grief and parrotlets

Question
Our dear little 14 year old parrotlet had been deteriorating for the last few years, despite excellent avian vet care and multiple treatments for lingering digestive troubles.  We had to have her put down Monday when she was having seizures  :(.

Her little friend, a male parrotlet that we bought for her for a friend about 5 years ago is very sad, as you can imagine.  I have been giving him millet seed, handfeeding him and offering enticing things, as well as bringing his cage to the dinner table, so that he can see us eating, and our other parrot eating, to stimulate him to eat, too. This has been successful, I also keep a radio on, when I am not within his eyesight.  (I have since moved his cage to my office, where he can see me all day), and where my grey parrot sits on the top of the door and watches me, too.

I wonder what I can do to help him through this difficult time.  In the past, I used to have keets, and had a pair that I separated, to stop them from continuously breeding.  (I was worried for her health).  I did keep their cages side by side, but even though nothing else changed, she first died, and then he died about a month and a half or so later.  I imagine that they both died becaause of not being able to be together....

So, I am worried about my little parrotlet boy.  Can I help support him during this time of our grief?
Thank you for your help!

Lynn

Answer
Hello Lynn,

I am very sorry for you loss. However parrots are more resilient than you think. Unless you had a necropsy performed on both of your budgies that determined unknown cause of death, then my conclusion is that they suffered from possibley the same illness that was deadly to them both. You mentioned that they were constantly reproducing and were concerned for her health. All birds, male and females can suffer health consequences from chronic high levels of breeding hormones. This is just one possibility of hundreds, as I mentioned before only a necropsy by your avian veterinarian could have made an accurate diagnosis.

In the wild parrots do loose their mate. And they move on. From a natural history standpoint, it's not beneficial to a species if they die just because a mate dies. The species would not survive. Parrots still have these same wild instincts in our homes.

I do believe that parrots do feel the loss and suffer sadness. However they are also by nature highly adaptable. Your bird will adapt. He will be looking to his flock (that's you) for leadership. If his flock is stressed from this loss, then he will feel and react to that stress. Make sure you include him as one of the flock and he will be just fine. Keep his mind busy with new toys, activities, and fun training sessions.  If you are at all concerned for his health then do take him to your avian veterinarian.

Jennifer
www.feathersandscales.com