[madibird]

Hello, My parrotlet, Misty, is reaching her 14th year of life. I am very worried about her, she hasn't been able to fly very well lately. She can hardly get off the ground but still does her best to try and will sometimes flop to the floor. She still likes to adventure around on the floor and I keep a close watch for her so she still gets safe out of the cage time. I notice that she's a lot weaker than she used to be. I wanted to ask if this was a normal thing for birds reaching old age? I want to make sure she's not in any pain.

 

[Rubydoo252]

Hi and welcome to the forum! While 14 years is on the older side, it is not necessarily "ancient" in the parrotlet world. Do you have access to an avian vet? I would want to get her checked out for issues. Birds hide illness very well, so if she is showing symptoms then it normally means that she is really sick. But really, an avian vet can help figure out what is slowing her down and limiting her adventures.

 

[ginziputzi]

Hello and welcome! I have an 18 year old Parrotlet, Kiwi, and while she was an expert aviator in her youth, she is no longer able to fly. I would say this started to happen a few years ago (maybe around 16) and like you, she started to miss her mark when she was landing and sort of crash landed after take off. A few times she alarmed the heck out of me by landing on her back and flopping around. She was always perfectly fine after, if only nursing a bruised ego. Now she just rides around on me.

There is a thread on the forum that I participated in talking about the changes we have seen with our aging birds. I will find it for you. I think it will ease your mind a little. Of course, a vet visit is never a bad idea if you are concerned. There is nothing like a professional avian vet reassuring you about aging issues!

 

[Grandma A]

Hello, My parrotlet, Misty, is reaching her 14th year of life. I am very worried about her, she hasn't been able to fly very well lately. She can hardly get off the ground but still does her best to try and will sometimes flop to the floor. She still likes to adventure around on the floor and I keep a close watch for her so she still gets safe out of the cage time. I notice that she's a lot weaker than she used to be. I wanted to ask if this was a normal thing for birds reaching old age? I want to make sure she's not in any pain.

Hello and welcome to you and Misty! My parrotlet is 15 and started having similar issues earlier this year. In particular, she has started to have some trouble flying like you describe here. Some days she is able to fly across a room and others not at all. She is quite active otherwise. We went to the vet a few weeks ago and she received a clean bill of health. Of course, your vet would be the best course of action, but mine said that she (Ava) is ok for now, to keep an eye on it, and to return if anything changes or she seems "out of breath" to an uncomfortable degree after attempting to fly.

I would also recommend viewing the thread posted a few weeks ago that Jackie has mentioned in another reply. It was posted as an introduction post by me 21 days ago. I will find the title of that thread for you now. It is wonderful to have your perspective and experience here - Dee

 

[Grandma A]

You can find our recent thread about older parrotlet experiences under the new members section of this site in the folder titled "Introductions". The title of the specific tread is "Thanks for the advice over the years - finally joining!" posted last month. -Dee

 

[ginziputzi]

Oops! Forgot to give you the link. It is where Grandma A says but here is the link:

Thanks for the advice over the years - finally joining!

Hi everyone, Please meet my little grannie bird in our profile pic. She is a 15.5 year old pacific, and is doing great. I've been bringing my birdie questions to this forum for quite some time and finally am here as a member. I may not be able to check too often, but my little one and I are...

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