blue indian ringneck

Question
Hi, Billy our ringneck in 12 months old and at the moment pulling out feathers ..when Billy is pulling feathers he makes alot of noise like it hurts so much ...what i want to ask is this normal ive tried to look up about preening but dont know where to look today billy is quiet ive notice 1 wing is a bit different ...i would like to find  someone that i can talk to all the time about billy there is so much i would like to ask but dont know who to turn to .....But im more worried about the way he pulls out his feathers and screams while doing it ..is this normal...

Answer
This is NOT normal. Plucking is a sign of distress. First you should take him to the vet to make sure he's not ill as this can sometimes start the plucking. I know that it's hard to find good (if any) information on the internet, and then you get conflicting information!
Plucking can also be caused by boredom. Try giving him some new toys (letting him pick out the toy is always fun! I make my own toys, so I just let the birds pick out their favorite pieces and make a toy out of them). Stress is another cause. Did you recently move his cage, remove a favorite toy, switch his food, or add a new family member like a dog? These can all cause stress.
Some birds are just habitual pluckers and will do it forever, so you can buy a sock buddy (www.thesockbuddy.com) which prevents him from plucking his chest and back. If you would like to email me privately about billy any time, please feel free. My email is cockatoorescuetrainer@gmail.com