Are all feathers replaced in a year?

[Linwood]

I don't know exactly when she was last clipped, but I brought her home from the pet store late June last year.

I didn't realize there were two layers of feathers, but there appear to be. The bottom layer is growing in fairly nicely, but there appears (emphasis on appears, I'm not sure and she doesn't tolerate a lot of examination) to be a whole layer above those.

Is that what these are? Or is it something else?

Not a single one of those have molted.

Linwood

PS. Showed time is when it's easiest to see them.

 

[Mizzely]

It can depend on many factors but usually a bird will replace all feathers within a 12-18 month period.

 

[Linwood]

It just seemed unusual for one layer to be mostly regrown, and the other layer not at all.

Anxious to get them all grown in so she is more in control in flight now that she's decided she is free to go places. After this showed she tried to move between cage and play stand, and ended up in a wet sloppy mess in the floor. Wet feathers don't fly well apparently.

 

[patchyjoon]

Patches got clipped around a year ago and is still molting those clipped feathers, I feel like he molts everything BUT those feathers. (I collect any that I find) I'm not sure how their bodies determine what to molt but unfortunately from everything I've read it seems like it's just a waiting game.

 

[Linwood]

Maybe running into all those door frames and rough landings will encourage her body to go faster.

 

[Finchbreed]

All feathers are molted in a cyclic manner, so the bird is never without too many at a time.
In the wild being without too many would make a bird vulnerable to predators and mother nature is far too smart to let that happen.
A feather that is accidentally (or intentionally) removed will regrow - provided the feather follicle is not damaged.
Be patient my little Padawan.

 

[melissasparrots]

It can sometimes take more than a year. I do think it's weird that her covert feathers were clipped too. It looks like she's on the verge of being able to fly based on what she's molted in already.

 

[Linwood]

It can sometimes take more than a year. I do think it's weird that her covert feathers were clipped too. It looks like she's on the verge of being able to fly based on what she's molted in already. But I'm still surprised not a single one of those have fallen out and been replaced with so many primaries.

Thank you. I didn't even know what covert feathers were before, I see that now that I have a term. My GUESS was that she was clipped up so high as to get them also. I'm kind of surprised the primary feathers didn't bleed up that high if so.

So if the articles I found are to be believed these (when grown in) protect the primary feathers, but don't look like they would be long enough to matter much for flight.

And yes, she's flying a lot in the last week or so. She now flies multiple times a day from her main room to the kitchen perch (about 50' or so) and back. There's also a big circle from kitchen to living room and back she makes regularly, as well as sometimes venturing into other rooms and back (so far not stopping).

She lack grace, and frequently tries to land, misses, and then circles and returns to her main perch to think about it. It's rather surprising how much she can fly with what's still missing.

 

[Finchbreed]

It's how the feathers are balanced on each side of the body that lets them fly - why cutting both wings is less effective than just cutting the feathers on one side.
While I know how to do it - I am very much against it.

 

[melissasparrots]

Years ago there was an alternative clipping method where people clipped high, right below the covert feathers. It was an effective clip, you didn't have to clip as many feathers since so much of the clipped feather was removed and it tended not to leave scraggly ends that the birds could learn to over preen. However, from personal observations, it seems like that clipping method took longer to molt out. I wonder if that was the style of clip your bird got, but was done incorrectly and snipped off the coverts as well. I used to send most baby birds home clipped, but I don't personally clip my own birds.