Is your bird going bald? If so, you are not alone. Feather plucking is one of the most common and frustrating problems that bird owners report. Parrots, parakeets, cockatoos and lovebirds are most likely to pluck their feathers. Nevertheless, any bird may become a feather picker.

There are a myriad of medical as well as behavioral reasons why pet birds pull out their feathers. Determining the cause of the plucking is crucial to devising a treatment plan.

Medical causes of feather picking include hormonal imbalances, skin infections and nutritional deficiencies. Some birds pluck feathers on their chest during the breeding season (spring and summer) to keep incubating eggs warm. After the breeding season, when hormone concentrations change, the feathers grow back. If necessary, medication may be administered by your veterinarian to control hormone production. Birds suffering from bacterial or fungal skin infections may pick their feathers, but generally respond to appropriate antimicrobial medication. Birds with nutritional deficiencies tend to stop plucking their feathers once they are placed on a well-balanced diet.

Behavioral causes of feather picking include boredom, anxiety and attention-seeking. Bored birds may benefit from adding new toys or a new bird to the cage. Additionally, teaching these birds new tricks may help to alleviate boredom. Anxious birds must be removed from the source of their anxiety and occasionally benefit from anti-anxiety medication. Attention-seeking bird should be ignored while picking their feathers, since scolding them while they're in the act of plucking is a form of negative attention.

If your bird is feather-plucking, don't pull you hair out. See your veterinarian. Remember, the bird's plucking is most certainly not your fault. Birds often take a long time to respond to treatment and some birds never respond.

The writers are Dr. Steven B. Holzman, Dr. William R. Haagenson, Dr. Angela N. Martin and Dr. Loretta Dougherty. They are associated with the Nassau-Suffolk Veterinary Hospital of Farmingdale.