Bird Species & Diseases They are Most Susceptible to

Index of Bird Diseases ... Symptoms & Potential Causes

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

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
  

Caiques:

• Highly susceptible to: Polyoma

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 ... The Accident Prone Grey Cheek - by Beverly Marsh Avian Tuberculosi ... Feather Plucking / Mutilation

Hawk-headed Parrots

• Susceptible to: Polyoma

Jardine's Parrots:

• Respiratory Signs, Chronic Depression, Weightloss: Aspergillosis

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.

Pigeons:

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

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.

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.

• 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

Rosellas:

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

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

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

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.

High Quality Species Photos, Videos and/or Articles Contributions are welcome! Click here to upload articles and images.

Please Note: The images on this page are the sole property of the photographers (unless marked as Public Domain). Please contact the photographers directly with respect to any copyright or licensing questions. Thank you.

The Avianweb strives to maintain accurate and up-to-date information; however, mistakes do happen. If you would like to correct or update any of the information, please send us an e-mail. THANK YOU!