molting or plucking?

[MeganMango]

I think my little 7 month old red belly might be starting his first molt but I dont know how to make sure he isnt actually plucking. His feathers look good, but little fluffy white ones are constantly flying everywhere all of a sudden. Today I found one of his clipped wing feathers on the floor, and one of his tail feathers is askew (not a blood feather thank goodness!). He is also constantly wet from sitting in his water dish, which is a new and odd behavior for him. He never used to like bathing at all, and dry skin was an issue we had at the vets. He would scream if we tried to use a spray bottle and seemed scared of water. He likes to shower with us, but usually doesnt go right into the water stream, but sits on the edge where he gets a light misting. The last two days he has been completely soaking himself by stepping right into the spray and then fanning out his wings and putting on a big show. He is also incredibly itchy, rubbing his head all over us and letting me scratch his head and neck with my hands despite being very nervous of our hands before now. The internet makes me think this is molting behavior as there are no bald patches and despite excessive grooming I havent seen him pulling feathers out. I just want to make sure this is appropriate for his age, and I want to know if this could be a result of stress from moving in with us? Is there anything I should watch for? Will he lose all his feathers? Also, how can I help him through this? Thank you!!!

Megan, Dave and Mango

 

[SandyBee]

Sounds like a Molt, Bosley just finished one and you describe it perfectly.
lasted about 2 weeks.
I don't know about the age, but when I was looking it seems our feathered friends can and do go into molts before a year old.

 

[MeganMango]

I found the following website pretty helpful. Others might find it interesting, although I imagine more experienced owners are familiar with molting and how to deal with it. Luckily he is a good eater, and he doesnt seem depressed or grouchy, just itchy. Poor guy, I wish I could explain to him whats going on.

All About Your Parrot's Feathers - The Causes Of Molt, Feather Problems And What You Can Do About Them