My bird can't fly. How to diagnose internal or external illness?

Internal diseases in birds can spread in many different ways- nasal secretion, lacrimal secretion, droppings and direct contact. him not being able to fly can be due to various reasons as well, i would recommend taking him to an avian vet specialist in order to get it checked.

Thanks for your question, and I am sorry that Spartan is not feeling well! I would agree with your thought about taking her to a veterinarian. We worry that when birds are having trouble flying that they may not be feeling well or that they have pain somewhere. To add to this, it is worrisome that she is letting you handle her since this is not normal for Spartan. At your veterinarian's office, they can perform a thorough examination and they may recommend performing diagnostic testing depending on what they find on exam. This may include performing radiographs (x-rays) or systemic blood work. Then they can make recommendations for treatments based on their findings as well. I hope that this gives you a place to start, and that Spartan feels better soon!

Thanks for reaching out about Kiki. Did the veterinary perform any diagnostics tests such as blood work or radiographs? Age can prevent flying as the bones become weaker or muscle atrophy. Determining the cause of the weakness might provide an avenue of treatment. Good luck.

Hello. I am very sorry to hear that Blue is having such trouble. This actually sounds very serious to me and I would urge you to take Blue to a veterinarian as soon as possible. I wouldn’t wait, since birds can deteriorate and die very quickly and Blue already sounds quite unstable. I’m sorry to relay this news and wish I had an easy solution for you. In the meantime, please keep Blue warm and quiet in a small cage or box. If he’s alert enough to eat, offer whatever he wants or is willing to eat. Best of luck.

Thanks for reaching out about Koko and including a photo. With the fall, there are worries about a fractured limb (likely a leg). You might have to travel to the vet as this is probably beyond what can be done at home. A warm environment, remove perches to prevent further falling. Diet needs to be appropriate to facilitate bone growth, healing and health. Is there a wildlife rehabilitation group local that can help? Good luck.

I'm sorry to hear Scooby isn't doing well. Weight loss and the inability to fly are concerning problems that could be caused by a number of things including poor diet, internal parasites, illness and injury. Making sure Scooby is on a balanced diet is a good first step, however I would also recommend bringing him into your local vet to check for any parasites or underlying illness that could be causing his symptoms. Moving him to a warm hospital cage if he is housed with other birds, and with easy access to food and water may also help until you can be seen by your vet.

You bird is very sick, but i couldn't tell you what is wrong based on these very general symptoms, you will need to take him to an avian vet where a blood test and faecal exam will be done to determine what is the cause of the disease.