Confirm It Is Truly Sick or Injured The bird is quiet, dull, the eyes may be closed, and it has fluffed feathers (the bird looks “puffed up”). It may have an obvious wound, breathing problems, a drooping wing, or show lameness or an inability to stand. It does not fly away when approached.
The typical signs of a sick bird are often referred to as the 'sick bird look' or SBL. This is typically a bird that is quiet, eyes closed and feathers fluffed up. When a bird is in this condition, it means they have lost the ability to pretend they are well, and are now very ill.
Any songbird you find on the ground who is an adult, rather than a fledgling, and who does not immediately fly away from you is in need of help. The bird is either sick or injured and must be taken right away to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator.
If you have found a sick or injured bird it will need to see a vet before coming into care. If you are able to safely contain the bird, you can keep it in a quiet, dark, warm place e.g. wrapped in a towel in a ventilated box or carrier with a lid while you transport it to the nearest vet.
Foods to offer: seed, millet, pellets, some fresh fruit, or easily digestible human foods such as mashed ripe bananas, applesauce, strained or soft vegetables such as peas or vegetables, infant rice cereal or baby food, oatmeal, or ground up pellets mixed with fruit juice.
If you find a sick or injured bird, contact a wildlife rehabilitator or local veterinarian to see if they are able to care for it. Make sure you call first as some clinics don't have the facilities to isolate sick birds, and can't take the risk of spreading a communicable disease among their other birds.
Although an ill bird may peck at his food and pretend to eat, he will actually swallow little or nothing. As a result, hand-feeding or spoon-feeding is the best option. On some occasions, your bird may need to be tube-fed. If this is the case, consult your veterinarian for instructions on how to properly do this.
Sick pets need extra calories to fight illness and recover. Without adequate nutrition and fluids, sick birds will not get better. If your bird is not eating and drinking as he normally would, notify your veterinarian immediately. He may need to be hospitalized for force feeding if he will not eat on his own.
Echinacea Happy Bird is known for its immunostimulating and antiviral properties, it is useful for promoting the immune system and treating the symptoms of bird colds. It is a real natural antibiotic, widely used for the treatment of respiratory diseases.
Place the wild bird in a cardboard box and cover it with a lid or towel. Then place the box in a cool, safe place to give the wild bird time to recover from the shock of the injury. Be careful when handling the injured bird; use gloves to protect yourself from any disease or germ.
Put it back in the nest if it doesn't have feathers
If the bird is very small and still featherless, you should place it back in its nest. If you can't find the nest, put the bird on a branch safely out of reach of dogs and cats.
Signs of Avian Flu Illness in Birds Sudden death; lack of energy, appetite and coordination; purple discoloration and/or swelling of various body parts; diarrhea; nasal discharge; coughing; sneezing; and reduced egg production and/or abnormal eggs.
Symptoms of a depressed bird can include: Fluffed-up feathers. Loss of appetite. Change in droppings.
Stress Lines/Bars – A physical indicator that your bird us stressed is the visible appearance of stress lines or “stress bars” on their feathers. Stress lines are small lines that run down the shafts of the feathers. Look at the bird's feathers for an indication if they suffering stress lines.
Many vitamins, minerals and other nutrients and substances are available in ACV to improve the health of your bird. ACV can provide them with enzymes and important minerals, such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulphur, chlorine, phosphorus, iron, silicon and other trace minerals.
Apple cider vinegar (ACV) is an ideal way to introduce organically produced acid into your birds' diet. Acetic Acid aids the birds' digestion and the break down of food; this in turn prevents illnesses that can be caused by undigested food.
Small amounts of fruit, such as berries, grapes and pieces of melon, mango, papaya, apple and pear are also a good option for birds. Bird-specific treats found in pet stores are another option.
There are many causes of anorexia and lethargy in pet birds, including cancer, viral or bacterial infections, fungal or yeast infections, external and intestinal parasites, endocrine or hormonal diseases, toxicities, nutritional imbalances, and organ-specific problems such as liver, heart, or kidney failure.
A bird that is sick will be less likely to vocalize or sing than a bird that is healthy. If your bird isn't as talkative as normal, be attentive to its other behavior, because something might be wrong. It is also possible that your bird's voice might begin to sound different if it is sick.
Most casual bird owners don't weigh their birds very often, so it's important to work with a vet to check a bird's weight. Sometimes you can tell by feeling the keel bone, the bone that runs down the center of the bird's chest -- if it sticks out like a razor, the bird is starving!
A bird usually develops a bacterial infection when she has poor hygiene or when she is experiencing high emotional or environmental stress levels. The two most-common types of bacterial infections seen in birds are staphylococci and streptococci, but they're not the only ones a bird can develop.