Ask Lafeber

Sun conure passed away

Hello,

I had my sun conure for a few years and he was a part of my family, very loving and smart bird. One day he just fell to the bottom of his cage and died a little while later. I can’t help but feel like it was something I did wrong in caring for him. I didn’t notice anything different In his behavior or appearance in the days or moments beforehand. I thought he might have been choking so I picked him up and offered water he drank some and then stopped. He sat still and didn’t move much. I realized he had passed. Is choking common ? Could it have been the food I was feeding him ? I’m so confused.

Hi,

I’m very sorry for your loss. Death can seem sudden with a bird, because if something is wrong with them, they can go down very quickly. There is no way to know why your bird died so suddenly without a vet exam and testing. And even then, sometimes the cause can’t be determined. Sudden death is usually caused by an airborne toxin. But again, your bird may have been sick or had something wrong internally. There probably was nothing you could do.

Take care,

Brenda