My little lovebird has just mysteriously passed away....please read.

[buddy]

I woke up this morning and went out to the patio to uncover my 3 babies ( well 1yr olds), 2 lovies in one cage and one more on his own in another (his mate is currently in the hospital cage indoors recovering from a lower respiatory infection) and to my HORROR have found my poor little man lifeless on his floor! He was not sick as he was checked over when his mate fell ill. He was his normal happy self just before I put them to bed, I'm soo confused as to what happened and it never has before! They don't sleep outside much and I'm blaming my self for letting them stay outside the night, but it was so beautiful out I thought theyde enjoy the outside air, maybe he was scared to death from a fright of some sought?

My poor little man!!

[Elle]

I'm really sorry for your loss. It's always devastating when it happens.

When you took your lovebirds to the vet, did they do any blood test or did they deem him healthy because he didn't have any symptoms? I always get suspicious when one is ill and the other dies. Sometimes the incubation period is longer and a bird might not show any symptoms.

[Enko_chan]

I am so so sorry for your loss. I know how that kind of shock feels, and my heart goes out to you and your flock.

I was thinking along the same lines as Elle, that the other bird may have been sick but was hiding the symptoms. It is also possible that, like Elle said, the incubation period was longer and the onset of the illness sudden and severe. Birds' respiratory systems are so very sensitive. Keep a very close eye on the other birds, perhaps have them tested for the illness your other bird was suffering from. It is also possible that he passed away from something sudden and unrelated, like a heart arrythmia.

Hugs and scritches to you and your flock.

Fly high, little one. Enjoy healing in the Summerlands. You've got plenty of wonderful lovebirds to meet you at the Rainbow Bridge and show you the way.

[linda040899]

I'm so very sorry to hear that you lost your lovebird. :very_sad:

Based on my own experiences, birds that are used to being inside should not be left outside overnight. Darkness takes away a bird's ability to see and not being able feel safe becomes a very scary thing. Chances are your lovebird died from fright because he was not used to being outside after dark.

How well I remember selling a perfectly healthy young pair of Fischer's Lovebirds to a breeder friend of mine. I keep my birds inside but he had an outside aviary and I never thought to ask about it. Next morning, I got a phone call to let me know that he found both of them dead on the bottom of the cage. Necropsy returned nothing so cause of death became fright. From that time forward, I always ask where my birds will be housed so that there will not be a repeat occurrence. I don't know who felt worse, the breeder or me.

If left outside, birds need to be acclimated and that can take several days. Lovebirds will tolerate temperatures as low as 55F without additional heat as long as they have a sheltered, enclosed place to sleep.

[Lindades264]

I am really sorry for your loss. You may never know the cause. You gave your bird a good home and that is very important.

[Enko_chan]

For the sake of your peace of mind, and so you can protect your other birds, you could have a necropsy or a postmortem examination done. It was a very difficult thing for me to do after my birds' sudden deaths, but I am glad that I did so I knew how and why they died and were able to adequately clean for the safety of the next birds who came to live with me.

[cp.lovebird]

I am so sorry for your loss. It is so heartbreaking to lose a lovie. :very_sad:

[buddy]

Thanks everybody for your kind words!!

Unfortunatley I'm in a isolated part of australia, we the closest avian vet is 15 hours away and the wildlife carer (for birds) is my closest thing, she is very knowledgable and has helped me with information and check- ups more than any vet in the area could. We are lucky to have her, she saved my little hens life like I mentioned earlier she's recovering from a lower respiratory infection.
I seem to agree with you on this one Linda, ( though they were ariary birds when purchased they have been indoors for some time now) a fright and so did some local birdy friends around me, though I haven't ruled out an examination... Better to be safe
than sorry I guess. So thanks everyone for your help kind words and advice
:)

[buddy]

Also is the avian lower respiratory tract infection infectious to other birds??

[linda040899]

Also is the avian lower respiratory tract infection infectious to other birds??
Once the bird is on medication, no. The most infectious time is near the end of the incubation period, just before you begin to see the first symptoms.

I learned the lesson about acclimating birds to being outside the hard way, although I've never lost any here.

[newbirdymoma]

Linda, I live in NJ and will sometime put my birds outside (shady patio) for a couple of hours on a nice day, always bringing them in before dark. Is this OK or should indoor birds always remain indoors?

[buddy]

Birds need sunlight to remain healthy, it provides them with vitamin d....Mine go outside during the day when im home, i just made a mistake leaving them outside and alone over night an we think he suffered night fright!

But im sure linda will give you the right advice

[linda040899]

As long as your birds are in a safe, secure area outside during the day, it's fine to leave them outside. Problems start when the sun goes down and your birds are not used to it. It's what birds can't seen after sundown that does the damage.

[newbirdymoma]

Thanks, and Buddy I'm sorry for the loss of your bird. How is the hen that was sick doing?

[buddy]

Thanks she is getting better slowly, the infection just keeps lingering but now she has also lost her mate, poor girl, I feel awfull.
What is everyones opinion on what do once she is better, as should I be looking for a suitable new companion for her?? She's never been alone. She was parent raised so prefers birdy interaction, she doesn't like me much at the moment, taking her for injections and all :(

[linda040899]

Glad to hear that your hen is improving! :)

If she's used to birdy companionship, I would probably look for another companion for her. You will need one that's mature (1 yr old) so that she's not dealing with an immature youngster. You will also have to quarantine for a minimum of 30 days in order to make sure that the new bird is healthy. Even a vet check can't assure that there's nothing in incubation stage that's not going to show up with testing.

Once quarantine is over, place their cages side by side so that they can get to know each other. Putting him in HER cage could be a death sentence for him so I would wait to see how they react with bars between them. After that, I would put her in his cage, as she's not established territory in his cage. :)