Plucking Eclectus

Our 18 month old Solomon Island Eclectus female is plucking small feathers at what seems to us an alarming rate. She has a large toy in her cage that she likes to “hide” behind. Could this plucking be a nesting behavior, and should we remove the toy? Her diet is good and there have been no changes environmentally. All advise is greatly appreciated, we’re worried about our little girl.

Dear Grant, I have asked Pamela Clark to respond to your question. I know you will find her information very helpful and thought provoking.
All best,
Susan G. Friedman, Ph.D.
Utah State University
Dept of Psychology
Dept of Special Education
Don't try to be the best in the world; try to be the best for the world.

Pamela wrote:

Dear Grant,
    Thanks so much for your question.  Your Eclectus is a lucky parrot to be in your hands.  Feather destructive behavior (FDB) is a complex problem that can be very difficult to resolve.  The best chance for resolution occurs when help is sought very early on after the behavior starts, just as you have done.
 
Rarely is there just one cause for this problem.  In the vast majority of cases, several factors combine together to push the bird over the edge into this extreme behavior.  These can include (1) incorrect nutrition, (2) increased hormone production, (3) chronic stress or anxiety, (4) boredom and/or lack of independent play behavior , (5) an inappropriately close bond with the owner, (6) lack of exercise, (7) lack of mental stimulation and/or learning opportunities, (8) social isolation of some sort (too much time in the cage), (9) lack of bathing opportunities, (10) increasing or decreasing day length, (11) the fact that the behavior has been reinforced (rewarded) in some way, and (12) medical problems such as chronic bacterial or parasitical infections.
   
While I have listed medical conditions last, this is the very first possible cause to rule out.  If you do not currently have an experienced avian veterinarian, try if at all possible to identify a vet whom you trust and have a thorough exam done, including lab tests that will identify hidden physical causes.  It is possible for a parrot to have a chronic disease process present, while still appearing quite healthy.
   
In the meantime, you can begin to assess each of the other areas.  With regard to your specific voiced concern, at the age of 18 months it is possible that the FDB is occurring as a result of increased production of reproductive hormones.  However, I think it unlikely that this is the sole cause. 
   
It is possible that there are other factors present in your bird's environment which are also contributing to the problem.  However, without further information about diet and environment it isn't possible for me to offer much further guidance.  That said, however, I'll attempt to give you some general guidelines to help you assess these areas yourself.
   
First, though, increased production of reproductive hormones usually occurs as a result of certain environmental stimuli.  Those most commonly implicated include (1) a diet that contains excess levels of carbohydrates and/or fats, (2) the presence of a perceived mate and the ability to spend time physically close to that person or bird, (3) access to small, dark places, and (4) a degree of sameness to the environment.  If your bird spends long periods on your shoulder or lap (more than 5 to 10 minutes once or twice a day), and also likes to hang out in kitchen drawers, the bathroom, cardboard boxes, sleeping tents, etc, there is more of a chance that production of these hormones is playing a role.  Diet I will address below.  One simple way to help decrease reproductive hormone production is to vary the bird's existence, introducing new perches and toys, taking him for trips out of the house, or perhaps spending time an outdoor aviary.
   
You've indicated that your parrot is on a good diet, but without knowing what that is, it is difficult to assess.  A good diet for one parrot might not be a good diet for another parrot.  The single best guideline I know of for assessing diet is this:  Any staple in the diet should be a whole food.  A staple can be defined as a food that constitutes more than 10 percent of what the parrot consumes.  A whole food can be defined as a source for complete protein, essential fatty acids, complex carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals.  Thus, formulated diets would be good staples, while a seed mix would not.  Table food can be a valuable part of a good diet, if it contains adequate amounts of protein and relatively low amounts of fats and simple carbohydrates. 
   
Fats and carbohydrates are categories of nutrients used for energy.  Unfortunately, our captive parrots have relatively low energy requirements, and a diet containing excess amounts of these foods will contribute to an increase in reproductive hormone production in some individuals.  Thus, feeding more than 5 % of the diet in seed mix, a large percentage of the diet in fruit, human snack foods, or lots of starchy foods like white rice and potatoes can cause problems.
   
There has been much written about Eclectus species being sensitive to components of formulated diets.  This sensitivity reportedly manifests itself as FDB, toe tapping or wing flipping.  I know a great many Eclectus parrots who eat a pelleted diet with no signs of such symptoms.  However, I hear enough anecdotal reports about this topic that it might make sense for you to explore this area further if your bird is eating a formulated diet.  Again, I would seek the advice of an experienced avian veterinarian or a consultant who is knowledgeable about parrot nutrition.  It can be challenging to create a balanced diet for a parrot if formulated foods are not included.
   
Stress and anxiety can be assessed by observing body language and behavior is a variety of contexts.  If you think this might be a part of the problem, you can easily implement stress reduction measures.  For more information about this area, you can read an article I wrote some time ago titled, "Stress Reduction for Companion Parrots."  You may find this at http://www.parrothouse.com/pamelaclark.
   
In regards to the other possible factors listed above, I'd suggest that you assess the environment and his response to it with a critical, unbiased eye.  Does he keep himself busy? If not, identifying appropriate foraging opportunities and destroyable toys, and then providing positive reinforcement for interacting with them, will help immensely.  A wonderful resource for ideas for keeping parrots busy is http://www.parrotenrichment.com. ;   Make sure that he has plenty of "chewables" that will distract him from his feathers.  A whole roll of white, unscented toilet paper, for instance, is often a great help with parrots who barber their feathers.
   
Does he get a good drenching bath at least once a week?  Many cases of FDB are improved simply by increasing bathing opportunities.  Does he get out of the cage for at least 3 to 4 hours each day?  In my experience, this is about the minimum for maintaining a contented parrot.  Does he fly or flap his wings or get other forms of aerobic exercise?  If not, teaching him to enjoy flapping will be helpful.  Does he have regular learning opportunities?  A terrific way to decrease unwanted behaviors is to teach new ones.  A wonderful resource for this is Good Bird Magazine, published by Barbara Heidenreich.  You can subscribe to this by going to http://www.goodbirdinc.com. ; She also has very valuable DVDs available at that site which can help you to get started with training. 
   
Lastly, it is important that you do not reinforce (reward) this behavior with your attention.  If you do, it will likely increase in frequency rather than decrease.  Social attention is a strong reinforcer for many parrots.  If a given behavior earns them that attention, they will learn to offer that behavior more often.  Instead, when you are sure that he is destroying his feathers (rather than preening normally) you can distract him as follows:
   
When you notice that he is engaged in pulling or chewing feathers, ostensibly ignore him, but create some sort of auditory or visual distraction, such as tapping a spoon against a pan.  This should not frighten him, but merely distract him.  He should have no idea that this distraction is in any way related to his activities.  As soon as he looks up, reinforce him with some sort of verbal recognition, such as "Good Boy!"  Immediately approach him and offer him a small foot toy or food treat.  If he takes it and begins to play with it or eat it, praise him and walk away.  If he takes it and drops it immediately, or will not take it at all, step him up and transfer him to another perch.
   
If you take the steps outlined above and find that the problem persists, I'd encourage you to get the assistance of a consultant who can help guide you through this process.  This is a most discouraging problem with which to deal and it can be very difficult for an owner to do so alone.  Please do not take your bird's feather destruction as any "report card" of your care-giving efforts.  There are a great many happy parrots who do engage in some form of this behavior at times.  However, the fact that you've sought help so quickly is wonderful.  I have no doubt that you will find the solutions you seek.

Pamela Clark, CVT, CPBC