for you to make a financial investment large enough to motivate you to follow through. Take your bird for a complete work up at a qualified avian veterinarian to see if he has any obvious nutritional deficiencies. Some deficiencies can be found on physical exam, such as a vitamin A deficiency. Others will require a complete work up including blood tests. Your veterinarian will take a look at the results and make suggestions. If one of those suggestions is to add a formulated diet don't go out and purchase a couple of pounds of pellets or ask a manufacturer for a free sample to see if your bird will eat it. Doing so makes little to no investment on your end and won't result in you being persistent. Purchase enough to last a few months keeping in mind that the pellets should be changed out daily.

Now that you have a substantial financial investment to keep you motivated you need to get creative. Try soaking the pellets in some sort of sweet fruit juice such as pineapple juice to make the smell and taste of the pellets more attractive to your bird. If this works gradually reduce the amount of juice and soaking time until your bird is eating the pellets without the soaking. Try melting peanut butter in a bowl and stirring pellets in to coat them. Once your bird starts eating them gradually reduce the amount of peanut butter. Try mixing the pellets with canned corn kernels, so that the pellets soak up the juice. Once your bird starts eating the pellets gradually reduce the amount of corn. Please note, I am not saying that pineapple juice, peanut butter, or corn kernels is a healthy diet for your bird. These are simply tricks that I have found to work on my own birds. The purpose at this point is to modify your bird's diet and eating behaviors. Always offer up new foods in a separate bowl, and don't starve your bird while you are making the changes. If you add new foods to the same bowl as the seed he is now eating he will most likely dig through the bowl and throw out the new food items to get to what he is familiar with. If you withhold food he will get frantic and fixate on only what he currently knows to eat.

As far as vegetables and greens go you have to get creative with them too. Try cutting them in different sizes. Try hanging them from the cage with a clothespin to make them more like a toy . Try stuffing them in a hole in a toy. Try using them as treats. If you often handle your bird let him see you eat them and offer some to him at the same time. Make them a play time toy.

Above and beyond all of the suggestions I have made, take your bird off of his feeding schedule. You don't want him to know when his next meal is coming. If he does he will always know when he is going to get the foods he likes and hold out on eating the food you want him to eat. Wild birds may forage on somewhat of a schedule, but they often don't know when they will find their next meal; therefore, they are more likely to eat what is available. Feeding your bird off schedule can result in a "psychological hunger" even though your are not actually withholding food. This can create the same results in him being more willing to eat what is available.

Once you have changed his diet you will need to get just as creative in thinking of ways to make him more active. Parrots are smart, but you can be smarter. Invest in his long-term health both monetarily and in persistence. Make it YOUR goal to get him to eat a better diet. You will find the more variety you can get him to eat the easier it will be to add even more new food items to his daily intake.

I hope this works for you,
Glenn

Answered by Glenn Reynolds:

Hello Cindi,
Parrots may not have the ability to sense the heat of capsaicin in their mouths, but I wouldn't think this would apply to other parts of their bodies. Capsaicin is readily absorbed through the skin particularly in sensitive areas. I have a hedge of wild peppers. They are very small peppers that grow on plants that are about 4 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide. After reaching through the branches picking peppers for a while my arms start to burn up to the elbows. There is actually a term for this. It is called jalapeno hands or if in the eyes jalapeno eyes. There really is no way to wash it off. Extreme cases can last for days.

I would be concerned that wherever you put the capsaicin cream that if your birds can contact it with their feet they are most likely going to absorb it through the skin. I don't know that the capsaicin itself would cause any medical issues; although, in very extreme cases I have experienced a rawness to the skin, which can be very painful. If at all possible I would suggest not allowing the birds on any part of your body that has been treated with the capsaicin cream. Maybe the use of long sleeve shirts would resolve the issue.

Answered by Glenn Reynolds:

Hello Unknown,

You hit on one of my favorite topics, hot peppers or as most chili-heads call them "Chilies". I guess in the vernacular of the chili-head peppers are like bell peppers and anything with heat is considered a chili. I really enjoyed doing the news story. They had been bugging me for weeks, so I finally relented and did the story. It was a blast. The video doesn't even start to illustrate the pain that Roy de Jesus was in after eating one of my Bhut Jolokia peppers. In fact the one he ate was only about 1/3 the size of some of the larger ones on my plants.

Well enough about that. I will try to answer your questions. I have owned parrots for 30 years now, and they have always eaten chilies. Back when I purchased my first parrot formulated/pelleted diets were not yet available; therefore, most everyone fed their parrots the seed diets that were on hand. Most of those diets contained chilies.

I've never been able to find the proof to back it up but have always read that parrots don't have the ability to sense the heat in peppers. Peppers get their heat from a chemical called capsaicin that was most likely an evolutionary defense of the plant to protect its fruit from predators. Parrots have very few taste buds and are considered not to have a very good sense of taste or smell, so with a limited number of taste buds it would make sense that they may not be able to taste the heat in peppers. Furthermore, a minimal sense of smell may further explain their lack of ability to taste the heat. If you have ever eaten a really hot pepper like the ones I prefer you will know that half of the sensation is in the vapors collected in your nostrils and up the sinuses as you take that first bite. Some of the hotter ones can almost take your breath away. Many people will choke on the vapors long before the heat gets to them.

Chilies may exacerbate indigestion but they will not give you indigestion. They are actually alkaline not acidic. Currently the National Institute of Health is studying using capsaicin to cure bleeding ulcers. I have seen a lot of various bugs and worms get into my chilies and eat away, so I don't think they will keep your bird parasite free.

I wouldn't think many wild parrots live in geographical regions where chilies grow. It is thought that chilies originated in the Americas and were then cultivated all over the world as far back as 6000 years ago. There are very few overlaps of wild growing chilies and wild parrots in nature.

I think red peppers whether hot or not should be included in your parrot's diet. Red peppers are full of beta carotene (a precursor to vitamin A), and vitamin C. A maintenance diet for an adult bird should contain between 2500 IU/kg to 5000 IU/kg vitamin A daily and only reaches a toxic level somewhere between 20 and 100 times that amount. It is well known that vitamin A is very important for vision, but it is also important for proper growth and disease resistance. A healthy bird doesn't need an external source of vitamin C since they synthesizes it in the gut, but an external source is considered necessary for juvenile growing parrots and any parrot that is compromised from disease.

In humans there is a great deal of research going on with capsaicin and most of those studies are being done by reputable institutions. As stated above NIH is looking at capsaicin as a treatment for bleeding ulcers. They are also researching its natural anti-inflammatory activities for pain relief and for the treatment of arthritis. Other studies indicate it can help in weight loss, control blood pressure, reduce cholesterol, and control glucose levels in diabetics. There are also indications that it can prevent colon cancer. In India they eat chilies before they go outside and work. They claim it reduces the effects of the hot sun. Sure, if your mouth is burning up who is going to notice that it's 100 degrees outside?

That said I should be a pretty healthy person and my birds should be pretty healthy too. I eat something hot every day of my life and so do my birds. I carry a small vile of ground pure red habanero in my pocket most everywhere I go. My birds don't have pockets, so they rely on me to give them their daily dose. I have some minor arthritis in my hands, but when I am picking chilies the pain goes away for days. I can't figure out how to get my birds to go out and help me pick peppers. Maybe I need to consult with Steve Martin on that one.

BTW since that news story aired I have sold a ton of hot sauce and my orders for pepper plants will keep me busy for months.

I hope this helps you out,

Glenn

Answered by Glenn Reynolds:

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Hello Cindi,
Great question. This one took some research. Please keep in mind that various plants may or may not be toxic to different animal species; therefore, I don't know that there is any definitive answer to this.

The Princess Flower or Glory Bush is in the Family: Melastomataceae, Genus: Tibouchina, Species: urvilleana. I cannot find anything that suggests this family of plants is toxic. Unfortunately I can't find anything that states it's not toxic either. Everything I can find states "unknown", so I would be cautious. My feeling is if uncertain don't take the chance.

The Mandevilla is in the Family: Apocynaceae, Genus Mandevella, with many different species. Notice "cynaceae" in the family name suggesting cyanide. This entire family is listed as toxic to humans. Oleander is included in this family. Depending on species the toxins are found in anything from the root and milky sap to all parts of the plant. The milky sap is listed as a skin irritant. Toxins and reactions from some species and various parts of the plant are: Cathartic; causing vomiting, self limiting; Glycosides causing increased pulse and temperature, dilated pupils, sweating, cold extremities, mild diarrhea, and death; Cardiac Glycosides causing burning of the mouth, drowsiness, diarrhea, vomiting, heart failure, and death.

Obviously you want to remove the Mandevilla from your aviary area and as stated above I would be cautious of the Princess Flower unless you can find something stating that it is not toxic.

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Glossary

Cathartic: Medicine or substance causing emptying of the bowels

Glycosides:
Anthraquinone glycosides - Hydrolysis yields aglycones (A nonsugar compound that is produced from the reaction of a glycoside with water. Alcohols and phenols are aglycones.) which are purgatives causing vomiting and diarrhea

Cardiac glycosides - Steriods affectiong heart function

Saponin glycosides: Hydrolysis yields a saponin (soap like substance) which has a bitter taste and is irritating to mucous membranes and may destroy red blood cells