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Cockatiel feather picking

My question is; how can I stop my cockatiel from pulling out his feathers? He is 20 years of age and it started a few years ago with him pulling some feathers from his back and eating at the tip of the feather. I`ve taken him to the vet but he could not give any explanation why he is doing this. Is there anything I can do?

Symptomatically, I would be hesitant to make any recommendations for you and your bird here. What your best course of action probably is, would be to ask your veterinarian for an outside consultation or referral to another colleague who may be better able to help you address the concerns at hand. There are many, many reasons why this may be occurring, and by applying a more systematic approach to diagnosis and therapy, you should be more capable of achieving the desired result(s).

About Brian Speer, DVM

Avian veterinarian Dr. Brian Speer was raised in a small town on California’s coast. He received his BS in Biology from California Polytechnic State University in 1978, and his DVM degree from the University of California at Davis in 1983.

An active member of the Association of Avian Veterinarians (AAV), Dr. Speer is a much sought after guest speaker and has presented at numerous conferences in the avicultural and zoological communities both within the United States and abroad. He is well published in the AAV annual proceedings, has served as guest editor for the journal Seminars in Avian and Exotic Pet Medicine, the Veterinary Clinics of North America, and authored chapters in several recent veterinary medical texts on pet bird, avicultural and ratite medical topics. In 1995 he co-authored the extensive avicultural reference, The Large Macaws, and helped to co-author Birds for Dummies in 1999.

Since 1989, Dr, Speer has run a “bird’s only” practice in the San Francisco Bay area and is the President and Director of The Medical Center for Birds. He is a consultant for The Veterinary Information Network (Avian Medical Boards) and the Maui Animal Rescue and Sanctuary. In 2003 he was the recipient of the Lafeber award for excellence in private practice of avian medicine and surgery and in 2006, was named Speaker of the Year for the North American Veterinary Conference.