Is there a vent blowing on her? Does she do it only when she is on the cage or other times too? During the vet check, did you have x-rays done? If not, that would be recommended. This is usually caused by low temperatures, anxiety, and fear. If none of these things are contributing, it could be a subtle sign that she is not feeling well, and you may want to do a more thorough work up. There may be something in the environment that is frightening her, maybe something out the window. It may be nothing but her trying to relax.
Dr B
Jun 26, 2010
The temperature subject by: Tracie
Linda is correct, that is MAY be temperature. Dr B will respond personally in a day or so and share his opinion.
Dr B has said that most pet birds' comfort range is between 65 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. He feels that they can withstand a much broader range, however, of 40 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit depending on the bird and environment.
Avian veterinarian Gregory Harrison, DVM says, "The fatter the bird, the less ability it has to cope with heat and the lower the temperatures necessary to cause heat stress. Birds cool themselves down by breathing and expanding their air sacs and fluffing their feathers out and increasing the conduction of heat through skin and out through the feathers. Obese birds can't do this as well. The fat layer on their body acts as insulation and compresses the air sacs so they can't get any air in and out."
Avian Missouri veterinarian, Julie Burge, DVM says that one factor is what environmental temperature the bird is used to. Birds can tolerate extreme cold or hot weather if they are allowed to gradually adjust, or acclimate, to it. "People who have outdoor jobs don't feel the heat or cold as harshly as those who are almost always indoors with furnaces or air conditioners. Our birds can also adapt, and there are aviculturists with outdoor aviaries who report that their birds do just fine even when there is snow on the ground."
Jun 26, 2010
My sun conure is always trembling. by: Linda
Well, your house is TOO HOT, so lower the temp to a nice 75 or 76. Being too hot is as bad as being too cold, and birds get sick from either one.
The trembling may have to do with being too hot, and she is trying to cool herself. When they are too hot, they hold their feathers the way they do when they are too cold. They fluff them out and try and get air to circulate, so sounds like she is too hot. 80 degrees is unhealthy for humans too, so save some money and lower the heat. We keep ours at 76 in the summer and at 70 during the winter, and our birds do very well plus we do too.Also make sure she is not sitting under or over any air conditioning vents as this will draft her and give her pneumonia. Birds never do well in any kind of drafts. We close the vent off in bird's room in summer and open it up again in winter to keep them safe.
Thanks for writing, Linda
Editor's note: This is a controversial subject. Some say birds do fine in hotter and colder temps.
