Molting or Over-plucked feathers..?

[Eccentric T]

So here's my buddy Jake again hanging out in his cage with Marcy. I actually ended up putting these two back together to see if they would get along again. And what do you know? They are getting along surprisingly well! The other day I saw them cleaning each other and thought it was the cutest thing.

Well this isn't about that. Today I saw Jake who appeared to be balding! I'm not sure if it''s the change of seasons doing it, but he appears to be losing all of the feathers on his head. I checked him out, and he isn't bleeding anywhere, so Marcy isn't hurting him. (Which is a relief, really) They're both sitting here now cleaning themselves up after a bath, check the video out and see what I mean. He's losing them feathers!

Should I be worried?

https://www.dropbox.com/s/g4s2wn3y9t239 ... .48.04.mp4

[Angela&Shalamar]

looks like plucking to me.

[debbie276]

That happened in a day??
Sure looks like Marcy is plucking poor ole Jake to me

[Eccentric T]

Should I be separating the two again? They don't seem to be attacking or hurting each other, could it just be an accident?

[Eccentric T]

That happened in a day??
Sure looks like Marcy is plucking poor ole Jake to me

No it didn't happen in a day, but I noticed it today.

[debbie276]

That's no accident. I'll let the zebra experts answer to whether it's acceptable behavior or not.

[Ginene]

Yeesh ...she's a plucker!!! Zebbies can be so naughty .

[Eccentric T]

Right now the two are just cuddling together. I don't know if I should worry.

[Ginene]

Maybe she is looking for nest materials? Some birds pluck themselves or their mate for materials. Do you have any white feathers you can put in the cage to distract her??? Might help...

[cindy]

The entire article for the site below is very helpful.... plucking in this case is more of a dominance thing. You said you had them separates then put them back together...did you put the male into the female's cage?

http://zebrafinchsociety.co.uk/index.ph ... &Itemid=68

"Plucked Necks...This is the type of plucking I least like to encounter as it is quite often indicative of a defenseless and therefore unwell specimen. When zebs socialize they will often preen a fellow bird across the back of the neck and around to under the chin. The bird doing the preening will often be strengthening its social bonding, but I have noticed that in a lot of instances this won't necessarily be the subservient bird. Dominant characters will also preen, especially if they stake a claim to the perch, but after a short preen they then expect some reciprocation and if this is not forthcoming they will tend to give a little nudge by plucking out a feather to get attention. If this attention is not forthcoming because the bird being preened is too weak, it can escalate until the bird is evicted from the perch to a lower one. If the bird isn't weak it will stand its ground until whose perch it is becomes settled by a quick squabble and chase. The weaker birds then proceed to lower perches, but this is often another birds domain and so gets similar treatment until the bald patch emerges and the bird reaches ground zero. If I ever notice this I will remove the bird altogether to a warm isolated cage for observation. Once it I have heard many a dealer and breeder pass such birds off at sales with the banter "that one must be coming into breeding condition as its being pursued by a male, hence the bald patch" - this is complete rubbish as far as I am concerned and has no foundations in truth. Never have a seen any relationship between bald necks and breeding condition, their claims that it is caused by the cockbird "holding on" is rubbish, zebs do not hold on with their beaks when treading hens."