Birds
Health advice for birds, written from real experience.
Health
A few loose feathers at the bottom of the cage is usually nothing. Bald patches, thinning that never stops, or feather loss outside a molt is a different picture, and here is how to tell which one you are looking at.
Health
A bird bringing up food can be a love letter or an emergency, and the two look more alike than owners expect. Here is how to tell courtship regurgitation apart from the kind that needs an avian vet.
Health
A bird's droppings are one of the best early warning signs you have, precisely because birds hide illness so well everywhere else. Here is how to read them.
Health
Tail bobbing with every breath, clicking or wheezing sounds, and a change in the voice are the classic signs, and a draughty cage or all-seed diet is usually behind it. Here is what to look for and when it stops being a wait-and-see situation.
Health
Egg binding can kill a pet bird within a day if it is missed. Here is what causes it, the signs that separate it from ordinary nesting behaviour, and what to do the moment you suspect it.
Health
A bird going off its food can be nothing, or it can be an emergency, because birds hide illness and cannot go long without eating. Here is how to tell the difference.
Health
A bird's body is exquisitely sensitive, and ordinary homes are full of things that can kill one fast. Here are the hidden hazards, from non-stick fumes to open windows, and how to make a home bird-safe.
Health
Birds instinctively mask illness until they are very unwell, so by the time it shows they may be seriously ill. Here are the subtle signs to catch early, and when to act fast.