how long before new head feathers will grow in?

[mdmarley]

Hello all,
I just picked up my new Catalina last week. He is two years old and had been housed with another macaw for the past year in the same cage. The other bird had just recently over preened my macaw's head so he has a bald spot about the size of a 50cent piece on the back side of his head. How long will I have to wait before he grows new feathers on top of his head?

thanks

 

[Karigan]

Depends. When my birds have a feather plucked it's usually in within weeks to a month, but multiple feathers could take a few months, provided that there is no follicle damage.

 

[mdmarley]

right...I thought about the follicle damage. I'm just hoping that it was a very short term thing and there wasn't time to cause any real permanent follicle damamge......that's my hope anyway...

 

[MonicaMc]

My RTC is also missing feathers from the back of her head when she was housed with another bird (I think same species?) prior to January of this year... and she still hasn't grown those feathers out. I've only had her for about 2 1/2 months about, and I've only seen one new feather....

That said, within the first 5 months the previous person was fostering her, I don't think she lost any feathers, but she started molting a couple weeks after I took her in in June... and is still molting, so will see how many damaged feathers she molts out (she also came clipped and has lost 6 clipped feathers so far and 1 unclipped).