Ummmm.. I have a question..

[Greycloud]

This morning before uncovering the birds I heard Sammy frantically screaming. I immediately ran into the bird room and he was on the side of his cage with one of his wings flight slightly protruding through the cage bars. I open his cage and he stepped up on my hand with one foot but I noticed his other foot was wrapped up in the chain of his favorite toy. He was very patient and allowed me to release his foot. He then stood on my hand and I cuddled him very close while he shivered. Poor little man, he was so frightened. Then I noticed he started to drop his flight feathers from both wings! I mean they literally rained down my body to the floor. After I checked him all over and comforted him he asked to go back to his cage. He then licked his foot several times. I checked it and there are no cuts or marks but I will definitely keep an eye on it. I then picked up his flights and I gathered 10 flight feathers!!!! He dropped them from both wins. So after owning parrots for many years this has never happened to me before. Can parrots voluntarily drop their flight feathers? Poor Sammy.
***Oh and I did remove the toy.

 

[Thugluvgrl187]

Was Sammy Flapping at all? Squeeky has had frights where he flapped so much he lost almost all his flight feathers.

 

[DQTimnehs]

Wow, that is very scary! I have never heard of them losing feathers like that. I am guessing that it was either from the frantic flapping (& maybe banging against the cage) trying to get free, or just the fear of being trapped and tensing of the body, but it does sound extreme even so.
Glad he seems ok otherwise!

 

[Wasabisaurus]

To Sammy and Judy. How scary!

 

[Greycloud]

I am sure he did flap. Maybe they loosened and when he relaxed against me they released and fell out. He is doing better. Poor guy, now he can't fly. Thank you for you well wishes.

 

[merlinsmom13]

Poor little guy. I've never heard of that before, could it be stress related? I've always thought chains were scary, but I always thought of toenails getting caught.

 

[jmfleish]

Judy, I don't know if you remember Kishie dropping all the flights on his left wing and half his tail around a year ago...I thought I had someone coming into my apartment at the time but never did figure it out. I didn't see Kish actually release the feathers, but he lost a good 10 to 15 feathers that were definitely not ready to molt and it had to have happened all in the same time frame. From what I understand, parrots can literally let go of their feathers when they are trying to get away from something or something spooks them. I've had it happen to Tuchis TAG during a night fright once when he shed his whole tail and Reggie Lou D2 dumped a bunch of his feathers one day several years ago when he came after my face with his can opener of a beak and I grabbed the side of him, accidentally grabbing his wing and tail...before I knew it, I had at least 10 feathes in my hand!

 

[Lil Birds R Cool]

It would make sense that they might "release" feathers as an almost safety feature when stressed or trapped. I have had a night fright and flapping and come down to many feathers in the tiel flight- I figured some may have been from contact to the sides of the cage but some could've been "dropped" especially since there isn't any blood and the birds' wings don't seem bruised or sore.

I'll be interested to see other comments.

 

[copswife30]

Glad Sammy is ok I am sure the flapping caused the feathers to fall out

 

[Greycloud]

Thank you ladies! Jen, I do remember that story. I guess he did release them out of fear, pain and maybe a rush of adrenaline.
Becky, with most cockatoos toys need to be held together with SS chain. Otherwise they just chew right through ropes of any kind.
I guess I was questioning the drop of feathers because when he was stuck there were no feathers. They didn't drop till he was snuggled against me.

 

[jmfleish]

Thank you ladies! Jen, I do remember that story. I guess he did release them out of fear, pain and maybe a rush of adrenaline.
Becky, with most cockatoos toys need to be held together with SS chain. Otherwise they just chew right through ropes of any kind.
I guess I was questioning the drop of feathers because when he was stuck there were no feathers. They didn't drop till he was snuggled against me.

Yeah, I would guess that he was just frightened and that's what happened. He sounds like he's going to be ok. I've never had a problem with chains but I try to keep the chain on the shorter end of things. I also use the corkscrew refillables from Michelle at MP, especially for the crazy 'toos!

 

[Macawnutz]

I also have had a handful of tail feathers during a scare. Must not happen often but when it does it is scary.

 

[Bokkapooh]

I personally don't believe feathers just drop because they want/make them drop. I do believe that he may have been flap his wings or beating himself up over the chain around his foot. Stress to the feathers can cause the feathers to drop. But if birds just dropped feathers I do wonder how cats capture so many, or how wiring wrapped around flight feathers stays there, wouldnt the bird just drop them?

 

[Bokkapooh]

I hope he is ok! That would he so scarey for him and Im sure he was fighting the chain for a bit before screaming out. Poor guy.

 

[jmfleish]

Fright Molt: (Hear The Answer)
This northern cardinal is one of many birds that has been observed losing some of their feathers over a good scare. The phenomenon is called "fright molt," and it happens when a bird is startled. Tail feathers are shed most commonly. But birds can also drop feathers from their breast and back.

[h=2]Escaping from predators (23 Functions of Feathers | ASU - Ask A Biologist)[/h]When birds are attacked or frightened they can drop some of their tail feathers. This is called fright molt. This sometimes help the bird get away from the attacking bird leaving the attacker with only a mouth or feet full of feathers.

 

[FreeByrd]

Oh poor Sammy!!!! He must have been so very frightened.... Glad you were there to save him.

 

[cassiesdad]

I'm glad Sammy is OK! Last night, Milton broke a feather in the middle of his wing. No damage to any other feathers, but I had to snip it. It was just hanging there,and he was starting to fuss on it. It was about half way up the feather,and his wing looks a little funky. I don't like to cut feathers, and Milty and I are a little stressed about it...

 

[jmfleish]

There is also this:

http://beheco.oxfordjournals.org/content/17/6/1046.full

And this:
(Outside My Window » Feather Facts to Impress Your Friends)
Feathers are held in place on birds’ bodies by follicle muscles. Some birds, such as nightjars, experience “fright molt” when something scary causes those muscles to relax and the bird loses some feathers.

 

[Birdiemarie]

Here's some info on 'fright molt':
(scroll down to the bottom ~ Escaping from predators).

23 Functions of Feathers | ASU - Ask A Biologist

 

[falsk]

Yeah, I've heard of this. I forget on what forum I heard it but it was something along the lines of a conure spooked and was flying around the room and its owner tried to catch it and accidentally reached for its tail and it released all its tail feathers. Apparently they do have a reflex (I guess like certain reptiles with their tails?) and can release feathers to escape danger. Poor Sammy. At least he's okay.