🦜 Avian Companions: Pet Birds

📚 Introduction to Avian Medicine

Birds represent one of the most diverse groups of companion animals, ranging from tiny finches weighing just 10 grams to large macaws exceeding 1.5 kilograms. With over 350 species commonly kept as pets worldwide, avian medicine requires understanding of unique anatomical and physiological adaptations that allow flight, including hollow bones, air sacs, and highly efficient respiratory systems. Birds are masters at hiding illness—a survival mechanism from their wild ancestors—making regular veterinary care and owner education crucial.

Avian patients present unique challenges in veterinary practice. Their high metabolic rates, specialized nutritional requirements, and complex social needs require species-specific knowledge. This module covers the most common companion bird species, their husbandry requirements, nutritional needs, common diseases, and preventive care protocols essential for maintaining optimal avian health.

🦜 Bird Species Classification

The giants of the parrot world, known for powerful beaks and vibrant plumage.

• Species: Blue and Gold, Scarlet, Green-winged, Hyacinth
• Lifespan: 50-80+ years (Hyacinth up to 100)
• Size: 30-40 inches, 900-1800g
• Intelligence: 4-5 year old child equivalent
• Special Needs: Massive cages, 4-6 hours daily interaction
• Noise Level: Extremely loud (100+ decibels)

Renowned for exceptional intelligence and talking ability.

• Subspecies: Congo and Timneh
• Lifespan: 50-60 years
• Size: 12-14 inches, 400-650g
• Intelligence: Can learn 1000+ words, understand concepts
• Special Traits: Prone to feather plucking if stressed
• CITES Status: Endangered, requires permits

Popular medium-large parrots known for personality and singing ability.

• Common Species: Yellow-naped, Double yellow-headed, Blue-fronted
• Lifespan: 40-60 years
• Size: 10-18 inches, 350-600g
• Temperament: Can be hormonal/aggressive during breeding season
• Special Consideration: Prone to obesity and fatty liver disease

Distinctive crested parrots requiring extensive emotional support.

• Species: Umbrella, Moluccan, Sulphur-crested, Goffin's
• Lifespan: 40-100+ years depending on species
• Size: 12-24 inches, 300-1200g
• Special Needs: Extremely social, prone to behavioral issues
• Powder Down: Produces fine powder, problematic for allergies

• Popular Species: Sun, Green-cheeked, Nanday, Blue-crowned
• Lifespan: 20-30 years
• Size: 9-20 inches, 60-280g
• Personality: Playful, acrobatic, can be nippy
• Noise: Sun conures extremely loud, Green-cheeked quieter

• Origin: Australia, smallest cockatoo family member
• Lifespan: 15-25 years
• Size: 12-13 inches, 75-125g
• Temperament: Gentle, good for beginners
• Special Feature: Males excellent whistlers

• Common Name: Budgies, Parakeets
• Lifespan: 5-10 years (up to 15 with excellent care)
• Size: 7-8 inches, 25-40g
• Social: Best kept in pairs or groups
• Talking: Males can learn 100+ words

• Species: Peach-faced, Fischer's, Masked
• Lifespan: 10-15 years
• Size: 5-7 inches, 40-60g
• Myth: Don't need to be kept in pairs despite name
• Personality: Feisty, territorial, big personality in small body

• Types: Song, Color, Type canaries
• Lifespan: 7-10 years
• Size: 4-8 inches, 15-30g
• Special: Males sing, females chirp
• Housing: Should not be housed with hookbills

• Species: Zebra, Gouldian, Society, Owl
• Lifespan: 5-10 years
• Size: 3-8 inches, 10-30g
• Social: Must be kept in pairs or groups
• Handling: Hands-off pets, enjoyed for song and activity

🔬 Unique Avian Anatomy & Physiology

• Air Sacs: 9 air sacs extend into bones, unidirectional airflow
• No Diaphragm: Breathing via chest expansion
• Efficiency: 2x more efficient than mammalian lungs
• Sensitivity: Extremely sensitive to airborne toxins (Teflon, aerosols)
• Voice: Syrinx at tracheal bifurcation produces vocalizations

• Pneumatic Bones: Hollow, connected to air sacs
• Fused Bones: Many bones fused for flight stability
• Keel: Large sternum for flight muscle attachment
• Calcium Storage: Medullary bone stores calcium for egg production

• Crop: Food storage and softening
• Proventriculus: Glandular stomach (chemical digestion)
• Ventriculus/Gizzard: Muscular stomach (mechanical digestion)
• Cloaca: Common opening for digestive, urinary, reproductive
• No Teeth: Food torn by beak, ground in gizzard

❤️ Normal Parameters by Size

Bird Size	Heart Rate (bpm)	Resp Rate (/min)	Temp (°F)	Weight Examples
Large Parrots	150-350	15-25	104-106	300-1800g
Medium Parrots	200-400	20-30	104-106	60-300g
Small Parrots	250-450	25-40	105-107	25-60g
Canaries/Finches	400-600	40-60	106-108	10-30g

🏠 Housing Requirements

Bird Type	Minimum Cage Size	Bar Spacing	Essential Features
Large Macaw	48"W × 36"D × 60"H	1-1.5 inches	Heavy-duty construction, play top
African Grey	36"W × 24"D × 48"H	0.75-1 inch	Horizontal bars for climbing
Cockatiel	24"W × 18"D × 24"H	0.5-0.625 inch	Multiple perches, horizontal space
Budgie	18"W × 18"D × 24"H	0.5 inch max	Flight space, multiple perches
Finch	30"W × 18"D × 18"H	0.25-0.375 inch	Horizontal flight space crucial

• Variety: Multiple diameters to prevent foot problems
• Natural Branches: Safe woods like apple, willow, eucalyptus
• Placement: Not over food/water to prevent contamination
• Avoid: Sandpaper covers (cause bumblefoot), uniform dowels
• Size Guide: Foot should wrap 2/3 around perch

🥗 Avian Nutrition

• Pellets: 60-70% high-quality pellets (Harrison's, Zupreem, Roudybush)
• Vegetables: 20-25% dark leafy greens, orange vegetables
• Fruits: 5-10% as treats (high sugar content)
• Seeds/Nuts: 5-10% for training and enrichment
• Calcium: Cuttlebone, mineral blocks for breeding females
• Fresh Water: Changed 2x daily minimum

• Lories/Lorikeets: Nectar feeders, require special liquid diet
• Eclectus: Higher vitamin A needs, sensitive to fortified foods
• Macaws: Higher fat requirements, need nuts daily
• African Greys: Higher calcium and vitamin D3 needs
• Canaries: Seed mix plus egg food during breeding
• Finches: Small seeds (millet, canary seed), sprouted seeds

🏥 Common Avian Health Issues

• Causes: Medical (PBFD, parasites) or psychological (stress, boredom)
• Risk Factors: Solitary housing, inadequate enrichment, diet
• Species Prone: African Greys, Cockatoos, Eclectus
• Workup: CBC, chemistry, viral testing, behavioral history
• Treatment: Address underlying cause, enrichment, possible psychotropics

• Cause: Circovirus, highly contagious
• Signs: Abnormal feathers, beak lesions, immunosuppression
• Affected: Most common in cockatoos, African species
• Diagnosis: PCR testing of blood or feathers
• Prognosis: Usually fatal, no treatment available

• Cause: Chlamydia psittaci, zoonotic disease
• Signs: Respiratory, ocular discharge, lime-green droppings
• Diagnosis: PCR, serology, culture
• Treatment: Doxycycline for 45 days
• Human Risk: Flu-like symptoms, pneumonia

• Cause: Avian bornavirus
• Signs: Weight loss, undigested seeds in droppings, neurological signs
• Diagnosis: Radiographs, crop biopsy, PCR
• Treatment: NSAIDs, supportive care, poor prognosis

• Cause: All-seed diet lacking vitamin A
• Signs: White plaques in mouth, respiratory infections, poor feathering
• Species: Common in Amazon parrots, cockatiels
• Treatment: Vitamin A injection, diet correction

• Signs: Seizures, weakness, falling off perch
• Cause: Low calcium, vitamin D3 deficiency
• Treatment: Calcium gluconate injection, diet correction, UV light

• Risk Factors: First egg, obesity, calcium deficiency, old age
• Signs: Straining, tail bobbing, sitting on cage floor
• Emergency: Can be fatal within 24-48 hours
• Treatment: Calcium, oxytocin, warm humidity, possible surgery

• Species: Cockatiels, budgies, lovebirds most common
• Complications: Calcium depletion, egg binding, prolapse
• Management: Hormone therapy (Lupron), environmental modification
• Prevention: 12-14 hours darkness, remove nests/toys

🛡️ Preventive Care & Wellness

• Physical Exam: Weight, body condition, feather quality
• Gram Stain: Fecal/crop to assess bacteria/yeast
• CBC/Chemistry: Baseline bloodwork annually
• Fecal Parasite: Direct and float examination
• Disease Testing: PBFD, Polyoma, Chlamydia based on risk
• Nail/Wing Trim: As needed for safety
• Beak Assessment: Check for overgrowth, malocclusion

• Wing Clipping: Controversial, safety vs flight exercise
• Nail Trimming: Every 1-3 months, avoid cutting blood supply
• Beak Trimming: Only if overgrown (indicates underlying issue)
• Bathing: 2-3x weekly misting or shower perch

• Photoperiod: 10-12 hours light, 12-14 hours uninterrupted darkness
• Temperature: 65-80°F, avoid drafts
• Humidity: 50-70% (higher for tropical species)
• UV Light: Full spectrum with UVB for vitamin D3 synthesis
• Air Quality: HEPA filtration, no smoking, aerosols, candles