Common Bird Symptoms

Common & Often Minor Bird Symptoms

Here are a few symptoms, their possible benign causes, what you can do at home, and when you should become concerned.

1. The Occasional Sneeze

• What it Looks/Sounds Like: A single, dry “achoo” sound, sometimes with a tiny, clear spray of moisture. The bird immediately goes back to its normal activity.
• Possible Benign Causes:
  • Dust or Dander: Just like humans, a bit of dust can tickle their nostril (nare).
  • Dry Air: Air conditioning or fans, very common in Delhi summers, can dry out their nasal passages.
  • Getting Water in the Nare: This often happens after a bath or while drinking.
  • A Tiny Feather or Fluff: Something may have temporarily gotten stuck and they are sneezing to clear it.
• What You Can Do at Home:
  • Ensure the cage and surrounding area are clean and free of dust.
  • Increase humidity by lightly misting your bird with clean water or running a humidifier nearby for a short time.
• 🚨 When to Worry / Call a Vet:
  • Sneezing is constant or happens in fits.
  • There is visible discharge from the nostrils (bubbly, yellow, green).
  • You hear a clicking or wheezing sound when the bird breathes.
  • The area around the nostrils (the cere) is swollen or discoloured.

2. Grumpiness and Itching During a Moult

• What it Looks Like: Your normally sweet bird is irritable, nippy, and constantly scratching or preening. You will see new, spiky quills (called pin feathers) emerging through their skin. They might also seem a bit less active.
• Possible Benign Causes:
  • Moulting: This is a completely normal, usually annual, process where birds replace their old feathers. Growing new feathers is itchy, uncomfortable, and energy-intensive, which often makes them grumpy.
• What You Can Do at Home:
  • Offer Baths: Warm water can soothe the itchy skin and soften the keratin sheath on the new pin feathers. Offer a shallow bowl of water or mist them gently.
  • Provide Protein: Feather production uses a lot of protein. Offer protein-rich foods like cooked egg, sprouts, or a high-quality pellet diet.
  • Be Patient: Understand they are uncomfortable and give them a little space. Avoid handling them in a way that puts pressure on the sensitive new feathers.
• 🚨 When to Worry / Call a Vet:
  • You see bald spots that are not being filled in by new feathers.
  • The skin is red, inflamed, or has sores.
  • The bird is plucking out new feathers completely, causing bleeding.
  • The lethargy is extreme, and they lose interest in food.

3. A One-Off Regurgitation

• What it Looks Like: The bird bobs its head up and down purposefully and brings up a small amount of undigested food. They are not distressed and might try to offer it to you, a favourite toy, or their reflection.
• Possible Benign Causes:
  • It’s a Sign of Affection! This is a normal bonding and courting behaviour. In the wild, they do this for their mates. In your home, you (or a toy) are their flock. This is different from vomiting. Vomiting is a violent, messy head-fling where the sick gets everywhere, and it is a sign of illness.
• What You Can Do at Home:
  • Calmly accept the “gift” and clean it up. Try not to overencourage it with lots of praise, as it can sometimes become a hormonal trigger.
• 🚨 When to Worry / Call a Vet:
  • It is vomit, not regurgitation (messy, uncontrolled head shaking).
  • The regurgitation is constant and not directed at a “crush object.”
  • The bird appears lethargic, fluffed up, and unwell after the event.

4. Temporary Change in Dropping Colour

• What it Looks Like: The bird’s droppings suddenly have a different colour, for example, they look reddish. The consistency is still normal (the solid part is formed, the urates are white, and there’s a small amount of clear liquid urine).
• Possible Benign Causes:
  • Their Diet: This is the most common cause. If you gave your bird beetroot, expect red droppings. If they ate a lot of carrots, expect orange. Berries can also change colour.
• What You Can Do at Home:
  • Think about what you fed them in the last 12 hours. The droppings should return to their normal colour after the food has passed through their system.
• 🚨 When to Worry / Call a Vet:
  • The droppings are consistently watery (diarrhoea).
  • The solid part is black and tarry (could be internal bleeding).
  • The urates (the part that should be white) are lime green or yellow (can indicate liver problems).
  • The bird is straining to poop and seems to be in pain.