Unlike what happens with dogs and cats, it isn’t common for birds to be attacked by parasites. However, the risk exists, especially for birds kept outside. The regular inspection of the feathers and feces and the observation of the bird’s behavior give us important signals to detect parasites.

Internal parasites

Internal parasites, or endoparasites, are small animals that live inside the bird’s body, whether on the respiratory or digestive tract. They are a serious threat to the bird’s health, since if untreated they can be lethal. There are several types of parasites and its identification is very important to determine the treatment. The diagnosis is usually made with the help of a blood or feces analysis.

Example of internal parasites

Protozoans

Protozoans are unicellular parasites that lodge themselves in different parts of the body. Coccidia are one of the most commons protozoans in pet birds. They attack the intestine walls, causing serious inflammations. Protozoans cause feces with blood and diarrhea. Other types of protozoans, like the Cryptosporidium parvumou or C. hominis, can attack the respiratory system causing nasal discharges, sinusitis and cough.

Nematodes

Nematodes can be found in different parts of the body, like lungs, esophagus, intestine, and also on the blood. Ascaridia and Capillaria are among the nematodes that are most common on pet birds. They affect especially Budgerigars and Cockatiels, since these birds look for food on the ground, where there can be contaminated organic material. A deworming can be applied on the food or water, but birds usually don’t like the flavor and may resist the medication. When the nematodes start to die due to the treatment, you can usually find on the bird’s feces small white threads that are the dead parasites.

Cestodes

Cestodes aren’t has problematic as the earlier parasites, but they can occur in flight cages with flora. In order for them to develop, the bird needs to eat an invertebrate animal that is parasitized. If you keep the cage cleaned, free from other crawling animals, and give to the bird insects that are free from parasites, the probability of having cestodes is very low.

External parasites

External parasites are very small animals that live between the bird’s feathers. Some have their entire life cycle on the bird, while others just use it to feed. These parasites cause great discomfort and can make the bird pluck its own feathers. These can also fall due to the actions of parasites. Inflammation and loose skin are common symptoms.

Mites

Knemidocoptes – Mites responsible for the loosening of the skin. They are more common on Budgerigars. They affect the areas where the skin is exposed, around the eyes and above the bill. The treatment is done whit vegetal oils and its efficient if the mites are detected on time. If mites aren’t eliminated, they can cause deformations on the bill. These mites don’t attack humans.

Red Mited (Dermanyssus gallinae) – It attacks all types of birds. It develops quickly and especially in flights with poor hygiene. Offspring are especially exposed to this blood sucking mite and can rapidly become anemic. When it sucks blood, the red mite leaves behind parasites that are introduced on the blood. These also contribute to the debilitation of the bird.

Ticks

Ticks are frequent in pet birds, but there species of ticks that attack exclusively birds. It’s not difficult to detect a tick, since they form a very visible lump. Ticks can usually be found on the head of the bird and should be removed right away. They can be lethal if not removed.

Lice

Lice that are lodged in the bird’s feathers aren’t a threat to humans. Lice that attack birds usually bite, feeding of the bird’s feathers. Lice that suck blood are less common in pet birds. Lice are different from mites because they have a longer body, while mites are more rounded. Like mites, lice can also be easily eliminated with a proper spray sold in pet stores. Get advice from your vet before purchase these products.

Flea

Birds can also be attacked by fleas, but the reported cases are rare. In order for a pet bird to have fleas, it needs to in contact with larger birds where fleas are more common, like poultry, for example.

Extra precautions

The elimination of the parasites goes beyond medicating the bird, It’s important to wash and disinfect everything that has been in contact with the bird: cage, toys, etc, so that parasites don’t make a come back.

Besides, the difficult part of eliminating parasites resides on the fact that products usually only work in a specific period of the parasite’s life cycle. For example, there are very few products that can eliminate the parasites eggs, that’s why it’s important to extend the treatment until the parasite evolves into a stage vulnerable to medication.