Ask Lafeber

What could have killed my pet finch bird

I took my bird to the basement because she was being noisy I went down to check on her a couple of hours later and she was dead

Hi John,

I would be very concerned about toxic fumes such as carbon monoxide. You should have your basement air tested as soon as possible. That would be the most likely cause for such a sudden death.

I’m sorry for your loss but the bird may very well have saved your life if there is something toxic in the air. I would not recommend getting another bird if you found a finch to be too noisy. They are one of the most quiet pet birds. Birds sing when they are happy, so a quiet bird tends to be an unhealthy or depressed bird. Banishing a bird to a basement or another room when it gets loud is not the way to handle this, but I honestly don’t think a bird is the pet for you, so there is no need to go over how to work with their behavior. A bird is simply not a quiet pet, so it’s best to find something else that suits you better.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda