So sick birds need to be warmed up – urgently. Putting a blanket over its cage won't help the bird is not generating enough heat for the blanket to trap and keep warm. The most effective way to warm a bird up is to place it under a light (a bulb, not a fluoro).
Keep your sick bird warm with a thermostatically controlled bird cage warmer or heated perch. Make frequent observations of your bird throughout the day to ensure that it is eating and staying hydrated. If you notice that your bird is getting sicker, get it to the vet as soon as possible.
Heaters and heat lamps are a direct way to apply heat to a bird when it is very cold. Like a space heater, the heaters act as portable, plug-in heaters that can safely warm up a bird when they are under or close to it. The heater and also heat lamps can provide some pleasurable amounts of heat to a cold bird.
The reason why blankets keep you warm is they trap a layer of air around your body, which is then warmed by your own body heat. This warm air acts as insulation from the cold air outside the blanket. Birds feathers can accomplish this same feat.
Birds (especially larger parrots) can generally tolerate temperatures as low as the 50s, but once the thermometer drops below that, they may get fluffed up (expending all of their energy trying to trap warm air between their feathers and their bodies to keep warm) and stop eating.
Sick birds require supplemental heat to maintain their body temperature, along with fluids, nutrition, and quiet. Fluffed feathers are generally seen as a sign that a bird is not feeling well. However, there are instances where a bird may be fluffed, but not necessarily sick.
A sick bird may have discharge coming from the eyes or nostrils, discoloration, or swelling. They may also be sneezing or wheezing, bobbing their head or slightly swaying. They may favor one leg over the other.
If you find a sick or injured bird, contact a wildlife rehabilitator or local veterinarian to see if they are able to care for it. Make sure you call first as some clinics don't have the facilities to isolate sick birds, and can't take the risk of spreading a communicable disease among their other birds.
HOT WATER BOTTLE: Put hot water in a bottle and place the bottle in a sock or wrap with a cloth. This is a good solution if you were traveling or at the office.
The best way to do this is to loosely wrap the bird in a towel and gently place it in a secure and well-ventilated box. Place the box away from noise, pets, children or other disturbances. Do not attempt to feed the bird. Contact your local wildlife rescue organisation who will be able to provide further advice.
Although there are more than 10,000 species of birds in the world, when an avian patient needs pain medication, veterinarians often rely on one drug, butorphanol.
The bird is either sick or injured and must be taken right away to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. Important: For the bird to have the best chance of recovery and release, you must contact a rehabilitator right away and transport the songbird there immediately. Don't ever try to care for the bird yourself.
The following are indications that a bird may be sick or injured: The bird is quiet, dull, the eyes may be closed, and it has fluffed feathers (the bird looks “puffed up”). It may have an obvious wound, breathing problems, a drooping wing, or show lameness or an inability to stand.
Several herbs such as sage, garlic, thyme, echinacea and oregano, possess anti-coccidial properties against Eimeria species, which reduce oocyst excretions from infected birds.
increased sleeping and reduced interaction with the owner. reduced vocalisation, change in voice. increased respiratory rate or effort, often noted as a slight 'tail bob' when the bird is perching. loose/unformed droppings, more water around the droppings.
Keep your bird's cage covered with a sheet or blanket on three sides and point the open side towards any heat source such as a fireplace or a sunny window. Smaller cages are easier to heat up than larger ones and are easier to re-position throughout the day as necessary. Don't put your bird too close to the fireplace.
Your parrot might be cold if it is fluffing up its feathers and burying its beak into its chest, squatting to cover its legs in feathers and shivering. A bird that is cold might also get lethargic and lose its appetite.
An injured bird will be in shock and, as with humans, will be unable to regulate its body temperature. Keeping it warm is essential. If you have a heating pad, set it on low and place it under half of the box. This way the bird could move on or off the heat source as needed.
A benefit of covering your bird's cage at night is that it provides a regular period of privacy not usually allowed during the day. Further, it tends to keep the bird quiet in the early morning when it would otherwise become active and vocal. lf you now cover your bird's cage at night, continue to do so.
As long as a dark, quiet and somewhat secluded area is provided for a bird to sleep in, most will be fine without being covered at night. Remember, however, that sleep is vital to a bird's well-being. If you are in doubt about your pet's reaction to being uncovered, play it safe and resume covering the cage at night.
They roost in cavities
Birds will never find a warmer spot to sleep than in their own down feathers, nestled in a nook small enough that they can warm it up with any extra heat that does escape.