parakeet illness

Question
This is an after the fact question because one of my parakeets died earlier this week. I bought two males at the same time, about eight months ago. All was well until a couple of weeks ago when Blue started acting almost drunk. Rocking on his perch and sometimes falling off. He seemed to eat constantly and I never saw him drink, once I started really watching him. However, I'm gone twelve hours a day. Once he was on the bottom of the cage, he had a hard time getting around, using his beak to climb the cage. I tried putting him in another cage with no perches so he wouldn't injure himself more. He still tried to climb the cage and being away from Diego seemed to make it worse. After about a week, it got worse. He stayed at the bottom of the cage, then he'd be on his back and couldn't get up at all. The next morning he was dead. I didn't realize how severe it was until it was too late. Now my concern is for the other parakeet. I know you can't tell me why the first one died, I just wonder if the symptons sound like anything you've run across. Health wise, the other bird seems to be fine. Now he's just lonely, not chirping as much, not as active. Thanks so much.

Answer
Stacey,

I'm sorry to hear about your loss.  It's really hard.  Despite the short time with them, we get attached very quickly.  

I have to be honest with you - at the very first sign of something being wrong with Blue, it would have been best to get him to an avian veterinarian immediately.  Birds hide illness (Diego could be sick and hiding it) for as long as possible.  This is an instinctual trait in ALL birds - in the wild, sick or injured birds get preyed upon or picked on by their flock mates for attracting prey attention - so bird instinctually hide illness as long as they can.  When a bird finally does start showing signs - even the slightest signs, you can bet it's serious and they need to be seen by a bird vet ASAP.

If you got your budgies from a chain pet store(like Petsmart/Petco) that could very well explain the issue.  Many birds that come from those places are diseased (petsmart banned sales of all birds recently due to an outbreak of psittacosis (aka parrot fever) which can be given to humans!)  Unfortunately, these stores get their "stock" from cheaper breeders - who breed in large quantities.  

Anyway, I urge you to get little Diego to an avian vet (be sure the vet has at least 7 years bird medicine experience and make sure they don't remove your bird from the room for examination - that is a red flag). Explain what happened to Blue and if there have been ANY, even slight, changes in Diego.  As far as what happened to Blue - it really could have been anything.  Toxins, impaction (are you giving them grit?  parrots, including budgies, don't need grit and is another piece of bad advice pet stores give out!), windex fumes/scented candles/carpet fresh all can kill a bird... or it could have come with him and been with him all this time (megabacteria, psittacosis, polyoma, aspergillosis).  It's hard for me to say.  If you still have the body - I would take it in for a necropsy and find out what it was that killed your little baby.

Either way - I hope you'll get Diego in to see a dr. right away.  Stress can also exacerbate illness and take a bird downhill fast.  

Again, I'm sorry for your loss.