plucking or molting? not sure

[oikermit]

hello everyone that's reading this, i appreciate you stopping by.
i'm a bit new to bird ownership, having adopted my green cheek conure, nova, nearly four months ago (time flies by so quickly!)

about a month ago, when he turned five months old, he started losing a lot of his white downy feathers (and still is, they're all over the floor). so naturally, i assumed he was starting his first molt. but recently, as he approaches six months old, i've started noticing different feathers coming out. granted, they're small and still (i think?) downy feathers, they've just got color on the tips of them and are more feather-shaped. so in kicks my paranoia.
i immediately assumed plucking, but i'm sure this is a common fear in new bird owners. just tonight, nova was laying on my chest and was preening his chest, and he presented me with two feathers, which has me thinking he plucked them, but he didn't make any sounds of pain or anything when they'd come out.
another note, just before that happened i was scratching his cheeks and two little feathers came out no problem, so my mind is kind of going every which way here.

when looking up pictures of plucked feathers taken for dna testing and noticed they looked very similar, if not exactly alike, to the feathers i've been finding lately. (i will provide a picture of some of them if anyone is curious).

but i also read somewhere that six months old is too young for birds to begin plucking? is that true?

please help anyone!! i'm panicking!!

 

[Lodah]

Sounds like molting to me! Sometimes I can make a feather bed from Pilos small downy feathers that fall to the floor!

 

[AbbyLove]

Abby has been molting too... I guess loosing summer plumage and getting winter. I just look to see if there is any "balding" or skin damage. She lets me look under her wings and still has full feathering. So, as long as I don't see any damage, I don't worry. Looks like your baby is getting his coloring.

 

[TikiMyn]

What kind of Feathers do your birds have under there wings? One of my lovies has a lot of plumes there and not a lot of Feathers, is that normal?

 

[cassiesdad]

I don't know what plucked conure feathers look like, but I do what Milton's look like. They still are mostly sheathed, with a little of the feather coming out at the top. Most of them also still have a bit of blood in them, on the unopened end.

 

[TikiMyn]

Thank you! I Always Worry that when my bird is molting he might be plucking. He isn't Luckily but I am Always kind of scared he Will start doing it.