What Are the Symptoms of a Dying Canary?

Canaries can be a wonderful addition to any bird-keeping family, bringing bright, bold color and a cheerful song into our lives. On the other hand, they are very sensitive birds, and they can fall victim to disease, poisons, stresses in their environment and nutritional deficiencies with rapid decline. The signs they may exhibit during illness are many, and caregivers must be well-informed on what to look for.

  1. Warning

    • Any sign that you may have a sick pet bird should be followed by a call to your avian specialist or your local small-animal veterinarian.

    Potential Problem/Possible Solution

    • Any pet bird, including canaries, may make it difficult to recognize the early signs of illness. In the wild, birds try to hide illness from other birds to prevent being picked on; they will do the same in your home. The canary may go to its feed bowl and behave as if it is eating much more than usual to appear hungry and healthy. Your bird may seem less active than usual, and you may notice it pumping its tail. A change in the appearance of its droppings is another cause for concern.

    Significant Danger

    • When a canary begins to feel very ill and may be dying, it will stop singing. It will sit on its perch and appear puffed up, often with its head down or under its wing. The bird may spend much of its time with its eyes closed. It will stop eating, and it will become very difficult to get the canary to move from one area of its perch to another, or to get it to go to its food or water. You may notice that the bird has much faster respiration. Depending on the illness, a canary may suddenly fall from its perch and die immediately.

    Final Stage

    • When the symptoms of impending death become more obvious, the canary will usually go to the bottom of its cage and will not have the strength to go up to a perch. You will most likely notice that its breathing has become much more labored. Finally, the canary may lie forward, spread its wings out and relax, with the breathing becoming very shallow and eventually stopping. When it dies, the bird's eyes will become dull and lifeless.

    Considerations

    • If you did not call and visit your avian specialist at the first signs of illness of your canary, you may consider calling him after the bird expires. He should do an autopsy on the bird to determine the cause of death. It is important to find out if the canary contracted an infection, a disease, sustained an injury or perhaps had a congenital defect that the breeder needs to be aware of. The canary may have had a dietary deficiency, so inform your veterinarian of its diet.