On Thu, 16 Mar 1995, Christopher Hill wrote:
> Does it seem possible to anyone that injury to an area could result in
> white feathers growing from the injured area? I'm not sure where I got
> the idea that the occasional white spot or feathers around a bird's head
> were old injuries, but I often assume that, maybe without reason...
>
> Chris Hill
> Seattle, WA
> cehill at u.washington.edu
>

Could be. If a bird is forced to regrow a feather between molts,
when it is not "prepared" to make a new feather, it may be more
likely to produce a non-pigmented feather. Or maybe damage to the
feather-producing structure could cause it. Either way, it seems likely
that the same thing would be seen from time to time in pet birds, and
thus mentioned in the avicultural literature.

David Wright
dwright at u.washington.edu