Black Balls Attached to Down Feathers

[Giannine]

My Quaker Parrot keeps pulling her down feathers out and they have these little shiny black ball-type things attached to them. Is this normal?

[judygram]

I have never seen this before and have no idea what they are but they must be irritating to your  quaker, maybe someone else has a clue.

[SRSeedBurners]

My Grey pulls fluff balls out all the time and they have a white attachment.  It may just be the difference in skin color between the two. I don't like it that she does this as it started after her first exposure to a hawk and has since become a habit.

[Greywings]

It may be dried blood from old damage to the growing tip of the feather before it is quite ready to have the sheath removed.

[Giannine]

It does appear to be dried blood...it is shiny and blackish red