What's going on with owl finch?

[rancho2]

One of my owls has lost feathers right under the beak, on the neck I guess. Thoughts on why or what this is?

[MiaCarter]

rancho2 -- Well, it's possible it's simply a result of molting. Finches -- all birds for that matter -- lose their feathers and grow in new ones.
In my experience, owls aren't prone to really heavy molts like, say, a gouldian. But they do occasionally go bald in spots while they're molting. So that could be the case.
The feathers on the neck and head aren't too long, so it's fairly easy to see when they're missing (whereas on other areas of the body, the long adjacent feathers cover the bald spot.

If the skin's irritated, red, crusty or otherwise unnatural, it's possible it's a result of a skin infection and/or a problem such as mites.

Another possibility would be plucking. If it's lower on the neck, he could be plucking it himself. If it's higher on the neck, it would likely be another bird doing it (though I'll say it's fairly unlikely as that's a really odd spot for another bird to pluck. The top of head and back are most common pluck spots when it's another bird.)

[rancho2]

Thx miacarter, that's probably what's going on since they're lively and healthy otherwise.

[MiaCarter]

rancho2 -- No problem!

I'd just keep an eye on it. Those feathers should be grown back in within a couple weeks or so, so just keep an eye on him to ensure it all grows back properly.