Question: What are Stress Bars?
My bird is molting, and I noticed several strange lines running across the shafts of his molted feathers. What are they and what causes them?
Answer: Lines found going across a bird's feather shaft are normally called stress bars. Owners normally notice these when their birds are going through a molt, as it can be difficult to see them while the feathers are still on the bird.
Stress bars form while the feather is developing. The majority are caused by either stress in a bird's environment or poor nutrition. Most avian experts agree, however, that there could be any number of stressors that can induce the condition.
Since stress bars form as the feathers develop, they can serve as a record of stress that the bird was going through during his last molt. If you find stress bars on your bird's feathers, the best thing to do is evaluate your bird's diet and living situation, and consult with an avian vet to find out what changes need to be made. Normally, correcting the problem will cause the stress bars to subside with subsequent molts.
Stress bars form while the feather is developing. The majority are caused by either stress in a bird's environment or poor nutrition. Most avian experts agree, however, that there could be any number of stressors that can induce the condition.
Since stress bars form as the feathers develop, they can serve as a record of stress that the bird was going through during his last molt. If you find stress bars on your bird's feathers, the best thing to do is evaluate your bird's diet and living situation, and consult with an avian vet to find out what changes need to be made. Normally, correcting the problem will cause the stress bars to subside with subsequent molts.
