The Transition Period

Pet Canaries feed their chicks largely upon sprouts, soaked seeds and Egg Food or hard boiled eggs.  Once the young fledge, which usually occurs at age 16-20 days, they will be fed by their parents for an additional 2 -3 weeks.  During this time, they will also begin to pick at food and eventually learn to eat on their own.  Fledglings benefit from watching their parents and siblings…chicks that are hand-reared are at a disadvantage in this respect, but will also respond to the ideas and foods mentioned below.

Hard seeds are a novel food for young Canaries, and acquiring the skill needed to open them takes practice.  A high protein diet remains important right through the first molt (which usually begins within 2 months of fledging), but eventually seeds should replace egg-based foods as their staple. 

Caution: Stress and Weight Loss

While it is important to encourage youngsters to accept hard seeds, bear in mind that dietary switches, and the loss of parental care, are very stressful events.  Stress can depress the immune system…if the birds are also losing weight, serious health problems can quickly take hold.  So it’s important to keep them feeding, even if this means that the transition to adult foods will be slow.  Continue to supply young birds with their favorites, such as egg food and sprouts, especially if they appear to be losing weight and slowing down.  Canaries have little in the way of food reserves, so be sure to seek veterinary advice quickly if your birds decline in condition.

Make all introductions gradually…even healthy foods may cause digestive upset if suddenly taken in large quantities.  And, as most parents will tell you, mixing with favorite foods, and other trickery, is critical if any young “creature” is to accept a new diet!

Useful Weaning Foods and Techniques

Couscous soaked in hot water is used by many breeders as a transition food.  I use soaked, crushed seeds in place of couscous, but several of my former coworkers at the Bronx Zoo report that Canaries eat it readily, and remain in good weight while adjusting to a seed-based diet.  If you opt for couscous, I suggest that you offer soaked, ground seeds as well.

Crushed softbill pellets (i.e. Softbill Select) can be mixed into the foods that the youngsters are accustomed to (typically Egg Food or a similar product).  This will provide additional nutrients and introduce new tastes.

Seeds that are just beginning to sprout (please see photo, and article below for sprouting info) are one of the best foods to introduce.  Most young Canaries relish sprouts; while pecking at the sprout the birds invariably hit the seed itself, and in time will begin to consume it as well. 

Mix some soaked seeds from your adult canary diet in among the sprouts to encourage further experimentation.  Once your birds are eating softened seeds, add crushed or ground hard seeds.  Coffee grinders or pestles can be used to break up seeds and render them easier to consume.

Please check out my posts on Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/findiviglio and Facebook http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000972624553.  Each day, I highlight breaking research, conservation news and interesting stories concerning just about every type of animal imaginable.  I look forward to hearing about your interests and experiences as well, and will use them in articles when possible.

Please also post your questions and comments below…I’ll be sure to respond quickly. 

Thanks, until next time,

Frank Indiviglio

Further Reading

Sprouting Seeds for Birds

Caring for Fledgling Canaries

Video: Canary fledgling being fed by parent

Canary Nesting image referenced from wikipedia and originally posted by Fir0002
Juvenile Canary image referenced from wikipedia and originally posted by Juan Emilio
Mixed Bean Sprouts image referenced from wikipedia and originally posted by Atelier Joly

Post from: That Bird Blog


Weaning Canaries – Encouraging Fledglings to Accept the Adult Diet

Harsh Conditions and Drastic Adaptations

The study, published in the journal Current Biology (October, 2011), was conducted by researchers based at the Australian National University.  The study site was at Cape York, Queensland, in Australia’s tropical northeast (Eclectus Parrots are also found on New Guinea and many Indonesian islands). 

The unusual behavior seems driven by the scarcity of safe nesting holes, which are generally located 90 feet or so above ground.  Nest sites closer to the ground are vulnerable to flooding, and to predation by scrub pythons and monitor lizards.  Females fight viciously over prime nest sites, and may occupy the same one for many years.

Female Eclectus chicks are easier to rear than males, and fledge as much as a week earlier than their brothers. Apparently, time is of the essence during very rainy years, or in particularly vulnerable nests, because females will kill the more “costly” male chicks when certain conditions are met.  In doing so, they increase the likelihood of successfully rearing at least 1 chick (only 2 eggs are produced).  Details need to be explored, as not every mother in a poor nest site will kill her male offspring, but the pattern is quite clear. 

Choosing the Chick’s Sex?

According to some researchers, females that typically use low nest hollows have evolved a way to choose the sex of their offspring, dispensing with males before they are born.

Other Eclectus Strategies

Some Eclectus Parrot populations are already skewed in favor of females.  I wonder if this helps to explain another of their odd breeding behaviors.  Unlike most parrots, female Eclectus will mate with multiple males, each of whom will feed her while she is on the nest. 

Females Eclectus Parrots rarely leave the nest hole during the nesting season, and so rely entirely upon their mate for food.   Multiple males were thought to be an “insurance” policy against the death of one.  But only a small percentage of females can find and keep safe nest sites.  Perhaps the males must share successful females if they are to have any chance of contributing to the next generation?

The fact that even such a popular, well-studied parrot holds such secrets is very exciting…we really never can tell what will come to light next!

Please check out my posts on Twitter  and Facebook.  Each day, I highlight breaking research, conservation news and interesting stories concerning just about every type of animal imaginable.  I look forward to hearing about your interests and experiences as well, and will use them in articles when possible.

Please also post your questions and comments below…I’ll be sure to respond quickly. 

Thanks, until next time,

Frank Indiviglio

Further Reading

Eclectus Parrots in the Wild and Captivity

Video: Eclectus Parrots “Chatting”

Typical and Unique Bird Breeding Strategies

Eclectus pair image referenced from wikipedia and originally posted by Doug Jansen
Eclectus juvenile male image referenced from wikipedia and originally posted by Sergio Almeida

Post from: That Bird Blog


During Hard Times, Eclectus Parrot Moms Kill Male Chicks and Raise Females

General Considerations

“Hand-reared” refers to chicks that are pulled from the nest soon after hatching and fed by hand until fledged.  Such birds have long been considered to be the gold standard in parrot pet.  However, behavioral problems that are sometimes exhibited by hand-reared individuals have led some to question the value of this technique. 

It is important to realize that parrots are intelligent, adaptable animals, and individuals develop distinct personalities.  This clouds the issue of hand vs. parent rearing, as experiences later in life can affect a parrot’s behavior, for better or worse, regardless of rearing technique.

Hand-Reared Parrots

As a general rule, hand-reared birds make ideal pets, being calmer around people and easier to tame than those raised by their parents. 

Many actively seek out human companionship and, indeed, may prefer people to their own species.  They tend to be less stressed by changes in their environments and novel objects or animals, and are more easily taught to perform tricks and imitate words.

The Down Side of Hand-Reared Parrots

The very traits mentioned above sometimes “backfire” and negatively impact both parrot and owner. 

Hand-reared parrots of either sex may see humans as both potential mates and competitors.  During the breeding season, and sometimes year-round, such birds can be very aggressive towards “mates” that do not respond appropriately (“appropriately” in parrot terms, that is!) and people who are viewed as competing for their “mate’s” attention.  This problem arises in many hand-reared animals…for example, I have been attacked by a “tame” Sambar buck (an elk-sized Asian deer) and offered mouse snacks by an amorous Great Horned Owl!

Also, such parrots are often poor breeders, failing to choose proper nesting sites or to feed their chicks appropriately.

Physically moving about can also be problematic for hand-reared parrots.  While equipped with instincts, young parrots also learn a great deal from their parents.  Activities such as climbing, manipulating food, flying and landing can be very challenging for those that have not had the benefit of parental training.

Co-Parenting

“Co-parenting” is a technique wherein parrots are fed and cared for by their parents but are handled by human caretakers on a daily basis as well.  In many ways it is an ideal compromise between hand and parent-rearing. Fifteen to thirty minutes of handling daily, beginning when the chicks are 4-5 weeks old, has been shown to produce relatively tame birds. 

Interestingly, some co-parented birds seem to be even less fearful of new objects and environmental changes than are hand-reared birds.  Co-parented parrots learn important physical skills from their parents and are often in better health and weight than those that are hand-reared (raising parrot chicks on formula is fraught with difficulties).

Co-Parenting Problems

Defensive behavior by parrot parents is a major co-parenting problem.  Even long-term, affectionate pets may violently defend their nests against intrusion.  In addition to the danger of severe bites, daily removal of the chicks can greatly stress the adults, leading to illnesses caused by weakened immune systems.  Stressed parents may also attack their chicks, often fatally.

Important Note: Parrot sellers sometimes claim that un-weaned parrot chicks (those still requiring hand-feeding) mature into the ultimate parrot pets.  However, feeding parrot chicks is a difficult task, with health problems and early fatalities being routine even in zoos.  Unless you are an expert, be sure to purchase only hand-raised parrots that are weaned and feeding on their own.  Please see this article for more on feeding parrot chicks.

Please check out my posts on Twitter and Facebook.  Each day, I highlight breaking research, conservation news and interesting stories concerning just about every type of animal imaginable.  I look forward to hearing about your interests and experiences as well, and will use them in articles when possible.

Please also post your questions and comments here…I’ll be sure to respond quickly. 

Thanks, until next time,

Frank Indiviglio

Further Reading

Affects of Hand-Rearing on Cockatiel Breeding Success

A UC Davis researcher’s work with hand-reared parrots

Imprinting in Birds

Post from: That Bird Blog


Myth-Busters – Do Hand-Reared or Parent-Reared Parrots Make Better Pets?

Why Mimic Speech?

Everything in nature has a purpose, and so ornithologists have long wondered why parrots have such extraordinary abilities to imitate speech, sounds and the calls of other birds…surely it cannot be just to entertain their owners!  We now have evidence that mimicry is likely vital to parrot social structure and survival.

Parrots Use and Remember Individual Names

Observations of captive parrots led ornithologists to believe that the birds were using distinct calls when “addressing” different individuals…in a sense, each bird seemed to have, and to respond to, a specific “name”. 

Studies of video-rigged Green Rumped Parrotlet nests in the Venezuelan llanos confirmed these beliefs.  Adults labeled their chicks with individual vocal signatures even before the chicks could imitate sounds.  As they matured, each chick responded to its “name”, and other flock members learned and mimicked these names.  Prior to this study, only humans and dolphins were known to use names for specific individuals.

These findings provide the first evidence of the transfer of a socially acquired trait among parrots.  Researchers believe that individual names are particularly useful to those species that utilize a fluid social structure, in which flock members come and go.  The process also makes sense when viewed in light of several other parrot characteristics, such as long-term parental care and the high level of cooperation between flock members.

Future Research

It is speculated that individual parrots that “call another by name” are opening the door to further, more complex communication…future research will concentrate on this possibility.  Also, it is hoped that an understanding of parrot communication will assist in studies of speech acquisition and learning difficulties in humans.

Another recent study has shown that some parrots understand what they are saying to humans, and use specific words appropriately.  Please check out this article for the amazing details.

So, next time your parrot talks, pay attention…it may know and understand far more than you expect!

Please check out my posts on Twitter and Facebook.  Each day, I highlight breaking research, conservation news and interesting stories concerning just about every type of animal imaginable.  I look forward to hearing about your interests and experiences as well, and will use them in articles when possible.

Please also post your questions and comments here…I’ll be sure to respond quickly. 

Thanks, until next time,

Frank Indiviglio

Further Reading

Abstract of the article on name use in Parrotlets

Video of Parrotlets in nest (taken during the study)

Parrotlets as Pets

Green Rumped Parrotlets image referenced from wikipedia and originally posted by Kulyka

Post from: That Bird Blog


Bird Research – Parrot Parents Give Specific “Names” to their Chicks!

Enthusiastic Breeders

Zebra Finches provide an excellent introduction to captive bird breeding.  They are native to Australia’s hot, dry grasslands and have evolved the ability to reproduce whenever ideal conditions (i.e. rain and mild temperatures) present themselves.  

Unlike most birds, Zebra Finches that that are always supplied with ample food and nesting sites may breed year-round, producing 6 or more clutches (this is a drain on the hen, however- please see below).  What’s more, they are wonderful parents and their courtship rituals and care of the young are a joy to observe.

Determining the Sex

The sex of normally-colored Zebra Finches is easy to determine.  Adult males sport black bars on the breast and bright orange cheek-patches, both of which are absent in females (please see photo of female with chicks). 

Youngsters under 5-6 weeks of age are impossible to sex visually (please see photo of chicks).  Many color phases have been produced by breeders, and among these, differences between the sexes may be difficult to discern; behavior is your best guide here. Courting males sing and “bounce” before females, and may offer nesting material as well. 

Zebra Finches may become sexually mature when only 3 months old, but it is best to wait until they are 9-12 months of age before allowing them to breed.

Diet

While Zebra Finches may reproduce and rear young when provided with a seed-only diet, breeders are best given fresh sprouts, small live or canned insects and egg food in addition to a high-quality basic seed mix. 

Cuttlebone should always be available, especially when eggs are being produced, as the female’s calcium needs will soar.

The Cage and Breeding Supplies

People tend to keep finches in small cages, but they really should be given as much room as possible. This is especially true for a breeding pair.  Bear in mind that once the hatchlings leave the nest, they will be fed by their parents for an additional 2-4 weeks.  Therefore, your cage must be large enough for up to 8 birds.  An aviary style or “flight cage” is ideal.  You can breed Zebra Finches communally in an outdoor aviary, but do not keep more than a single nesting pair in an indoor cage.

The cage should be located in a quiet location, and stocked with ample supplies of commercial nesting material or dried grass (do not use string).  A covered wicker nest box will be readily accepted, although some pairs prefer to construct their own domed nest. 

Courtship and Nesting

The male may follow the female about with bits of grass, apparently to “show off’ his nesting prowess.  He usually does most of the actual nest-building, and the female incubates the eggs. 

The eggs hatch in approximately 14 days…remove them if they have not hatched by day 21, as they are either infertile or something has gone awry during development.  The chicks fledge at age 20-22 days, and are fed by their parents for an additional 2-3 weeks.  They acquire their adult plumage and orange beaks by week 5-6, at which time they should be removed to a cage of their own.

Caution…“Over-Production”

Well-fed Zebra Finches will usually re-nest several times, but it is best to limit them to 2-4 clutches per year.  More than that may tax the female’s strength and shorten her lifespan (and what will you do with 25-35 more finches!). 

The presence of a nest site and nest material seems to stimulate them to breed, so remove these when you wish to give your breeders some “time-off”.

Please check out my posts on Twitter and Facebook.  Each day, I highlight breaking research, conservation news and interesting stories concerning just about every type of animal imaginable.  I look forward to hearing about your interests and experiences as well, and will use them in articles when possible.

Please also post your questions and comments here…I’ll be sure to respond quickly. 

Thanks, until next time,

Frank Indiviglio

Further Reading

Zebra Finch Facts and History in the Pet Trade  

Video: Tame Zebra Finches nesting in tree

Observations on wild Zebra Finches and other Australian birds

Zebra finch pair image referenced from wikipedia and originally posted by Keith Gerstung and uploaded by Snowmanradio

Zebra finch female with chicks image referenced from wikipedia and originally posted by Lip Kee Yap and uploaded by Snowmanradio

Post from: That Bird Blog


Breeding Zebra Finches

Crop Milk

Pigeons and doves depart radically from other birds when it comes to rearing their chicks.  Rather than providing them with insects or fruit, breeding adults produce a semi-solid nestling food known as pigeon milk or crop milk.  While not related to mammalian milk, there certainly are some parallels. 

The “milk” is secreted from the lining of the crop, which is a food storage organ located at the end of the esophagus (base of the throat) of most birds.  It is higher in protein (38%) and fat (58%) than both cow and human milk, and allows for very rapid growth.  Crop milk also contains several vitamins and minerals, and is produced by both males and females.

Birds in several other families have also evolved a milk-like nestling food.  Interestingly, that produced by Flamingos contains red and white blood cells.

Foster Parents

This is all very interesting, but the unique nature of crop milk renders it difficult to duplicate.  Consequently, orphaned pigeons and doves can be troublesome to hand-rear. 

In fact, at the Bronx Zoo I used Ring-necked Doves as “foster parents” for chicks of the highly-endangered Pink Pigeon…this proved far more effective than hand-rearing.  By the time the Pink Pigeon squabs were ready to fledge, they were twice the size of their foster parents.  I still do not understand how the little Ring-necks produced so much food (I was working on a “double-clutching” experiment at the time.  The first Pink Pigeon clutch was pulled, so that the female would produce another batch of eggs.).

Artificial Crop Milk

If you need to raise a squab and lack a foster parent, I suggest contacting a licensed wildlife rehabilitator (please see the National Bird Rehabilitatiors for help in locating someone).  Squabs feed in an unusual manner, making it quite easy for beginners to introduce formula into the trachea rather than the esophagus.

Folks with some experience may wish to try preparing their own crop milk.  A formula known as MacMilk has proven very useful.  It contains, among other ingredients, yogurt, egg yolk, baby food and cod liver oil.  Please see the article below for instructions on its preparation and use. 

Commercially prepared crop milk replacements are also sometimes available…check the National Pigeon Association or similar organizations for leads.

Further Reading

Crop Milk Replacer: Preparation and Use

Tropical pigeons and doves are growing in popularity among aviculturists…please see my article Three Spectacular Tropical Pigeons

for more info.

Helping Orphaned Birds

Please write in with your questions and comments. 

Thanks, until next time,

Frank Indiviglio

Feral Rock Dove Chicks in nest image referenced from wikipedia and originally posted by Aran Johnson

Columba livia 22 days old image referenced from wikipedia and originally posted by Mogor

Post from: That Bird Blog


Hand-Rearing Young Pigeons and Doves

Cheating…Zebra Finch Style

Researchers at Bavaria’s Max Planck Institute for Ornithology (the former stomping grounds of the legendary animal behaviorist Konrad Lorenz) have discovered that certain female Zebra Finches specialize in taking advantage of their neighbors’ nests. 

Unlike cuckoos and other brood parasites, which lay eggs in the nests of unrelated birds (please see photo of a Reed Warbler feeding a Cuckoo chick), Zebra Finch females parasitize their own species.  Also unique is the fact that, in addition to the foster eggs, the “cheating” Zebra Finch moms also raise a separate clutch of eggs themselves (cowbirds and others typically raise no eggs of their own).

Stealth Required

Utilizing genetic techniques, the ornithologists at Max Planck were able to determine that 1 in 5 Zebra Finch nests contained eggs that were not produced by the female sitting on the nest. 

Only a small number of females resorted to parasitism, but they seem to be very skilled at it.  Females seeking to use another’s nest must watch their victims carefully – if they lay before the foster female does, she will abandon the nest; wait too long, however, and the foster female will begin incubating her own eggs and leave little opportunity for additions to the clutch.  Most parasitic females laid their eggs after the first or second egg was produced by the foster mom.

Evolution in Progress?

We may be seeing evolution at work – female finches that dole out their eggs wind up producing the same number of fledglings (in their own and foster nests) as do females that reproduce in the more usual manner.  Depending upon whether or not this trend continues or changes, brood parasitism may become the norm for Zebra Finches, or it may disappear altogether.

Further Reading

The Zebra Finch has been dubbed the “Lab Mouse of the Bird World”; read more about its important contributions in The Unknown Side of the Zebra Finch.

Pin Tailed Whydahs as brood parasites in Uganda.

Please write in with your questions and comments. 

Thanks, until next time,

Frank Indiviglio

 
Male Zebra Finch image referenced from wikipedia and originally posted by Peripitus
Warbler feeding cuckoo image referenced from wikipedia and originally posted by H Olsen

Post from: That Bird Blog


Crafty Brood Parasites – Some Zebra Finches Lay Eggs in Neighbors’ Nests

Diet

Silverbills fare well on relatively simple diets – a high quality finch seed mix along with some greens and sprouts    will meet their needs.  Tiny mealworms, crickets and other insects may be offered to nesting pairs, but the addition of extra sprouts is all that most parents need in order to successfully raise their young.

African or Warbling Silverbill, Lonchura cantans

This attractive, 4 inch-long native of Central and West Africa is clad in creamy-brown and sports dark brown wings and a black tail.  It favors savannas and other grassy habitats, farms and villages, and often nests under the roof eves and within open-fronted buildings.

The sexes are similar in appearance and best distinguished by the male’s quiet, pleasant song.  Pairs are inoffensive to other finches and their own kind, even when on the nest.  This suits them well to mixed species aviaries, but they must be protected against more aggressive species, however small.

Female African Silverbills usually produce 4 eggs, which are incubated for an average of 13 days.  The chicks fledge in 21-25 days, and a second and even third clutch may follow.  African Silverbills make excellent parents… in fact, they are sometimes used to foster the chicks of other, more highly-strung species of finch.

Indian Silverbill, Lonchura malabarica

Perhaps because of the muted colors of its plumage, the Indian Silverbill has never been very popular among aviculturists in the USA.  This, I believe, is a mistake – I had a chance to work closely with these delightful little birds in a large aviary and found them to have a unique beauty all their own.  The background color ranges from tan to light brown, with white highlights about the head; the tail is a darker shade of brown and the under-parts are buff-colored.

This 4.5 inch-long finch inhabits open woodlands, parks and gardens in India, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan.  It is intolerant of cold, damp conditions, but is otherwise extremely hardy.  The sexes are best distinguished by their behavior, but same-sex pairs are commonly formed.

The Indian Silverbill is a prolific breeder…oddly for such a tiny bird, clutches may contain 10-12 eggs, with up to 3 clutches per year being produced by some (well-fed!) females. Otherwise, their reproductive biology is similar to related species, with the eggs being incubated for 12-13 days and the nestlings fledging by day 21.

Gray-Headed or Pearl-Headed Silverbill, Lonchura caniceps

Many aviculturists find this Silverbill to be the most attractive of the group.  Its head is a unique shade of gray, and the cheeks and throat are heavily spotted in white.  The body, rich brown in color, is tinged with pink, while the wings and tail are black. 

Pearl-Headed Silverbills hail from East Africa, where they occupy open habitats from southern Ethiopia to Tanzania.  They are quite trusting and friendly in demeanor, to people and other birds alike.

Pearl Headed Silverbills are among the best finches with which to hone one’s breeding skills, even allowing close nest inspections in many cases (but don’t push your luck!).

Further Reading

African Silverbill information and Face Book Page.

Please write in with your questions and comments. 

Thanks, until next time,

Frank Indiviglio

Indian Silverbill image referenced from wikipedia and originally posted by J.M.Garg 

Post from: That Bird Blog


Ideal Finches for Beginning Bird Breeders – The Silverbills

Chemical “messages” deposited in the egg somehow communicate what type of environment, in terms of food availability, the chicks should “expect” upon hatching.  By switching eggs among the nests of parents with access to differing amounts of food, the researchers established that the chicks’ begging behavior was established prior to hatching.

Food Rich vs. Food-Poor Habitats

Well-fed and malnourished female Canaries provided different information to their chicks.

Chicks that will be raised in a food-rich environment are primed to beg vigorously, so as to get the most food possible and grow quickly (the loudest, most aggressive “begger” will get more food from its parents than quieter siblings).

Chicks whose parents will be unable to provide food in abundance are more subdued in their efforts.  In theory, by conserving energy that would be wasted on “pointless” begging, the chicks can put more of their limited resources into growth. 

In each situation, rapid growth and quick fledging are encouraged by the chicks’ behavior. 

It has been known for quite some time that birds can influence the development of egg-bound chicks.  However, it was always assumed that messages provided by the mother would be for the purpose of assisting her survival…this is the first evidence that chicks can also benefit.

Take-Home Message for Bird Owners

This newly discovered information reinforces the importance of providing your Canaries and other birds with nutritious foods in generous proportions, especially as the breeding season approaches. 

Useful foods for pre-conditioning potential Canary parents include fresh sprouts (our Sprout Pot is an excellent source) and greens, egg food and small live and Canned Insects.

Further Reading

The background research that eventually led to this interesting discovery can be found in this National Academy of Sciences article.

You can see a video of a pair of Canaries feeding their chicks Here.

Please write in with your questions and comments. 

Thanks, until next time,

Frank Indiviglio

Post from: That Bird Blog


Canary Chicks Learn “What to Expect” from their Mother…Before Hatching!

Infection and Immunity

Many parrots, most pigeons and certain other birds (chickens) carry the single-celled bacterium that causes Psittacosis yet remain in good health. 

Known as Chlamydophila psittaci, this micro-organism may not even show up in routine fecal tests, despite being present in the bird.  Chlamydophila psittaci is present in many commercial aviaries…chicks are infected by their parents.  Typically, infected chicks quickly develop an immune response that battles the bacterium, and by age 6 – 12 months are largely immune to the particular strain of C. psittaci to which they were exposed.

How Birds Become Ill

Problems arise when these young birds enter the pet trade – shipment to pet stores, overcrowding, a noisy environment filled with people and similar situations cause the birds a great deal of stress.  This stress weakens the immune system and the bacteria already present in the bird are then able to multiply and cause a serious infection. 

Illness can also occur when birds from different breeders are mixed together at pet stores or in one’s home.  The immunity that birds acquire when exposed to low levels of C. psittaci (in the aviary in which they were hatched) is usually effective only against 1 particular strain of the bacteria.  When mixed with birds carrying other strains of C. psittaci, they become ill.

Symptoms/Diagnosis of Chlamydia Infection

Birds rendered ill by exposure to C. psittaci usually develop a respiratory infection.  Their inflamed sinus cavities leak fluids, which eventually ooze out of the nares (nostrils).  These fluids dampen and mat the feathers around the upper bill and cause the bird to sneeze.  In severe cases, the nostrils become blocked, leaving the bird to “pant” with its bill open in an attempt to breathe.  Red, irritated eyes, puffed up feathers and a lethargic demeanor (please see photo of Heron) are also typically seen in birds suffering from respiratory infections.

The liver and other internal organs, air sacs and genitals may also be colonized by bacteria in time.  Birds that recover may suffer reproductive problems if their genitals had been involved in the infection.

Chlamydia infection may be diagnosed by laboratory examination of the stool, fluids leaking from the nares, blood or affected tissues.  Treatment with Doxycycline is often effective.

People at Risk

The immune systems of most healthy adults prevent C. psittaci from causing any ill effects. 

However, immunocompromised people (those with immune systems weakened by HIV or other conditions), the elderly, and infants are at serious risk.  It is strongly suggested that you speak with your personal physician before acquiring a parrot or other bird if you or anyone in your household could be seriously affected by exposure to C. psittaci.  Remember, the bird does not need to be ill in order to infect a person – immune birds, as described above, will appear to be in perfect health.

Further Reading

You can read about other Zoonotic Diseases (those that can be passed from animals to people) on the website of the Arizona Exotic Animal Hospital.

Please write in with your questions and comments. 

Thanks, until next time,

Frank Indiviglio

Post from: That Bird Blog


Chlamydia Infection (Psittacosis) in Birds – What are the Risks to Bird Owners?