My bird is regurgitating and losing many feathers. Is he sick?

Thanks for reaching out about Loki. Regurgitation can have a long list of causes including stress, metabolic disorders, hormones, infections, toxicities and ingested foreign bodies, to list a few. What is slightly worrisome is the lethargy and sleepiness. Molting can also be a result of illness, and this is not the typical season for molting. A veterinary visit is recommended to assess and provide a diagnostic/treatment plan and also to review diet and husbandry. Good luck.

If Baru is regurgitating to the point of losing weight it sounds as if there may be a deeper problem going on. Prolonged stress or illness may both cause chronic regurgitation, as well as some infections, parasites and even obstructions of the crop or digestive tract. Since he is losing weight and doing it a lot, it is best to bring him to a local avian vet for a complete exam to figure out the underlying cause.

If Enzo was bobbing his head up and down, he was likely regurgitating. Birds do this to share food or feed their mates, chicks or owners. It is a high compliment if he regurgitated for you! Vomiting is a symptom of a sick bird and is characterized by a quick flicking of the head from side to side as ingesta is ejected. This requires veterinary attention.

Thanks for reaching out about Bulbul. Is this bird only 8 days old? Regurgitation is not normal, but could be due to over-feeding, a crop infection or impaction, sub-optimal husbandry, viral diseases, and other. Older birds are more likely to have eaten a foreign body, something toxic, metabolic diseases, and others. If continues to regurgitate, a veterinary visit is recommended. Good luck.

Birds can regurgitate as a sign of affection and if she is attempting to build a nest or make a nest of blankets this could be the case. However, if she appears at all ill, or has other symptoms such as listless behavior, refusal to eat or drink, changes in stool habits, swollen crop, etc, in addition to the regurgitation, then a vet visit is best to rule out any health issues.

Thanks for reaching out about Mushi. Regurgitation can be caused by ingested foreign bodies or toxins, metabolic disorders (liver, renal), infections (fungal, bacterial), and other problems. A veterinary visit is recommended to assess and provide a diagnostic/treatment plan. Each cause has a different treatment and prognosis. Provide small offerings of food in hopes of reducing regurgitation. Good luck.

It looks like he may be losing some downy feathers, which can happen during a molt or when adult feathers are coming in on younger birds. If it's a molt, you'll see new feathers growing in that look like little pins/needles poking out of the skin (hence the name pin feather) -- though these are usually better visible for large feathers such as tail/wing. If you're not seeing this, he seems to be picking at his belly a lot, or you see issues such as red skin, parasites on the skin, etc, a vet visit is a good idea to rule out any health issues.