Animal psychopathology is the study of mental or behavioral disorders in non-human animals.
Lick granuloma from excessive licking
Feather-plucking, sometimes termed feather-picking, feather damaging behaviour or pterotillomania, is a maladaptive, behavioural disorder commonly seen in captive birds that chew, bite or pluck their own feathers with their beak, resulting in damage to the feathers and occasionally the skin. It is especially common among parrots, with an estimated 10% of captive parrots exhibiting the disorder. The areas of the body that are mainly pecked or plucked are the more accessible regions such as the neck, chest, flank, inner thigh and ventral wing area. Contour and down feathers are generally identified as the main target, although in some cases, tail and flight feathers are affected. Although feather-plucking shares characteristics with feather pecking commonly seen in commercial poultry, the two behaviours are currently considered to be distinct as in the latter, the birds peck at and pull out the feathers of other individuals.
A salmon-crested cockatoo, showing signs of feather-plucking on its chest
Captive parrots, such as the golden parakeet, are particularly prone to the problem.
More accessible regions of the body, including the breast, flanks, wings, thighs and neck, are generally most often attacked.
