Mahdavi, I., Abdi-Hachesoo, B., Ansari-Lari, M. et al. 2023. Prevalence and risk factors of feather damaging behavior in companion parrots: A cross-sectional study in Iran. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 266, 106028.

A cross-sectional study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of feather damaging behavior (FDB) and evaluate the related risk factors among companion psittacine birds in Iran. For data collection, a structured questionnaire was prepared and completed by interviewing the owners of all pet parrots referred to veterinary clinics in four different metropolitan areas in the northern and southern parts of Iran. A total of 232 questionnaires were collected. The questionnaire consisted of several parts, including general owner and parrot data, as well as management and environmental characteristics. The prevalence of FDB was 25.4%, which was higher than previous studies. The highest and lowest prevalence was observed in Psittacus spp. (41.2%) and Nymphicus sp. (15.2%), respectively. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to determine the association of FDB with proposed risk factors and to calculate the odds ratio (OR). The odds of FDB were significantly higher for Psittacus spp. compared to Nymphicus sp. (OR=2.68, P = 0.015). In addition, proximity to window (OR=2.10, P = 0.037) and wing clipping (OR=3.79, P < 0.001) significantly increased the odds of FDB. These findings showed that intrinsic, management and environmental factors could significantly affect FDB in companion parrots.