NOTE: As owners of this website, we have chosen to share our experiences and opinions on these webpages. We present this info "as is", and we shall have no liablility to anyone regarding any circumstance or occurrence related to the starling(s) or other birds in their care. It is each starling owner's responsibility to make the best choices for the diet, safety, health, care and wellbeing of his or her own starling.

Contents:

Early Signs of Illness

Bird Injuries

Avian Veterinarians

Learn More!

Starlings are generally hardy birds who thrive when well-cared for and fed a proper diet. Nutrition plays a huge part in keeping them healthy, and a clean, safe, stimulating environment is also important for them in captivity. Something to keep in mind is that no matter how diligent we are with our birds' care and feeding, we must regularly keep an eye on their overall condition and behavior. Early detection of a health problem or an injury is crucial, for if an illness or injury goes unnoticed and does not receive treatment when necessary, death can result.

It is believed that birds hide their illnesses or injuries in order to prevent themselves from appearing weak to predators. This may make it very difficult for novice bird owners to notice signs of illness in their birds until the birds are seriously ill.

How can we discover symptoms of illness at an early stage in a pet starling?
Carefully observe your starling every day. Watch its normal behavior, observe its daily activities, learn its body language, make mental note of what its normal droppings look like, notice how much it normally eats and drinks. (Part of my normal daily routine with Stormy, Sunny and Shadow includes looking each starling over carefully, checking droppings, noting eating/drinking habits, and observing each bird for normal behavior.)

Once you are very familiar with what is normal for your bird, you should be able to notice when something changes with him. A sudden change might signal the start of a problem. If in doubt, it is wise to get to a good avian vet who should be able to tell you whether a change is due to illness or something else.

Below is a partial list of behaviors that should be red flags to a starling owner. Use the list only as a guideline. You know your bird better than anyone, and if you are worried that it might have illness, get it to an avian vet asap!

• Acting noticeably quieter than normal for an extended time
• A continued decrease in normal activity
• No energy, little interest in his environment
• Sudden lack of interest in food or water
• Sudden increase in appetite or thirst
• A decrease in the amount of droppings
• A change in consistency of droppings that is not caused by diet
• Continual fluffed feathers and shivering despite normal, comfortable room temperature
• A continuous change in posture (ie. sitting crouched on perch, drooping wings, hanging head)
• Inability to perch (sitting on bottom of cage)
• Discharge coming from mouth, nose, eyes, or vent
• Abnormal breathing sounds (such as wheezing or clicking) instead of normal silent breathing
• Constant tail breathing (noticeable movement of the tail moving up and down with each breath to assist in breathing)
• Frequent bouts of sneezing if accompanied by nasal discharge or breathing problems mentioned above
• Sores on bottoms of feet
• A lump or a swollen area on body
• Lameness
• Dizziness and falling
• Bleeding

When One of Our Birds is Ill
Warmth and quiet are very important for an ill bird. Until we can get an ill starling to the vet, we place the bird into a small travel carrier (our "hospital cage"), put a heating pad set on low underneath half of the carrier, and cover three sides of the carrier with a towel to help keep in warmth. We place a soft towel on the carrier bottom for him to rest on and keep him in a quiet area until we can transport him.

If one of our starlings is injured, we check for broken bones and bleeding. If we suspect a broken bone, we get the bird to a vet for treatment. Broken bones heal rapidly in a bird, and if not set soon after a break they will not heal properly. If our injured bird is bleeding, we try to stop the bleeding quickly by applying cornstarch to the wound and applying firm pressure. If we have an injured starling who has a broken bone, bleeding, or a head injury (which often causes brain swelling), we feel it best to get the bird to a vet asap. It is important to keep an injured bird as stress-free as possible and warm, so we place an injured bird into a small darkened travel carrier or cardboard box with added warmth (as described above) and call our avian vet asap.

Bites and Other Injuries From Cats
Even a tiny bite or nick from a cat can kill a bird. Why is this? Most cats carry a bacteria known as Pasteurella multocida in their saliva, and this bacteria can also be on a cat's claws if he has recently licked them. It can cause infections in people due to animal bites, and very importantly, it will kill a bird once it gets into its bloodstream. If your bird has been caught or slapped by your cat and you see no wounds on him, you might assume he is uninjured and will be fine. However, a puncture wound caused by a cat's tooth or claw is nearly impossible for you to see on a bird! This is because the puncture hole seals and quickly becomes undetectable. Such a wound traps bacteria from the cat's mouth or claw underneath the bird's skin. These bacteria then multiply in a matter of hours and eventually enter the bird's bloodstream, causing septicemia (blood poisoning). Once the bacteria is in the bird's bloodstream, the result is death.

If your bird was bitten, nicked or scratched by a cat, take action ASAP! Get him to a vet even if you can see NO visible signs of a wound! Your cat-caught bird will need antibiotics such as Baytril or Amoxicillin, and he will need them right away! (Over-the-counter medications will not work.) If infected with Pasteurella multocida, the only thing that will give your bird a chance is to get him on the appropriate antiobiotic in less than 12 hours ..... the sooner, the better!

NOTE: Pasteurella-infected birds might possibly live two or three days without treatment, but many die within 24 hours. Remember, getting a cat-caught bird on antiobiotics within 12 hours (or sooner, if possible!) may give it a chance.

Avian Veterinarians -- If possible, it is best to find an experienced "avian veterinarian" to treat your bird. Certified avian vets have had additional training in treating birds, have met specific requirements and passed a series of board exams. How does one find an avian vet? Try using the AAV link below to search for an avian vet near you. Or ask your general practice vet or another local vet for a referral. Contact your local bird club or local breeders. Try your yellow pages, do a search on the Internet, call a wildlife rehabber, or ask bird owners on one of the many Internet bird forums or chats for recommendations.

AAV - Finding An Avian Veterinarian Near You - To find an avian veterinarian in your area, visit the AAV (Association of Avian Vets) website at this link, and search their database for vets near you.

If no avian vet is available, what to look for in a veterinarian for your starling: If no avian vet is located in your area, try to find a vet who has experience treating birds. Although many vets are not specifically trained in treating birds, a number of them do have a special interest in birds and are experienced and equipped to treat them. If you can find one who has experience treating wild birds, this is even better. What do you need to know when trying to choose a vet for your starling? The Starling Talk website has practical, detailed info about what to look for in a good bird veterinarian; click the link below to go there.

Choosing A Veterinarian for Your Starling - What to look for in a good bird veterinarian for a pet starling. A must-read page for starling owners!

When you locate a vet, it is wise to confirm ahead of time that he will treat a pet European starling. Be sure and emphasize to the vet that your starling is a "pet starling" (not a "wild bird"!) that you have raised since it was a baby. Many vets will not treat "wild birds". It is also a good idea to locate the nearest emergency vet in your area and keep the phone number handy in case your bird needs a vet after hours when your regular avian vet is closed.

Learn more about starling health and injuries.

Starling Health -- Visit this section of the Starling Talk website to learn many more details about health issues of starlings, including hyperkertosis, the mysterious "leg bumps" that some pet starlings have had, how to choose an avian vet, how to splint leg or wing fractures, and whether or not hemochromatosis is a disease of starlings.