Is my cockatiel sick?

This is my pet cockatiel, his name is Sam and we found him, he has had these really scruffy feathers for ages and we really want to know what it is. We haven't gone to the vet because it isn't effecting him. As I said before, his feathers have been like this for ages! A while back he had a bald patch on his front..it gradually went away, but now it is back again! The scruffy feathers have effected everything but his head :rolleyes:
And his tail isn't as scruffy as the rest of his body..He hasn't got a very good diet because he prefers human food to bird seed. We give him pasta, rice, corn chips, potato chips..and we encourage fruit and vegies. Very rarely we give him wine..he loves the stuff so much, he'll try to stick his head into the glass and get some unless me take it away from him!
Any help would be appreciated!
(Pictures below)
http://members.optusnet.com.au/~flan...r/mainpic5.PNG

Hi there! Welcome to Pet Talk.

Your cockatiel seems to be picking on his feathers. Have you seen him do that? Feather picking can be a problem in some birds, and there could be a number of causes. Some birds pick on their feathers out of boredom. Some just don't know how to preen properly and rip their feathers in the process. Sometimes an illness can cause frustration that can lead a cockatiel to picking its feathers. Sometimes mites can cause a bird to itch, and that too, can lead to picking feathers. Its best to get him checked by an avian vet to rule out any illness. Hope your birdie's feathers grow back soft and beautiful soon. He isn't too bad...my friend's bird's feathers look a lot worse...and she did take him to the vet. He's doing it out of boredom, and sadly, it can be difficult to stop...but you'll need to discourage it. It can develop into a major problem. Good luck!

Ps. CUTE tiel!

Thanks heaps, it helps alot :P

I agree with the other poster about it possibly being boredom related. Maybe put a mirror or other bird toys with him. Give him something to pick at like millet seed on a hanger.
Also is the bird near a draft? He may be getting a draft from air conditioning or window. Drafts are terrible for birds and as they are EXTREMELY temperature sensitive. The room temperature should be in the higher 70's for most birds.
How is bath time done? There are some bath sprays out there for birds. You may or may not want to use them. If you do, make sure it is in an area without drafts.
I can't stress enough about drafts and temperature because that is how my bird died when I was young. It didn't take long. I also thought your bird might be "molting". As some birds grow, they shed some feathers. However, the timeline you mentioned seemed a little too long for this.
Good luck!!!

:D Our bird's are kept inside, ever since one of our birds was killed by a wild bird (WHILE IT WAS IN IT''S CAGE!) He has 2 other birds to play with. He's a boy and their 2 girls and yet he still doesn't like them. Yeh, we give them popcorn and seed all the time...I think he just doesn't need to preen himself because I've NEVER seen him preen like the other 2! He is a very entertained birdy, he is basically a dog to us, he follows us around the home!
Nah, he's not malting, unless he has been malting all year :eek: