Expert: Chrys Meatyard - 11/16/2008

Question
my female 11 year old cockatiel died this morning after flying into a window. she has done so on occasion in the past and has never exhibited any lasting damage. when she hit the window this time , i picked her up by letting her perch on my finger. and put her into her cage. she seemed somewhat lethargic and disoriented but did not seem to be in distress. within seconds of being put into the cage she started coughing and tried to climb her ladder at which point she fell over backwards from the ladder. by the time i opened the cage door she was dead.when i picked her up to remove her a clear, yellow tinged liquid drained from her head. it appeared to be coming from both her mouth and eyes. this liquid continued to drain from her body for at least five minutes and involved considerable volume. i would estimate perhaps a tablespoon or two. could you tell me what the liquid may have been and whether or not it may have contributed to her death. she did not seem to be sick prior to this morning however.

Thank You

Answer
Hi, Frank,

I'm sorry for your loss.

I'm not a vet, but the liquid was likely body fluids.  This liquid probably didn't contribute to the bird's death...it was the result of her death.  She must have hit the window just right this time.  

Our homes are full of accidents waiting to happen for free-flighted birds.  Bird's don't know/understand window glass; they don't know it's there.  To them, glass doesn't exist.  When they fly into it, they can break their necks instantly and die and/or they can sustain many types of head/body injuries.  This is what happened to your tiel.  She flew into the window and sustained head damage most likely, enough to result in her death.  This is why it's very important for free-flying birds in our homes to have clipped flight feathers or somehow be restricted to certain safe areas of the home.  Window blinds/curtains should be drawn and/or something (such as stencils, etc.) placed on the glass as a warning to a bird that they can't fly through glass.  Walls can prove to be disasterous as well.  A frightened bird can take off aimlessly and fly full force into a wall breaking their necks, sustaining fatal head injuries, etc.  I've seen this happen too often.

Chrys