Trouble Perching

I have a mustached parakeet who seems to be in good health- he still has some barbering issues, but he eats well, active, clear eyes, clean vent, etc.

But the last 2 nights (3 am and 5 am), I think he fell off his perch. It scared the budgies in the adjacent cage who started flapping around, which is the only reason I knew something was up- Icarus didn't make any noise. I just found him standing on the cage floor in the same spot both nights. So, I'm not even 100% sure he fell.

Then he has trouble with his left foot- he's reluctant to open it and has trouble getting a grip on a perch. He's very unresponsive in general at these times; I think he's barely awake. But during the day he perches just fine.

Does anyone know what might be causing this? Could his leg be falling asleep?

If it happens a third time I'm taking him to a vet.

I would suggest that you take him to the vet right away. I had a cockatiel of 18 years who exhibited similar symptoms, and it turned out to be kidney disease. I hope this is not the case for your parakeet, but just in case it is time is of the essence.

As the vet explained to me, kidney damage is irreversible. But the progression can be slowed and the effects mitigated. Basically, my cockatiel had lost his ability to grip because the avian central nervous system travels directly between the kidneys. So when the kidneys become inflamed and swell up in the lower back region, the nerves that lead to their feet get constricted and they lose their ability to grip.

This situation gets progressively worse until even standing is no longer a possibility. So please do not hesitate.

Also, until you get to the bottom of what's going on, you should rearrange his perches so that they're all low to the floor of his cage. Falling badly can cause him to break a foot or, even worse, the keel bone.

I dearly hope what's happening has nothing to do with his kidneys, but it's much better to be safe than sorry.

I would have Icarus thoroughly examined by an avian veterinarian, blood work up and everything. Hopefully, the vet can determine the underlying causes.

Tumors in the reproductive organs can also cause symptoms like this so yes, definitely get him checked out asap

Update on Icarus:
He had a similar episode last Tuesday, but without the bizarre unresponsiveness. So, I took him to the vet Thursday afternoon.
She confirmed that he looks very healthy, and all his blood-work came back normal. She reported that his liver and kidney are functioning "beautifully."
So unfortunately his episodes remain a mystery, but I have some peace of mind and am going to pick up a nightlight for the room in case this is due to something spooking him.

Thanks for the advice.

He could be having seizures (parrots can be epileptic) or possibly a stroke, neither of which would show up on blood tests. My moms GCA had a stroke several years back- fell off his perch in the dead of night and didn't regain mobility in one foot and wing for months, and has had limited flight abilities since. His blood work and fecal exams came back normal too.

How long have you had Icarus? If he's new to you, it may not be panic time quite yet. Night frights are relatively common in parrots, and some do better with a light at night. If he's been with you for years and years, and never done this before, it's time to dig deeper (though with some things, theres not much you can do). I might also suggest wrapping his favorite sleeping perch in vet-wrap or fleece for extra grip. A very wide perch or platform may be necessary as well. Barney the GCA has to sleep on a very wide branch wrapped in fleece now and it helps him keep a good, comfortable grip at night and has a night light.

I've had him for close to 3.5 years. The vet didn't suggest seizures or strokes, and I really don't think that's what it is. Daytime behavior is perfectly normal, and even during the "episodes" he doesn't seem upset at all. Especially this last one- he was just standing calmly on the floor of his cage. It's only the budgies getting upset that alerts me that something's up.

His sleeping perch is rope, so there isn't likely to be a slipping issue. I'm hoping the nightlight will solve the issue.

To mitigate dangers of falling, maybe at nighttime, lower all perches near to the floor of the cage? Line with a towel?