Instructions
Take your bird to an avian veterinarian to diagnose or rule out any medical conditions. Several health issues can cause your cockatiel to pluck its feathers, including itchy skin, allergies, hypothyroidism, skin infections and vitamin deficiencies. Your vet will also test for giardia, a skin parasite, and Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease, which is more serious. PBFD is an infectious disease that causes feathers to grow in abnormally, and it is not curable.
Monitor your bird carefully and document when it picks its feathers out. If your vet determined that your cockatiel has no infection, disease or other medical issue, then the problem can be psychological. Your bird could be stressed, or perhaps something in its environment is making it upset. Note if the bird starts feather-picking when certain people, pets, or smells are around it. Eliminate that stress for the cockatiel or move the bird to another room to avoid stress.
Remove other birds from its environment. Cockatiels need space -- keeping two or more birds together could mean that there's not enough room for the cockatiel to feel secure. Try using a larger cage and see if that helps eliminate your bird's feather-picking.
Notice the time of year when your cockatiel plucks its feathers. If the bird does it only during a certain season, the cockatiel could be sexually frustrated. If it begins plucking in spring and fall, you may need to start hormone treatments. Discuss this option with your veterinarian.
Interact with your bird more. Take it out of its cage and pet it, talk to it and hand-feed it treats. Cockatiels are social birds and need to feel loved, just like any other pet. When you walk into the room, say hello to your cockatiel. It may seem silly, but the bird can understand you, and eventually may say hello back.
How to Stop Your Cockatiel From Plucking Its Feathers
Feather-plucking can cause your cockatiel to mutilate itself. A complex syndrome in birds, feather-plucking could mean that your cockatiel has a disease, is encountering psychological problems, or feels overcrowded in its cage. No cockatiel owner wants to face feather-plucking; it can be devasting to see your bird hurting itself. You can alleviate the problem or even stop your bird from plucking its feathers if you take proper action. Provide medical care, monitor your bird and get creative to find a solution.