over preening mate

[HawaiianRingneck]

I have a pair of ringnecks alone in a cage. They appear to be bonded so I am hoping they will mate. I have added a nesting box for them and they both spend the nite sitting on the perch inside. During the day, a lot of time is spent with the male preening the female. The problem is, he has developed a habit of plucking out her feathers on her 2 cheeks. She now has bald spots on both sides of her head, exposing her ears. Why is he doing this and why is she letting him do this?

 

[SilverSage]

Hi,
There could be many things causing it, but let me address the scariest and easiest thing to rule out first; PBFD.

Which island are you on? We have MANY confirmed cases of PBFD on Oahu and I personally know of many birds leaving this island for other islands even though transporting IRNs between islands is illegal. PBFD is deadly and has no known cure and is extremely contagious. If a bird in your flock has it you need to know right away so you can take action and maybe not lose your entire flock to it, not to mention endangering others.

There are also other concerns to look at obviously but that really should be your immediate concern given your location. The test for it is only $20. If you live on Oahu I am willing to personally come help you test for it, it will only take a few minutes.


In order to rule out other concerns please tell us the following;
How long have they been together?
Is either tame?
Are you 100% sure they are not related?
How old are they?
How long have you had them?
Do they live inside or outside?
How big is the cage?
How much sunlight do they get?
When was the last time they went to the vet?
How long has it been since they were wormed and what did you use?
What is their diet like?
Do you use any supplements?
Does either have a history of feather mutilation?
Have you observed him actually pluck a feather? If so, does he play with it? Eat it? Drop it? Does he seem to do it when angry? When trying to mount her? How does she respond?


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[HawaiianRingneck]

first of all, thank you for replying.
These are wild caught birds. I had a small bunch of them seperated in cages next to each other. These 2 seemed to show interest in each other, so i finally put them together into a larger cage at the same time, and released the rest. Cage is approx 26Lx28Wx20H, with an external box 10x10x20. Like I was saying, the courtship looks absolutely normal with the female looking to be totally receptive. The only problem is the plucking. I sit there and watch him do it. He just preens then pluck those small little feathers, then spits it out. And the surprising part is she lets him do it. Once in a while she will squawk, like telling him to take it easy.
I'm beginning to think that he has a behavior issue. I kinda think that she wants to mate, but he's satisfied with just preening her. Very confusing. EVERYTHING else seems perfectly normal the way the interact. My base for my confusion is the fact that we both know that the female would not put up with him if she didn't want him there.
And no disease suspected cause i see himm doing the damage.
Hmmmmmm

 

[SilverSage]

Ok if you personally see the damage being done that rules out the PBFD as a possible cause.

It could be several things.

-dietary. If he is missing certain micronutrients in his diet that could cause him to do this, as well as decreasing his libido. Seems like hers is fine if she is tolerating him in such a small cage with her.

-stress. This could be caused by the cage size, the proximity of the other birds (may feel lack of sufficient privacy for breeding; do you have other pairs breeding nearby? How close are the other birds?), the fact that they are in a cage at all since they are wild caught, or some random thing in your yard that none of the other birds are about but it stresses him out specifically.

-preening overdrive. Have you considered adding "preening toys"? I have a male who feather barbers (himself not his mate) and preening toys have helped a lot to distract him. It could also be boredom again since he is wild caught and now confined. In that case as well I would suggest toys and (if at all possible) a larger cage.

If he were plucking HIMSELF there are more things I would suggest like dry skin or parasites, but my guess is it is likely related to one of these things.

On another note, some friends and I have been discussing the problem
Of wild Ringnecks and their impact on the environment here in Hawaii, and what might be safe and humane ways of dealing with them. Do you mind if I ask how you caught them, and what your success rate is?


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[HawaiianRingneck]

I released all the other birds after these 2 paired off. i have been feeding them a mix of mostly black sunflowers and a variety mix, lightly dusted with calcium powder. also have fresh foods available on the side. Chopped carrots, broccoli, apples, lilikoi. I also have a couple of toys hanging which they seem to enjoy, especially the stringy part. I agree cage size might need enlarging.
As for catching them, it's quite easy because they are attracted to a bird feeder I originally set out for the Cardinals. a simple trap is easy enough. It's just a matter if I can be around when they tend to frequent the area. usually mornings and late afternoons. In fact, i am considering letting this male go and catch a different one who might not have this odd obsession, and might be more interested in mating. But that would have to include going thru the introductory phase all over again. I took down the bird feeder recently to discourage the flock from coming around, their noisy squawks seem to agitate the caged pair even though they are on the opposite side of the house.
Such interesting birds to watch. My first pair escaped thru the feeder doors. Now everything is locked with spring hooks.

 

[HawaiianRingneck]

It's so strange. Naturally stress would be a prime suspect for his behavior, yet the preening seems to be one of the most peaceful times for these active birds. Unlike when they play with their toys, when it looks like they are taking out aggression on that stringy thing!