Overgrooming!

[Die Fledermaus]

Felicity the Lovebird and Candy the Quaker are very bonded. They perch tight together. BUT. . . where each one's beak reaches the other there is a lack of feathers - on the former around the head, and on Candy the neck!

Don't know if there is a solution. I hate separating them. But they have looked prettier.

[pinky]

Not sure what the experts would recommend here. If the problem is merely aesthetic, and they are happy as clams otherwise, perhaps just ignore it?

[Die Fledermaus]

Yea, I have asked around.

Use a swab to put bad tasting stuff on those areas? I was told birds have no taste buds?

A supplement to further feather growth??

If just aesthetic, why make them unhappy?

[Die Fledermaus]

Candy has been kept away from Felicity for almost three weeks. I see no change in Candy's missing neck feathers. Maybe Felicity was not over grooming that area. I will give them another week, and then let them hang out again.

I will let Sweetie out only when Francine the cockatiel is out; the others can get a bit aggressive.

[Die Fledermaus]

>>Candy has been kept away from Felicity for almost three weeks.<<

Tempus fugit! Time flies. Add to that ANOTHER three weeks. . . and no real change noticed as of this morning. Six weeks. So, this morning I let the two friends out. . . together! And they seem happy enough.

Felicity's feathers are perfect now, but I am sure they will go a little white IF overgroomed.

[Die Fledermaus]

I am beginning to think Candy the Quaker is overgrooming himself. He is separate from Felicity and what I see suggests it is not Felicity. At Green-Wood Cemetery yesterday I saw there many Quakers busy looking for food, flying around, grabbing sticks to build nests (they love the Mulberry trees nearby). Maybe Candy needs more attention and things to do. Will look at that option. Seems healthy, though.