A Bird's Droppings Can Be an Early Indicator of Illness

By Don J. Harris,DVM

Because birds are excellent at hiding illness, your bird’s dropping may be one of the early indicators that your bird is sick. There are three components to your bird’s droppings—the stool component, the urine component and the uric acid component. Changes in any of the three components should be taken seriously and may indicate your bird is sick. Any abnormal signs demand the immediate attention of your veterinarian.

1.The stool component

The stool comes from the gastrointestinal tract and is usually a greenish rope or blob. This portion of the bird’s droppings is highly influenced by the bird’s diet and can radically vary with a change in diet. For example, beets can make the stools red, while blueberries may turn the stools purple. Colorants in some commercial diets can also change the color of the stools. Color changes are often irrelevant, but bird owners should be concerned if the stools become black or have a strong or unusual odor.

2.The urine component

The relatively clear, watery urine portion is produced by your bird’s kidneys. The amount of water in your bird’s droppings is directly influenced by the water content of the foods your bird eats. Wet stools, however, should become drier with dry foods. Large amounts of water persistently present in the droppings could be a sign of serious disease and you should consult your avian veterinarian.

3.The uric acid component

The white/cream colored uric acid portion of your bird’s droppings is a very important indicator of health. This part of the droppings should without exception be white or near white in color. Changes to lime green, bright yellow, mustard brown, pale brown and brick red are common signs of very serious illness. Any change from normal should be investigated immediately.

Establish a normal benchmark in your bird by observing and keeping a record of the number, volume, color and consistency of your bird’s droppings. This can be very helpful later if you notice a change.