# Slight wing shiver e & plucking



## Shadh (Dec 8, 2010)

Hello,

I have two potentials issues I am seeking advice and guidance on.
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Issue#1*
My tiel has been plucking his feathers under his wings and small of his back for about 1 year. I have gone to the Avian vet twice and they keep giving me supplemental vitamins that do not seem fix this problem. When he picks it sounds painful as he screams

*
Issue#2*
Recently I have noticed him shiver his wings when sitting. I am not sure if that is normal or if I am just hyper aware due to recent events of losing my budgie. 


Main items in DietHe gets occasional veggies and fruits but is not a huge fan..)
Lafaeber Nutri Berries
Occasional Millet treat

Living Environment:
Large cage with plenty of toys and mirrors
Wings are not clipped and he flies freely in my house for a few hours a day.
We hang out 2-3 hours a day

Thanks in advance,


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## Jaguar (Jul 11, 2014)

It could be neurological wing flipping/toe tapping. My boys will shake and shift their wings every now and then to rearrange the feathers - but constant involuntary twitching of the wings is not normal. It will start to keep them awake at night and they may pick at the feathers or feet in frustration. Toe tapping and wing flipping is often seen in Eclectus parrots who are not getting a proper diet. I don't know how common it is in cockatiels.

Diet is the foundation of health. I would look at that first. Nutriberries and millet are not a sufficient diet. Nutriberries are a good middle ground for birds who refuse pellets, but I don't feel they completely replace pellets - they still encourage selective feeding and I often find most of the vitamin rich coating that holds them together in the bottom of the dish the next day. I would really try to get him on a high quality brand of pellet - Harrisons and Roudybush are premium brands, but some cheaper alternatives are Zupreem Naturals and Tropican pellets. And really try to push the fresh foods, too. Try offering them in new and interesting ways - blended up into chop, hung from a skewer, incorporated into toys, hung from the bars of the cage, etc. you are the flock leader - try to sit and eat with them and show them that new foods are safe 

Other suggestions include making sure he has access to a cuttle bone and/or mineral block, giving him a mist bath every few days to help alleviate sore/itchy new feathers, and giving him plenty of shredable toys to keep him distracted from plucking.


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## hughmerlin (Jan 25, 2015)

My bird had the same problem; read through my thread, I kept track of his progress/what helped him.

Ask your vet to do a gram stain, thats what helped Spock. He was on Marbofloxacin for 30 days.

http://talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=115073


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## Shadh (Dec 8, 2010)

Jaguar,
Thank you very much for the thorough response. You are absolutely right regarding the nutriberries. I am ordering some Harrisons and will work on switching Booboo to them.

Hughmerlin,
Thanks for the link. So sad to see a tiel feeling that way. Booboo isn't that bad but I will follow up with my vet as I definitley do not want it progressing.

Best regards and thank you both!


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## Jaguar (Jul 11, 2014)

For sure, a vet visit to look for any kind of parasitic or bacterial skin/feather infection would be a good idea too. The wing flicking could be just soreness or itchiness from the feather plucking issue.


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