Hobbies And Interests
Sickness and Injury
Plucking limited to a particular area could be the result of a prior injury. An improperly healed fracture or break could cause pain which prompts such behavior. Infections -- whether viral, protozoal or fungal -- can cause itchiness on the skin, as can allergic reactions and parasites. Birds tend to pick and pluck at their itching skins, seeking relief, especially if the follicles themselves have become infected. Nutritional imbalances and vitamin deficiencies can cause similar discomfort and can occasionally slow the molting process, causing an uncomfortable bird to remove feathers itself.
Hormonal
Changing levels of hormones may be responsible for extreme amounts of feather plucking. Certain pet birds experience hormonal fluctuations as they reach maturity, much like teenagers do as they experience puberty. It's not uncommon for these birds, not understanding the changes they are enduring, to act out by plucking their own feathers apprehensively. Such behavior is especially common among parrots just prior to sexual maturity which occurs approximately between the ages of 5 and 8.
Mental and Emotional
Birds are rather susceptible to extreme anxiety; stimulated by one of a number of triggers; this can cause obsessive emotional plucking. Keeping your birds on a regular routine may help prevent this; changing a learned routine can trigger upset. Similarly, pet birds may react through self-destructive actions to loss, a significant move or other emotional trauma. A bird that finds itself feeling threatened by another household pet will likely suffer emotional anxiety, and plucking may soon follow. Stress as a result of neglect or abuse may be a cause for anxious plucking as well.
Environmental
Just as a human might resort to tedious habits such as nail-biting if confined to an enclosed space, a pet bird can easily be stressed by its cage environment and provoked to pluck feathers as a similar reaction. Boredom can also arise if too few stimuli are provided in the way of toys or interaction, and an intelligent bird will create its own entertainment rather than sit dormant. This frequently occurs in the form of feather plucking. Rapid temperature changes in a bird's living space, improper choice of cage location, dim lighting or an insufficient cage size can all cause environmental stress that may incite self-plucking.