One of the most frustrating and disconcerting conditions of caged birds is feather picking. Moreover, feather disorders rank as some of the most difficult and challenging conditions to diagnose and treat in avian veterinary practice.

Feather plucking or shredding is as frustrating for the bird owner as it is for the companion bird. There is nothing more dreadful than returning home to find the bottom of your bird's cage filled with feathers. The guilt that pet bird owners feel is not unique.

Although there are a number of species of birds which mutilate their feathers, this behavior is most common among African Greys and Cockatoos.