Monitoring your Cockatiel Droppings

Although this is not a pleasant topic to discuss, it is necessary to monitor your cockatiel droppings as they can tell you a lot about your cockatiel’s health and well being.

Cockatiel Droppings And What You Need To Know

A healthy cockatiel produces tubular white and green cockatiel droppings. The green part is the feces, the white part is urates and any liquid produced is the urine. The average healthy cockatiel eliminates about every fifteen minutes, but this can vary from cockatiel to cockatiel.

The consistency and frequency of your cockatiel droppings can tell you a lot about your cockatiel’s health. If your bird consumes a lot of fruit and vegetables, the droppings will generally be more watery than a bird that eats mostly seeds. Watery droppings can also indicate illness such as kidney infections or diabetes. Watch to see if your cockatiel drinks more water than usual if this is the case.

The color of the droppings is also important. A lime green color could indicate that the cockatiel has psittacosis. Avocado green or dark green indicates a healthy bird. Reddish or yellowish droppings could indicate that your bird has liver problems. If the droppings are very dark in color, the cockatiel could have internal bleeding.

One day of abnormal droppings (usually appearing too loose or liquid) is not typically an emergency, as long as your cockatiel is still eating, drinking and acting normally.

Things like stress, spicy foods, and even certain household aerosols can give your cockatiel the ‘runs’.

If the loose droppings are occurring daily, your cockatiel might have a viral infection, or it might be allergic to a new treat or food. Cockatiels that are nesting or laying eggs, will have sometimes huge loose droppings.

Cockatiels that eat pelleted diets will have darker droppings than seed-eating birds. If your bird has eaten beetroot, don’t be alarmed if the droppings are bright pink. If your bird overdoses on sweet potatoes, blueberries or raspberries, he could produce orange, blue or red droppings. If your bird overindulges in pomegranates, don’t be alarmed, as the droppings will be violet.

Cockatiels can become ill from some human bacteria. The bacteria E. coli is usually present in our digestive system, but it should not be in the digestive system of a cockatiel so make sure you wash your hands after using the bathroom and before handling your cockatiel and its food to make sure your bird stays healthy.

Also remember to keep an eye out for worm segments in your cockatiel droppings, as this will tell you whether or not he needs to be dewormed.

If you notice your cockatiel eating its own poop, then you will probably find that the cockatiel is lacking in certain nutrients. Get a tonic or vitamin supplement from your vet to ensure your cockatiel gets all the nutrients he needs.

For more on cockatiel illnesses, click here.

It is up to you to note the changes in your cockatiel’s droppings. Learn what is normal for your bird and report any changes to your vet promptly.

For more on cockatiel health, click here.