Has Budgie Lost Its Balance?

by James Glover
View Biography

My budgie is 16. After falling off his perch 10 days ago, he is holding his head to one side (most of the time), and is unsure of his balance, he is eating & drinking, but his motions are soft. Any advise would be welcome. (Sue Hadden - South Wales, United Kingdom)

Sixteen is quite a good age for your budgie, so it would seem that any injury or fall would have more effect on him than it would a younger budgie, especially since his reactions will not be as good. It sounds very much like your bird has damaged his inner ear, which is responsible for balancing.

This would make him hang his head to one side and will be disorientating for him. However, if his stools are softer than normal, there may be additional complications. I would recommend that you take your bird for a full examination.

More Bird Health Questions & Answers

Disclaimer: This service is meant to provide advice only and is not meant to replace an appointment with a registered veterinarian. Users should always seek a second opinion. Unfortunately we are only able to answer several questions per week so not everyone gets a published answer. And, unfortunately we can't answer by email.

Readers' Comments (Newest to Oldest)

There are currently no comments for this topic.