Ask Lafeber

Cockatiel suddenly can’t fly

Hi. It’s my first time having a bird pet (cockatiel).
I’m not sure what’s wrong. Yesterday my bird could fly and he seemed happy. Today he cannot fly. At all. He used to fly from his cage onto my chest or head. He tried flying and had fallen. I’ve tried a few times to let him fly each time he falls. Is my cockatiel sick?

Hi Simone,

I would take him to an avian vet as soon as possible. It sounds like he is too weak to fly, and this is likely due to being sick. Birds can succumb to illness very quickly so he needs to be seen by a vet right away.

Take care,

Brenda