As creatures of the skies budgies have to be able to fly all the time. A perfect plumage
ensures the arts of flying as it's the feathers that allow the birds to stay in the air.
Not only because of this reason feathers have to be light. As a consequence, they perish by and by.
Two or three times a year budgies loose their large feathers (wings and tail) and the
tiny ones that cover the rest of their bodies. New intact feathers grow instead of the
worn-out ones. This natural procedure is called moult.
Usually budgies do not moult at a fix point of time like for example migrating birds
that moult in summer. Budgies just renew their plumage from time to time and with a different
speed which changes from individual to individual. Tail feathers and primary feathers - which are
the long ones at the wings - are changed about two times a year. During a normal moult
never all primary feathers are dropped out at the same time in order to keep the bird's
ability to fly.
The smaller feathers which cover the rest of the body, e.g. feathers on the head, belly and
back, and the warming down that are the bird's "underwear" can drop out over the whole year
in small numbers. During the moult a larger quantity of the small feathers falls out which
is an absolutely natural procedure. And what is very important to know: The moult causes no
pain to the birds.
Besides the natural renewing of the plumage abnormal moults happen that can have serious reasons. More information about different forms of moult can be gained in the respective topics.
German version of this text: Gaby Schulemann-Maier,
translation of this chapter: Isolde Aufschläger 
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. Of course you will meet me there, too. My nickname is "Feenseeschwalbe".
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