Truth is, humans can be scared to death, this happens when your emotional reaction is so strong that it signals your body to produce the chemical adrenaline. For you to be scared to death your body has to create fatal amounts of this chemical. This happens very rarely but it can indeed happen, and it can happen to anyone. If you have a persisting heart condition then the risk is higher for you. But how about animals like birds? Can birds be scared to death? This article looks into it 

A bird will not die of fright but it can die of external or internal factors while being frightened. While frightened its body creates stress hormones which if in large supply can kill the bird. Being scared to death can happen more easily with sick or old birds. Exhaustion from flying away from predators can also cause death.

Can birds be scared to death?

Similarly to humans, birds will not die of fright but rather will die because of other external or internal elements that happen as a result of being scared.

When a bird is being chased by a predator it’s heart rate increases and so do other stress hormones in the bird’s body.

These stress hormones can cause a heart attack and death while the bird is being persued or it can cause damage in the bird’s heart that can cause it to die later. 

Also, when birds are scared they can become disorientated. This can cause the birds to do things like fly into objects at high speeds and as a result, cause their own death.

This is something that happens all the time and in fact, is not an unusual occurrence.

Considering how many tens of thousands of birds fly into buildings and cars, it is safe to assume that some of these are caused by fright. The fright may have not killed the bird but it was certainly a factor that contributed to the bird’s death.

If a predator is chasing a bird for too long or the bird is being held by a predator for too long then this can cause the bird to die whether it’s from exhaustion or being handled.

A bird’s small and fragile heart cannot take too much stress and is very sensitive. They already have high blood pressure which up the stakes especially if the bird is already very old or sick. 

How do you know if a bird is about to die?

Your bird may not die immediately after its body gets flushed with adrenaline but it may still be sick and about to die, here are some signs you should look out for when the bird is about to die. 

Difficulty breathing: If you notice that your bird is making clicking noises, wheezing, is having laboured breathing or is breathing rapidly then you should be worried 

Lethargy: If your bird is dying then it won’t be moving as much. It may also be keeping its eyes closed and be standing or lying very still or be hunched over. The bird will also be too weak to fly

 Silence: Many birds love to sing and chirp, if your bird loved to sing and chirp but is not singing and chirping anymore and is now silent then you know that there’s an issue 

Poor feather condition: You can tell if your bird is healthy or not by the appearance of its feathers. If you notice that your bird is losing feathers, or if they look dull or discoloured, that’s a sign that you should send your pet to the vet.

Can birds die of stress?

Yes, birds can die of stress.

Stress causes the body to release adrenaline. Adrenaline can help the bird better fly away but the body can accidentally release too much adrenaline into the bloodstream.

When the body is stressed it can also supply the bloodstream with sugar, raise blood pressure and dilate the blood vessels giving the muscles more blood to use, but this can be very overwhelming to the little bird’s body.

If the bird is too stressed the adrenal glands can become exhausted and this can cause death. 

Conclusion

In conclusion, your bird will not die of fear but the body can be flushed with stress hormones when the bird feels fear and this can kill it. It can also fly at high speeds into objects and cause its own death.

You can tell when a bird is going to die if it’s lethargic, if its wings are dull, if it doesn’t move and if it becomes silent.

If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other bird related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: How to get rid of pigeons from trees, Feather rot in pigeons, why this happens and what to do, How to get rid of pigeon lice, Is it safe to pick up bird feathers?, How to pluck feathers from a dead bird, How to cremate a bird at home