Bird Species and Their Respective Syndromes

Bird Species and Diseases They are Most Susceptible to

Index of Bird Diseases … Symptoms and Potential Causes

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African Greys … Amazon Parrots … Australian Parakeets … Budgerigars … Brown-headed Parrots … Caiques … Canaries … Chickens … Cockatiels … Cockatoos … Conures … Eclectuses … Finches … Grey-cheeked Parakeets … Hawk-headed Parrots … Jardine’s Parrots … Lories / Lorikeets … Lovebirds … Macaws … Mynah … Pheasants … Pigeons … Pionus … Poicephalus … Poultry … Ringneck Parakeets … Rosellas … Softbills / Toucans

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Australian Parakeets (Rosellas, Neophemas, etc.)

• Respiratory Signs, Chronic Depression, Weightloss: Aspergillosis (fungal disease), bacterial infections / pneumonia, nutritional deficiencies (Hypovitaminosis A), Chlamydiosis / Psittacosis / Parrot Fever, inhaled toxins.
• Intestinal and proventricular worms
• Fatty Liver Syndrome

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Caiques:

• Highly susceptible to: Polyoma

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Grey-cheeked Parakeets

• Respiratory Signs, Chronic Depression, Weightloss: Aspergillosis (fungal disease), bacterial infections / pneumonia, nutritional deficiencies (Hypovitaminosis A), Psittacosis / Parrot Fever, inhaled toxins
• Giardia Infections (often causing plucking)
• Chronic Egg-laying … Feather Plucking / Mutilation

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Hawk-headed Parrots

• Susceptible to: Polyoma

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Jardine’s Parrots:

• Respiratory Signs, Chronic Depression, Weightloss: Aspergillosis

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Mynahs / Sturnidae

• Respiratory Signs, Chronic Depression, Weightloss: Aspergillosis (fungal disease), bacterial infections / pneumonia, nutritional deficiencies (Hypovitaminosis A), inhaled toxins
• Listlessness, Regurgitation, Dyspnea, Weight Loss, Diarrhea, Coughing, Wheezing, Syncope: Iron Storage Disease and related entities – excessive accumulation of iron in the liver. Most of the affected birds with acute signs die.

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Pigeons:

Canker (Trichomoniasis, more commonly known as “pigeon canker)

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Pionus:

Pionus Parrots are relatively healthy, though they are more susceptible to aspergillosis infections than other species. The main symptom is heavy, belabored breathing. The pionus is also susceptible to the following diseases:

• Bacterial and fungal infections
• Feather-picking
• Mate aggression
• Psittacosis (Parrot Fever)
• Pox virus infection (Primary disease of imported birds)
• Toe necrosis
• Toxicity, ingestion of metals
• Vitamin A deficiency / Poor eating habits – Vitamin A occurs in orange-colored produce, such as apricots, cantaloupes, carrots, red peppers, pumpkins and sweet potatoes. To resolve Vitamin A deficiency, try adding foods like sweet potatoes (either cooked or steamed until soft), mashed up with other fruits will be both loved by your pet bird, as much as it is good for her or him. Many birds also enjoy fresh carrot juice – or try offering shredded carrots. Natural sources are preferable over synthetically produced nutrients, which may not be absorbable and could easily be overdosed).
• Wheezing / Snorting: When excited or frightened, birds of this genus may make a characteristic wheezing or snorting sound that is sometimes mistaken for a sign of distress.

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Poicephalus / Brown-headed parrots

Generally healthy birds. However, the following diseases have been reported in this species:

• Chlamydiosis (Psittacosis)
• Psittacine beak and feather disease
• Feather picking
• Fatty liver syndrome
• Respiratory diseases
• Aspergillosis
• Bacterial, viral, fungal diseases
• Calcium deficiency disorder – Caused by a deficiency in calcium, which can be addressed by a supplementation (calcium and Vitamin D). Indoor pets particularly tend to suffer from this. Natural sunlight or full-spectrum light may be helpful in treating the condition. Please refer to the article about Calcium Metabolism in Birds.

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Ringneck Parakeets:

• Ringneck parakeets are generally relatively healthy birds. The following diseases have been reported in this species:

Highly susceptible to:

• Polyoma
• Sarcocystosis
• Aspergillosis (fungal disease)
• Bacterial infections (pneumonia)
• Hypovitaminosis A
• Psittacosis

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Rosellas:

• Susceptible to: Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease, PBFD, Beak and Feather

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Soft Bills / Toucans:

• Listlessness, Regurgitation, Dyspnea, Weight Loss, Diarrhea, Coughing, Wheezing, Syncope: Iron Storage Disease and related entities – excessive accumulation of iron in the liver. Most of the affected birds with acute signs die.
• Weightloss, Glucosuria, Hyperclyemia, Polyuria (excessive urination), Polydipsia: Idiopathic diabetes mellitus – probably dietary related.
• Hemochromatosis – A Metabolic Disease of Softbills

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Remember: All diseases associated with the listed symptoms are only SUGGESTED. There could be many other diseases causing those symptoms!

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NEED A VET? Find Your Local Avian Veterinarian

Information contained on this website is provided as general reference only. For application to specific circumstances, professional advice should be sought.

Gaurav Dhir

Gaurav is an animal enthusiast. He lives in beautiful Ontario with his energetic family. As a part of his work at beautyofbirds.com, he has been working with ace parrot trainer, Cassie Malina to understand bird behavior and learn more about how he can train his feathered companions.

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