9.5 Birds

 

Overview

There are many avian species that are available as pets. Pet birds or caged birds can range from parrots to finches. Birds vary in size from hummingbirds to ostriches and come in a variety of colours. Birds have a unique anatomy due to the fact they can fly, which requires large amounts of energy. Their respiratory and skeletal systems vary greatly from other animals. Birds are endothermic, meaning they produce their own body heat and regulate their internal temperature independently of the external temperature.

 

Figure 9.21 Two parakeets

Interesting bird facts:

  • They have no diaphragm
  • The beginning of the digestive tract is a beak, or a bony projection of the jaw
  • They don’t swallow, but rather move their tongue to push the food into their esophagus
  • They are covered in primary and secondary feathers (Rice University, n.d.)
    • Contour or flight feathers: Used for lift and thrust in flight (Rice University, n.d.)
    • Down feathers: For warmth (Rice University, n.d.)
    • Pin (blood) feathers: Developing feathers (Rice University, n.d.)

 

Figure 9.22 Primary feathers are located at the wing tip and provide thrust; secondary feathers are located close to the body and provide lift
  • They have small lungs compared to mammals, and well-developed air sacs, which are thin-walled sacs full of air that allow for buoyancy for flight.
Figure 9.23 Avian air exchange

Respiration in Birds

Birds have an efficient system of gas exchange, with air flowing unidirectionally. A full ventilation cycle takes two breathing cycles. During the first inhalation, air passes from the trachea into posterior air sacs; air then moves into the lungs on the first exhalation. The second inhalation moves the air in the lungs to the anterior air sacs, and the second exhalation moves the air in the anterior sacs out of the body. Overall, each inhalation moves air into the air sacs, while each exhalation moves fresh air through the lungs and used air out of the body (Clark et al., 2018).

Bird Husbandry

Caged birds are housed in cages and may roam throughout the house when supervised. Cages should be placed in areas where the bird can interact with their owners, as they enjoy company. Within the enclosures, birds like to sit and sleep on perches such as a dowel or stick. Perches can help to wear down nails.

For more information on bird care, see caging the companion parrot.

Bird Physical Exam

When birds come in for physical exams, it is important to know how they should travel to the clinic and how they should be handled and restrained to decrease stress. For more information, see minimizing stress to avian patients during the veterinary visit.

 

Dr. Rachel, Exotic Pet Vet. (2023, July 8). How to do a bird physical exam – a parrot visits the vet [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/xt17eI6ezVg

Common Birds Pathologies and Conditions

  • Feather picking or plucking: Pulling out feathers due to stress or disease
  • Egg binding: The failure of one or more eggs to be laid within the normal time limits for a given avian species
  • Vitamin A deficiency
  • Beak abnormalities
  • Mites

Common Bird Procedures

  • Beak trimming: Trimming the beak to ensure it is properly aligned
  • Wing trimming or clipping: Clipping wings to reduce flight

 

Exotic Bird Hospital Inc. (2013, November 7). Avian wing trim [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/uuUCWuJCGZI

 

Bird Terms

  • Hatch: Baby bird emerging from its shell
  • Molt: To shed feathers or hair
  • Crop: Esophageal pouch that stores food
  • Droppings: Output (feces and urine) in birds
  • Hand raised: A bird raised by a human

 

Exercises

 

Attribution

Unless otherwise indicated, material on this page has been adapted from the following resource:

Root Kustritz, M. (2022). Veterinary preventative medicine. University of Minnesota. https://pressbooks.umn.edu/vetprevmed/, licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0

References

Clark, M. A., Douglas, M., & Choi, J. (2018). Biology 2e. Openstax. https://openstax.org/details/books/biology-2e

Dr. Rachel, Exotic Pet Vet. (2023, July 8). How to do a bird physical exam – a parrot visits the vet [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/xt17eI6ezVg

Exotic Bird Hospital Inc. (2013, November 7). Avian wing trim [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/uuUCWuJCGZI

Pollock, C. (2014, February 19). Caging the companion parrot. LafeberVet. https://lafeber.com/vet/caging-the-companion-parrot/

Rice University. (n.d.). Birds. OER Commons. https://oercommons.org/courseware/lesson/15087/overview.

McLaughlin, A. (2019, May 1). Minimizing stress to avian patients during the veterinary visit. LafeberVet. https://lafeber.com/vet/minimize-stress/

Image Credits (images are listed in order of appearance)

Birds parakeet ornithology by RitaE, Pixabay Content Licence.

[Figures 9.22 & 9.23] by Rice University, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.

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License

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Introduction to Veterinary Terminology Copyright © by Kelly Robertson, RVT and Dr. Matéa David-Steel, DVM is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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