I have a question about my 4 month old cockatiel Charlie (I am unsure if it's a boy or girl). I have read that during the summer months, molting occurs and Charlie seems to be "shedding" a lot of down feathers (which I read would happen). I would just like some information on molting to be sure that this is what my bird is doing (as not to confuse it with feather plucking). Thank you.
Jen
Jen,
Molting is simply nature's way for the bird to shed worn out feathers and grow new ones in their place. Molting can be very demanding of a birds' reserves and you need to be sure to provide a well balanced diet with additional protein.