Puffy bird meanings 🚨

[Safamirza🤍]

Hello! I have a 3-5 month old cockatiel named Kiko

First of all I would like to say, I have really enjoyed posting on parrotforums and I love the sweet, fairly quick replies by all of you wonderful people! Thank you 🤍

I just wanted some info on birds and puffing up. I have heard it is one of the more common symptoms of a sick bird, but I also know birds get puffy when their comfortable.

When does it become a concern that your bird is puffy? Is the bird sick when the feathers are ruffled and puffy? I have a picture below of Kiko being puffy. He’s not constantly puffy, and his behaviour doesn’t look to be that he’s sick, but I don’t know how to tell between “sick puffy” and “normal puffy”

I think that in the pictures below he’s “normal puffy” but I’ve looked up sick puffy birds and I don’t know the difference! Can someone let me know when it might become a concern big enough to take him to the vet in the future?

Thank you! 🪶

QUICK UPDATE: I replied to someone below, and I was wondering if someone else can also give me some info on the reply. Thanks! Here is the reply btw:

He doesn’t do it all the time, just when he’s sleepy or comfy with us. I wanted to mention some other behaviour I’m unaware of quickly!

Sometimes he squints his eyes and looks sleepy. Is it only a health concern when his eyes are half closed all the time?

Sometimes he randomly starts to bite for no reason and acts a bit mean. Is this normal? (He isn’t mean all the time!) Also, almost every day, when he’s on top of the cage in the morning time, he does this thing where he whistles and screams, but if you try to touch him during this time, he bites and gets angry. I’m so confused idk what this means!

Sometimes his feet get warm or kind of hot, when he’s on us. When does warm feet become a health issue?

I heard ruffled feathers = sick bird. Are the pics below what ruffled Feathers are? Or if you look at the 2 pics from before his stomach looks a bit “ruffled.” 👇

His poops are always normal, but sometimes, he passes clear/foggy thick liquid with a bit of poop in it. Is that pee? Is it normal? There is a pic below of it 👇

The pics are attached below now too! (Last 3)

 

[BirdyBee]

'Sick puffy' is when they are just doing nothing most of the day, wings are hanging, bird is lethargic etc. Normal puffy would be when you are cuddling, he is taking a nap, sitting on your shoulder, preening etc. If he isn't normally like that, it'd be a good reason of concern, but if it's a normal thing, then I wouldn't be too concerned

 

[BirdyBee]

'Sick puffy' is when they are just doing nothing most of the day, wings are hanging, bird is lethargic etc. Normal puffy would be when you are cuddling, he is taking a nap, sitting on your shoulder, preening etc. If he isn't normally like that, it'd be a good reason of concern, but if it's a normal thing, then I wouldn't be too concerned

It looks like normal puffy. He only does it at certain times, like cuddle or preening time, right, Or when you are interacting and he is getting comfortable?

 

[Safamirza🤍]

It looks like normal puffy. He only does it at certain times, like cuddle or preening time, right, Or when you are interacting and he is getting comfortable?

He doesn’t do it all the time, just when he’s sleepy or comfy with us. I wanted to mention some other behaviour I’m unaware of quickly!

Sometimes he squints his eyes and looks sleepy. Is it only a health concern when his eyes are half closed all the time?

Sometimes he randomly starts to bite for no reason and acts a bit mean. Is this normal? (He isn’t mean all the time!) Also, almost every day, when he’s on top of the cage in the morning time, he does this thing where he whistles and screams, but if you try to touch him during this time, he bites and gets angry. I’m so confused idk what this means!

Sometimes his feet get warm or kind of hot, when he’s on us. When does warm feet become a health issue?

I heard ruffled feathers = sick bird. Are the pics below what ruffled Feathers are? Or if you look at the 2 pics from before his stomach looks a bit “ruffled.” 👇

His poops are always normal, but sometimes, he passes clear/foggy thick liquid with a bit of poop in it. Is that pee? Is it normal? There is a pic below of it 👇

 

[BirdyBee]

@HeatherG

 

[Safamirza🤍]

Hello! I have a 3-5 month old cockatiel named Kiko

First of all I would like to say, I have really enjoyed posting on parrotforums and I love the sweet, fairly quick replies by all of you wonderful people! Thank you 🤍

I just wanted some info on birds and puffing up. I have heard it is one of the more common symptoms of a sick bird, but I also know birds get puffy when their comfortable.

When does it become a concern that your bird is puffy? Is the bird sick when the feathers are ruffled and puffy? I have a picture below of Kiko being puffy. He’s not constantly puffy, and his behaviour doesn’t look to be that he’s sick, but I don’t know how to tell between “sick puffy” and “normal puffy”

I think that in the pictures below he’s “normal puffy” but I’ve looked up sick puffy birds and I don’t know the difference! Can someone let me know when it might become a concern big enough to take him to the vet in the future?

Thank you! 🪶

QUICK UPDATE: I replied to someone below, and I was wondering if someone else can also give me some info on the reply. Thanks! Here is the reply btw:

He doesn’t do it all the time, just when he’s sleepy or comfy with us. I wanted to mention some other behaviour I’m unaware of quickly!

Sometimes he squints his eyes and looks sleepy. Is it only a health concern when his eyes are half closed all the time?

Sometimes he randomly starts to bite for no reason and acts a bit mean. Is this normal? (He isn’t mean all the time!) Also, almost every day, when he’s on top of the cage in the morning time, he does this thing where he whistles and screams, but if you try to touch him during this time, he bites and gets angry. I’m so confused idk what this means!

Sometimes his feet get warm or kind of hot, when he’s on us. When does warm feet become a health issue?

I heard ruffled feathers = sick bird. Are the pics below what ruffled Feathers are? Or if you look at the 2 pics from before his stomach looks a bit “ruffled.” 👇

His poops are always normal, but sometimes, he passes clear/foggy thick liquid with a bit of poop in it. Is that pee? Is it normal? There is a pic below of it 👇

The pics are attached below now too! (Last 3)

 

[Laurasea]

It is a little tricky. As mentioned both naps with you and or a sign of illness.

The poop picture, not much fecal. Then you need to be giving him food breaks or have food available when he is out. Burds hsve a very high metabolism and need to eat all day long. If food is regularly available all the time then this poop would indicate eating less. Edit: eating less = sick bird, or one time only not a big deal can be a stress poop.

Knowing your birds weight and check and log. As weight loss indicate health issues.

Any concerns with burds should be checked with avian veterinarian.

Diet and health are inked. An all seed diet will lead to sick birds

Absolutely beautiful tiel!!!!

Going Light and the Sick Bird Look - Bird Vet Melbourne

My Bird Looks Fluffed Up, What Should I Do? My bird looks 'fluffed up' - what should I do? Going Light and the Sick Bird Look . Birds in the wild have a natural instinct to hide their illness or injury so that they do not become a target for predation. This means that a

birdvetmelbourne.com

Pet Bird and Parrot Behavior – Pet Birds by Lafeber Co.

Pet bird and parrot behavior information.

lafeber.com

 

[HeatherG]

No, what you show in your photo of his wing is not what’s meant by “ruffled feathers” and a sick bird. That’s a damaged or frayed feather on an area that gets knocked and battered in cage birds. It’s nothing to worry about.

Sitting ALL THE TIME with eyes half closed and squinty can indicate illness. Everyone gets sleepy or bored and sits with their eyes half-closed some of the time. YOU sometimes squint your eyes and look sleepy, right? So does your bird.

Hot feet are a normal bird thing. Birds can lose a lot of heat through the feet if they’re too warm. Their body regulates blood flow to their feet in order to manage temperature since they can’t sweat. Some birds drop liquid poops on their feet when hot so they can cook by evaporative cooling. Kind of gross, huh? I’m referring to buzzards in that case.

The poop photo shows a lot of urine. It’s unusual to have a bird poop be all urine. Laurasea has explained that. Her advice looks excellent to me.

Your tiel is lovely. I’m starting to miss having a sweet cockatiel.

 

[HeatherG]

Morning singing and loud time is normal for any parrot. He needs to burn off that energy and tell all his competitors in your home that he’s there. He’s just busy and worked up—that’s why you get bit if you bother him at that time.

Enjoy this handsome young bird and watch his feather language change with his moods. You should begin to understand how he’s feeling based on how his feathers and body position look, including that handy crest that cockatiels have. You’ll figure it out!