Cockatiel screeching and Preening

My Cockateil will just be setting there, Then all of a sudden starts screeching and preening frantic like. Is this some kind of Mite?

What is the best way to handle this?

[ireneo]

I've handled hundreds, if not thousands of (wild) birds with lice and mites over the past 19 years . They never behave that way with their load of parasites. Did you notice if your bird is preening in one particular spot? If so, check for a wound or sore that might be irritating the bird.

[AHP84]

I have noticed my Senegal parrot (and my last cockatiel) does this occasionally. I don't think there's anything wrong with her, and she definitely doesn't have mites that I know of. I notice she does this a lot more after a molt, and I'm assuming new feathers are beginning to grow, and if she moves in a certain way, the pin feather will poke her somehow, which is when she shrieks out and then goes into a preening frenzy for about 2-5 minutes.

[Jexlude]

She seems to have settled down now.
Seems to preen up under both wings. I cannot find a wound or sore. She acts alot like AHP84  is decribing but I don't know if she is molting or not.  I'll keep checking for sores if she if she starts up again.

Thanks to both of you for your help. At least for now I don't believe its nothing serious.

[ireneo]

Happy to hear that. If she's molting, you would see feathers here and there on the floor and you'd see the new pin feathers under the wings where you looked. I'm glad to hear she's feeling better now.

[turkee23]

my cockateil and senegal both do this wehn they are molting as ahp said!!....=).... its normal, drives my dogs crazy tho!

[Jaybay]

My cockie does the same thing when he's losing a wing or tail feather.  He screams bloody murder until he can get the thing yanked out, and sometimes those quills can be as stubborn as a loose baby tooth hanging by a thread of flesh.  There have been times that my bird will have a ****-eyed feather hanging out of a wing or his tail for 24 hours before he finally screws up the nerve to yank it out.  He certainly won't let me or my husband help out.  I kind of imagine it's as irritating as a hangnail can be to humans.

[spike1938]

Our 12 years old cockateil also does what is described above and I took him to the local vet (3 weeks ago) which gave him a clean bill of health and showed me new stubby  feathers growing behind his neck but this has been going on for about 8-10 weeks. It causes me pain listening to my poor Spike. Does anyone know how much longer this will go on? Thank you for the very informative forum. Best of luck to all

[Jexlude]

I had the original post on this and it had started happening that day. She had already calmed down by then.She has done it since but not like she did that day.
I told my Avian Vet about it when I took her in for something else. She (The Vet) gave me some "SOOTHER, TOPICAL SPRAY" in case her skin dried out again. It has Distilled water, pure aloe vera distillate in it. this seems to stop her immediately.
I'm fairly sure she said it was dry skin.. Hope that helps.

[margypops]

awwww maybe they dont like to be in cages ?

[Jexlude]

Margypops, Apparently You don't own a bird.   ;-)      They Hardly stay in a cage.