Birds have the uncanny ability to sleep standing up on their perch and relax on their perch all day as well, this is normal for them, what isn’t normal is your bird falling off of its perch.
This article is a look into why your bird is falling off of its perch.
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Why do birds fall off their perch:
The talons of birds automatically lock around branches and perches, this is how birds can successfully attach to their perches and not fall off.
However, sometimes this system fails, and the bird falls off of its perch, this is why this may be happening:
Night fright:
If your bird falls off of its perch at night then this likely means that the bird has night frights.
Birds know that they are prey to many animals and because of this, they are always on high alert in case they are attacked by other animals.
If your bird becomes startled in the middle of the night then this can mean something scared the bird causing the bird to panic and fall off of its perch during the night.
Common things that may frighten your bird at night include lights from passing cares, your pet cat, dog, or any other pets, and sudden loud noises.
What to do:
If the bird is feeling frightened then removing the perceived threat will get your bird back to sleeping normally and stop the bird from falling off of its perch.
Keep your other animals away from your bird at night and try to keep loud noises in your home at a minimum.
Also, keep a night light in your bird’s room, if the bird does wake up it will be able to scan the room and see that it has nothing to worry about.
Ataxia:
Another reason why your bird may fall off of its perch is that the bird has ataxia. Ataxia causes birds to have issues with their nervous system and musculoskeletal system.
When the nervous system is damaged the bird’s inner ear, brain, and or spinal cord become damaged stopping the bird’s brain to be unable to coordinate movement.
If this happens then the bird’s muscles won’t be able to properly respond to the signals that the brain is sending. This may cause the bird to fall from their perch
Other signs of ataxia, apart from the bird falling off of its perch, include lethargy, excessive sleepiness, standing with their legs splayed, uncoordinated movements, and using their beaks to balance on the cage bars.
What to do:
Taking your bird to the vet is recommended in this case.
The vet will ask you about the bird’s history and environment, the vet will also examine your bird and run diagnostic tests, finally, the vet will treat your bird if it is found that your bird does have ataxia.
Arthritis:
If your bird is older then the bird may simply have arthritis and this may be why the bird falls off of its perch. This painful condition may be the reason why your bird is falling off of its perch.
Arthritis in birds and in humans is an inflammatory disease that causes the breaking down of cartilage in the body.
Arthritis may start to affect your bird’s feet if the bird is quite older but some birds will also naturally suffer from arthritis
If the bird has arthritis of the feet then the bird’s feet may become stiff, may experience swelling, and the joints may swell making it painful to move and even hold onto the perch making the bird fall off of the perch.
The bird will try to mask its pain but it cannot mask the fact that it keeps falling off of its perch.
Other signs of arthritis in birds include the bird standing at the bottom of its cage, the bird standing with its legs spread apart, warm feet when you touch the feet, and less activity than normal.
What to do:
Taking your bird to the vet is the recommended solution in this scenario, the vet will physically examine the bird, do x-rays on the bird, and do ct scans on the bird
If it is found that your bird does have arthritis then the vet will prescribe non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications for the bird for pain relief.
Other:
Other issues that may cause your bird to fall off of its perch include vitamin deficiencies, from an improper diet or a lack of sunlight, as well as improper perches ie: small perches,
What to do:
If your bird is falling off of its perch onto the cage floor then you can try to minimize injury by padding the cage floor to keep injuries from happening. You could also try simply letting the bird live in a box.
Injuries can be quite serious even leading to blindness as the bird’s orbital bone can become damaged during the fall causing blindness in the bird.
So, if the bird is falling off of its perch you would need to take the bird to the vet to be examined and diagnosed.
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