Well, my sister’s love bird. It’s really strange. We just noticed it today. There are these large bald spots forming in the back of his head. Why is this happening? It looks really scary. Is this normal? Someone I know suggested it might have something to do with mites. But I have no idea.
Mites often do this sort of thing to cage birds so it’s quite possible. Other possibilities:
*does it share a cage with other birds? are they plucking its feathers?
*is it regularly rubbing its head against something rough?
*how old is it? Very old birds can often lose their feathers
Best thing to do is take it to a vet.
The situation hasn’t changed. Well, actually it’s gotten worse. So I’m bumping this one up.
My Dad took it to the vet way back when, and the vet said it had something to do with nerves. What the heck this love bird living in the lap of luxury has to be nervous about I have no idea.
Does this sound right? Is the bird just neurotic? It’s entire head is just about completely bald now. It’s actually gotten pretty strange looking.
If so, how the heck do you treat a neurotic bird? Should I get it some prozac? send it down to the tropics for a week? get it laid?
Do you only have one? People often keep them in pairs because they enjoy the company of another of their own kind (that’s why they’re called lovebirds). Don’t just go out and buy another one just for the hell of it though – they may not get on and that would make the situation worse.
I agree the best thing is to ask your vet, but in the meantime, this searchable site may help.
Hmm. Nerves?
Ok, things that could make a bird nervous that might not strike one as obvious.
Helium balloons, fast-moving kids
Toy or something placed to close to his night hang out perch
Circular (cyllindrical-shaped) cage, or cage with rounded top (for some reason this drives some birds batty)
No “back wall” to the cage (i.e. in middle of room, against no wall)
Cage in overly busy room (esp. if kids in house)
Boredom-- not enough toys?
Toys too scary?
How’s his diet? What does he eat (not just seeds, right?)? Other birds? Is he otherwise healthy? Is your vet an AVIAN vet?
I’ve heard actually that if you get a second lovebird they’re both liable to act like jerks to their humans, as they like each other company TOO much. Depends on what your realtionship wth the bird is like in the first place, I suppose.
What capybara said, especially the part about the avian vet. A vet can be great with dogs and cats and not know much about birds: they’re considered exotic pets, and the standard veterinary school curriculum doesn’t always cover them. These links to Birdsnways and Toolady may be helpful.
Stupid question since you took it to the vet but it isn’t just molting is it?
**My lovebird is going bald **
So’s mine. He blames it on marrying me. 
Delusions of predatorhood. Your songbird thinks it’s a bald eagle.
Put up pictures of other bald eagles and a mirror, give him some time to sort things out.
If I were a tree-hugging veggie, I might suggest that a cage is hardly the lap of luxury for a bird which is, after all, designed to fly…
But then I’m a meat eater and that would be utter hypocrisy.
On the topic, I’ve seen this asked in those weird weekend sections of the saturday paper, and they usually suggest it’s either stress related, or mites, but not just because of the mites’ presence, but due to an allergic reaction to the mites. I guess the vet is the best place to go.
I found a site which suggests that feather loss in poultry could be due to [ul]
[li]Boredom[/li][li]Mites[/li][li]Poor diet[/li][li]Bright light[/li][/ul]
My lovebird Junior had bald patches after he reached middle age. Some birds go bald with age, strange but true. I understand this happens to some other varieties of bipeds, too.
Anyhow, if I was 4 inches tall and weighed 2 ounces and lived with big lumbering apes I might have some reason to be nervous, too. Lovebirds tend to be a little high-strung by nature anyhow, at least the 3 I’ve had, plus their sundry offspring, all seemed to be a little jumpy.
Check him for mites, check him for a balanced diet, take him to an avian vet. If it’s his head then at least he’s not doing it to himself.
You may, however have to resign yourself to a bald lovebird. Make sure you keep him warm enough if that happens, 'cause without feathers he’s going to get real chilly at normal room termeratures.
Try a bigger cage so he feels less trapped and put a little box with a hole in it inside the cage for him to hide in when he gets scared.
Try Rogaine?
Thanks all for the responses (both TIC and otherwise).
everton great site! we spent a good deal of time reading through that last night and it seems quite likely that the balding is a result of diet, as others here have suggested. (though I haven’t ruled out eagle-envy;) )
You wouldn’t believe what that bird eats! coffee and buttered toast in the morning, chocolate, steak, spaghetti… he basically eats right off the table whatever everyone else is eating. But we just didn’t know.
coffeecat we’re going to move on to your suggested sites next.
others: we’ve ruled out mites. I doubt the size of the cage is an issue since it remains open throughout most of the day. The bird roams about the house freely most of the time.
Complete hijack…i had a parakeet that committed suicide one day by escaping from its cage and doing a landing right on a boiling hot simmering pot of spaggetti sauce. It would have been funny had it not died. But it kinda is anyway 