Any Canary owners? Need some help..

[yourhairiswinterfire]

I don't know where else to post this, so I'll give here a shot.

I've had my Canary for just over a year. Today I've noticed she's lost quite a few feathers on the back of her head. She's not bald, but the yellow feathers are gone and it looks like what I'm seeing is very thin, grey/white fluff. She's on her own, so it's not another bird over grooming or attacking her.

Her diet is good, she eats regular canary seed and we give her green veggies throughout the week, and also has cuttlefish, so unlikely to be vitamin deficiency. She's still acting completely normal, really lively, bouncing around on her perches and swing, singing most of the day, eating well and bathing regularly so doesn't appear seriously ill, but she looks rough, almost like she's been 'beaten up'.

Is this normal moulting, does anyone know? I don't think it's the right time of year but I've read they can become confused by unnatural light/temperatures? This is the first canary I've had, and I've never seen this one moult before so I don't know what's normal or not.

Or could it possibly be age related? Her age is unknown, but her chest area has turned grey (no feather loss there, just a change of colour).

Anyone with bird knowledge who can advise?

I've got budgies.

One of the older ones (not sure of age, but the previous owner had them about 5 years and thought they were at least 5 years old when they got them, so doing very well.) seems to occasionally (well, twice in the last year) lose a lot of feathers from the top of his head. He then looks bald for about a fortnight before they grow back again.
I'm assuming it's normal moulting, although the first time it happened I thought it was the end.

They're ds's old boys, then we have a set that are about 18 months, which were his first ones, and he currently has a 4 week old one (runt of a brood that wasn't doing well so he's hand rearing it) dosing on his chest.

seems to occasionally (well, twice in the last year) lose a lot of feathers from the top of his head. He then looks bald for about a fortnight before they grow back again.

Thanks for replying Witchend, good that your Budgie's feathers grow back. I'm quite new to it so it's a bit worrying not knowing what's the norm, and I thought it was a bit weird that it was only her head affected.

Does your bird also look a bit rough overall when this happens? Mine looks like she's been in a fight (and lost).

dosing on his chest.

Oh and meant to add, that sounds utterly adorable

Yes it looks rough. The first time I did wonder if they'd been fighting-although the two I have in that cage have always been together and don't even squabble much.

The 4 week is very cute, but has a good chance of not making it. All it really wants to do is be held and doze on someone, so getting it to eat is hard-but it wasn't being fed with the rest of its brood as the others were much bigger. It's got a bad leg (probably from a bigger one treading on it)

Thank you.

The 4 week is very cute, but has a good chance of not making it. All it really wants to do is be held and doze on someone, so getting it to eat is hard-but it wasn't being fed with the rest of its brood as the others were much bigger. It's got a bad leg (probably from a bigger one treading on it)

Oh, that's really sad. Nature is cruel sometimes 😔. Fingers crossed for the little one.

It's sitting up my sleeve and beeping at the other ones currently.