Expert: Chrys Meatyard - 9/2/2007

Question
Early this a.m. we woke to find our female budgie dead at the bottom of the cage. Strange. we've had a nesting box in there for quite some time and had recently relocated it in the cage in order to encourage intrest. seemed to work. the female spent a lot of time inside with the male sitting just outside on the perch. They had mated several times yet no eggs. My kids had been saying they thought they could tell she looked pregnant a while ago, so I went on-line to find out if this could be true, finding out it was not. last night, just before bed, my son said he thought she looked pregnant again. I reminded him that they wouldn't 'show' even if it were true and he left it at that. Is it possible she died from being egg bound? We never witnessed her to be in any distress.. at least not during the waking hours. I've been looking her over this a.m. and trying to feel around her belly. There is a small bare spot low on her belly (not where the eggs come out) that is slightly bulging off to the side. Any ideas?

Answer
Hi, Jennifer,

I'm sorry about your loss.

Your bird could have been eggbound, could have been sick, could have a tumor/cyst in this area...could be any number of things.  You can take the bird's body to a certified avian vet tomorrow, the vet can perform a necropsy (animal autopsy), and attempt to determine why your bird died.  If you decide to do this, please put the bird's body in the refrigerator (need to keep the body refrigerated for a necropsy).   

Chrys