pulling feathers

Question
I have an African grey parrot name Charlie, She has all of a sudden become clumsy, after checking her over it seems she has pulled out some tail feathers and all of her flight feathers on one side. She isn't fretting. Could there be another cause to the problem. Her flight is terrible at the moment and she can only fly a few feet,

Answer
Hi, Rachel,

I'm not convinced that her clumsiness is from lack of some tail feathers and flight feathers on one side.  The most this might cause is her inability to fly straight and maneuver while in flight.  It may make her a little unstable to not have the flight feathers, but she should get used to this fairly quickly, just the same as if she had her flight feathers trimmed.  As long as she has some tail feathers, she should be OK.  I've sent homing pigeons on 200 mile races with less than the full compliment of tail feathers.  Clumsiness can be caused by neurological problems, an imbalance in her nasal passes, stroke, unstable perches, etc.  Check the stability of things the bird stands/perches on and if all are OK, you might consider seeking certified avian veterinary advice.

Are her toenails too long?  This often hampers a bird's ability to walk properly.

Chrys