How to Know if Your Bird Is Sick

While there are seemingly endless species of birds in the world, generally speaking there are some common symptoms that you'll see in any pet bird when it is ill or becoming sick. These symptoms may be the result of an injury or an illness or a parasite. It is essential to monitor your bird's behavior, including eating habits and appearance, to ensure the bird's health. If you notice your bird experiencing any of the symptoms of illness, take the bird to your veterinarian immediately.

  1. Changes in Appearance

    • Changes in appearance are common among sick birds, such as the puffing of feathers. Though birds will puff up their feathers to keep warm and to go to sleep, they will also fluff their feathers during illness. Watch for this in combination with other symptoms. Other changes in appearance that indicate a bird is sick include weight loss, which is of special concern to small birds as they lack the "bodily reserves" larger species have. Other appearance changes include feather dullness, feather discoloration, frequent molting, scaly or crusty skin, swollen eyes, overgrown beak and claws, thickened areas on the bottoms of the feet, a dirty vent (feces around or on the vent and tail feathers), discharge from the mouth, cloudy eyes, crooked beaks and toenails, and signs of blood. Eyes that appear sunken or dull, or that have changed in color, are also signs of illness. Birds with swollen or flaky feet, or matted feathers on the body and head, also need examination.

    Changes in Behavior

    • Behavior changes are common in any sick animal, and birds are no exception. Changes in birds' behaviors include bobbing their tails while fluffing their feathers, seizures and frequent sneezing. Sick birds pluck their feathers -- while birds will pluck their feathers out of boredom, they will also pluck feathers after contracting parasites. Birds that stand with their heads tucked under a wing are probably ill, as are birds that choose to sit at the bottom of their cages or on low perches. Other behavioral symptoms of sick birds include walking in circles, losing balance, frequent defecating, head tilt, falling off perches, sleeping "late" or often during the day, irritability and trembling. A sick bird may cause behavioral changes in its cage mates -- they will harass the sick bird. Hard-to-handle birds that suddenly allow you to pick them up are showing a sign of illness. General inactivity, difficulty breathing, wheezing, coughing, voice hoarseness, unusual breathing noises, "talking" less, and droopy wings are also signs of illness.

    Changes in Waste

    • Changes in the bird's waste is an indicator of sickness in your feathered friend. Changes in waste include changes in urate (the white portion of bird droppings) color, cloudy urine, blood in the stool, undigested food appearing in droppings, and a decrease in the size and amount of waste produced. Other changes include more urates present in waste, and consistency changes, such as droppings that are too hard, too soft or too watery.

    Changes in Eating and Drinking

    • A bird's eating and drinking habits often change as the result of illnesses, such as lack of appetite and disinterest in drinking water. Weight loss will follow such behavior if actions are not taken. The opposite is also true -- keep an eye on a bird that eats and drinks excessively. Vomiting may also occur, or the bird may be unable to pick up its food properly.