Expert: Chrys Meatyard - 6/23/2006

Question
I have a budgie who is (we think) around 6 or 7. We got him a few years ago from some people who didn't want him anymore. (We think it's a 'he'.) We got him with another bird (Definently a 'she'), who got cancer in her leg and died a couple years ago.

Our current bird, seems to be having some trouble with his leg. He holds it up from whatever he's sitting on. It's not the normal, resting/foot-tucked-into-the-feathers sort of thing, either. He keeps his foot flat. He is out of his cage all day and puts himself to bed at night. During the day he likes to sit on the window (a flat surface), and recently he has been lying down on there. The top of his cage is slanted, and at night when he can't get to the window (curtains are closed), he tries to lie down on his cage, using the perches attached up there sometimes for support. We made him a little flat 'nest' that sits on top of his cage, but it takes him a long time to get used to new things, like toys, so he hasn't gone near it yet.

Is the lying down a result of his leg hurting? Or is he mimicking things he sees us doing? When we eat in there, he likes to go eat, too. The cat (who has been taught not to hurt him and much too lazy anyway), spends a lot of time napping in there, so I thought maybe he was trying to copy her, but I'm worried that it's because of his leg.

Thanks!

Answer
Hi, Sarah.  Thanks for posting.

It's never OK when a parrot lies down, unless the bird lies down for a short time as part of playing.  I've never known a bird to mimic human actions, other than bobbing up and down or side to side or mimicking speech...these types of things (as in play).  Keets tend to get leg/foot injuries quite often because they are small and their leg/feet are quite delicate.  They can get their toenails/toes/feet/legs caught in things, such as toys, cage wire, etc., and in their quest to free themselves/get loose, they can cause additional damage.  The normal position for birds is standing on one/both legs 24/7...this is how Mother Nature made them.

I'd say your budgie/keet has a leg, foot, or hip injury of some sort.  If s/he isn't better in a day or so, you should consider avian veterinarian attention.  It's possible/likely the injury will heal itself, but if it's a break or something more serious than a minor injury, it's imperative a bird vet intervene so the budgie won't suffer from a lifelong disability.   

Male budgies/keets have blue ceres (area above their beak).  Females' ceres are brown/beige/tan (or any other color besides blue).

Chrys