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I think my cockatiel pulled out or broke a blood feather last night. It bled quite a lot but stopped quickly, so I left him in a dimly lit cage to recover and watched to make sure it didn't start to bleed again. This morning, there is quite a big blood clot in his crest which he keeps trying to scratch at. I'm worried that if he knocks it the feather might start to bleed again. What should I do?
Updated On February 25th, 2018
Pet's info: Bird | Unknown - Bird | Male | unneutered | 2 years and 6 months old
Answered By Kevin Sanada, DVM 190
Veterinarian
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I wouldn't worry too much about this. Once the blood feather is removed, the body naturally seals off the area and cuts off the blood supply. He would have to do some severe damage to himself in order for it to bleed as much as it did. There's little chance that a bird would cause this much harm to itself, so I would not worry about it. These pulled blood feathers start to look normal after a week or so. If there are further concerns, then I'd recommend taking him to a vet for a consult. I hope that helps and all is well with Paco.
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