Feather Plucking

Feather plucking occurs rarely, if at all, in the wild. The most important cause is associated with husbandry. When lories are rearing their young in the wild there is no constantly full food bowl in the immediate vicinity. In order to be able to collect the necessary pollen, nectar and so on, they must first search and often return considerable distances. This incurs a high time-and-energy cost. Ample food stands day and night only in our protected accommodation. The birds take only a fraction of the time usually required for searching for food and collecting it. As a result the adults have more time to spend with their young. When they get their first down or at a later stage the feathers, the adults can begin plucking. Many blame this bad habit on excessive attention or boredom of the parents.