Abstract
Question: I have a Moluccan Cockatoo as a pet. I have had him examined by an avian veterinarian because he is a feather picker. The findings were that he is a psychotic feather picker. He is a healthy bird otherwise.He started to pick his feathers after I bought him. I love this bird and want to do all I can for him. What can I do about this feather picking?
Answer I: Feathers are highly specialized structures covering birds. As reptiles evolved and changed from cold-blooded creatures having the same body temperature as their environment to warm-blooded creatures able to produce heat and gain independence from their environmental temperature, there was a need to conserve heat. To do so, the scales of reptiles changed to form the variety of feathers we know today. Feathers have a variety of functions: heat conservation, waterproofing, protection from trauma, display, and flight to name a few. The....