Conure tail feathers on the cage floor: molt or damage?

Question

Found a long tail feather on the cage floor on Tuesday and another one today. She looks noticeably stubby from behind. She has also been grumpier than usual…

pin_feathers_in · Accepted Answer

Look at the feathers rather than the bird. A moulted feather comes out whole, shaft and all. A damaged one is broken or frayed, with a bent or split tip, and the base is usually still in her.

The grumpiness and extra preening points at a moult, and the thing that would confirm it is pin feathers: new growth coming through in waxy sheaths. Part her feathers gently and look along the back and head. Pins mean she is replacing them.

night_fright_damage · Answer

Deal with the cage anyway, because you have described the exact setup that breaks tail feathers. A tail that touches the bars on every turn frays, and a cage where the tail reaches the floor is worse.

The other common breaker is night frights: thrashing in the dark snaps feathers, and conures do it. A dim night light fixes most of that, and moving her perches so the tail hangs clear fixes the rest.

Conure tail feathers on the cage floor: molt or damage?

3 answers