Why is my cockatiel fluffed up more often in winter? Is it normal?

Hello. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Sepeda is beautiful! A cockatiel sleeping with feathers fluffed can either be normal behavior or sign of illness. Nighttime is when a cockatiel gets the majority of their sleep. At night, a cockatiel’s body temperature is lower, so they may do several things to conserve body heat. * stand on one leg, tucking the other up under the abdomen * tuck the head under her wing * fluff up the feathers to trap warm air next to the body It is recommended that you keep at least three sides of the cage covered at all times to help keep temperatures constant in the cage. If she seems unusually sleepy during the day then she may be getting sick. She should be active in daylight doing all of her normal activities (feeding, preening, exploring, exercising, singing, etc). If she is sleeping more than the occasional nap, especially if she is fluffed up, she might not be feeling well. Sick birds often huddle at the bottom of the cage, fluffed up and looking sleepy. They can quickly become too weak to stand on a perch or eat. A cockatiel behaving this way needs evaluation as quickly as possible by an avian veterinarian. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Thanks for reaching out about your birds and including a photo. Birds can be fluffed for basically two reasons: too cold or ill. Providing supplemental heat in the 85-90 F can test for the first one. If no improvement or worsens a veterinary visit is recommended to test for contagious diseases and prescribe a treatment. Good luck.

A more fluffed up appearance is usually symptomatic of high temperature which can cause lethargy as well. High temperature is usually caused by an infection which is very often of respiratory origin. A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Antibiotics may be needed. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

If the feather fluffing is only at night and the second bird is otherwise healthy, eating, and active I would not be too concerned, and adding a cage cover at night to keep the birds warm may help. However if it is fluffed up all the time, eating less, or showing other signs of illness, then I would schedule a vet visit and move the affected bird to a warm hospital cage to help it rest and rule out any more serious issues. The cage you have for both birds is also extremely small, so I would recommend placing them in a much larger cage that they can easily move around and stretch it and with some added toys to prevent stress and boredom.

Thanks for reaching out about Sky and including photos. Birds are typically fluffed when cold or ill. A veterinary visit is recommended, sooner than later. Providing heat support can give some aid but is not a cure for illness. As a new bird, moving to a new home can be stressful for a young animal, and suppressing the immune system, allowing subclinical infections to manifest. Good luck.

Those are all very general signs that could indicate Quill isn't feeling well, especially since birds are very good at hiding illnesses until its too late. If the temperature in her room checks out OK and she is still showing symptoms, it wouldn't hurt to bring her to a vet just in case to rule out any issues. Taking note of any other changes, such as to stool consistency, eating habits, etc can also help clue you in (and your vet) to possible issues.

Hello. You do describe a bird that may be unwell. Infections, parasites, poor nutrition, possibly unsuitable environmental conditions can all cause malaise in a bird. It is very important to have a hands on examination done on your bird so the reasons for his condition can be identified & addressed. I hope Bunty is feeling better soon & thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.