Birds are active animals that love to fly around as they explore and exercise. They can move from one point to another by hopping, walking, and mainly flying. If you acquire a new bird, you may be concerned if you realize that your pet is not able to fly. If so, it’s time to answer the question “Why won’t my bird fly?”.
The following are ten reasons why your bird cannot fly:
1. Your Bird Might Be Unwell
If your parakeet has any health issues, it may be unable to fly. If your bird’s inability to fly is accompanied by symptoms such as loss of appetite, change in poop appearance, discharge from the eyes and nose, or trouble breathing, then it might be sick.
It will be good to take your bird to the veterinarian to have it examined and treated. The bird should be able to fly again after healing.
2. Body Injuries
Birds can sustain injuries from flying into windows, low doorways, fans, electric poles, or from attacks by predators.
If a bird is not moving at all, it can be a sign of a body injury. Broken wings, ribs, spine, chest, or tail can make flight uncomfortable for your bird, as it feels hurt when it tries to fly.
If your parakeet is unable to fly, examine it for signs of breeding wounds, strangely folded wings, hanging wings, or hunching, and have it attended to by a veterinarian.
3. Old Age
As birds age, there is a decrease in muscle strength and a lack of energy, which can make them unable to fly.
Just like in humans, arthritis is likely to affect the joints of older birds, interfering with their mobility.
4. Nature of the Environment
If you house your bird in a small cage, it will lack enough space to stretch its wings and fly around.
Birds can fly if they see a place where they can perch. Hence, a lack of perches and toys will also make your bird feel that the cage is not safe to fly in.
Unfavorable conditions, such as temperatures that are too high or too low, can affect a bird’s ability to fly around due to its inability to regulate body temperatures and energy levels.
5. Depression
Uncomfortable living conditions can be stressful for your bird. This will affect its well-being and even flight.
Lack of a companion, a new environment, a lack of stimulation, and a small cage are some of the stressors that can make your bird stop flying.
6. Poor Diet
Poor nutrition makes a bird a poor fly. A diet high in fats or seeds can lead to obesity or the development of weak muscles, which can affect flying.
The bird lacks the essential nutrients and energy needed to maintain good health and perform other daily tasks. In addition, the lack of calcium makes it hard to replace molted feathers, which are important for flight.
7. Your Bird Missed Flying Lessons
The best age to train your bird to fly is when it’s young. If your bird never learned to fly when young, it will struggle to fly once it gets older.
8. Your Bird Might Be Dying
Is “Why can’t my budgie fly properly” your question, or has your bird been inactive lately? Then your bird may be living out its final days.
A budgie has a lifespan of 5–8 years, and as the years go by, there is a decrease in activity by the bird, and flying is not excluded. Sicknesses not attended to will also lead to death.
9. The Bird Is Too Young
Birds fly when they are 4-6 weeks old. If a bird is younger than this, it will not be able to fly as it has not yet developed muscles and flight skills.
10. Molting
Molting is a gradual process, and usually birds molt throughout the year. However, a bird may molt a lot of its flight feathers at once, which will make flying harder.
The molting process can also be taxing on the bird’s body. It’s energy-consuming and requires more time and rest for the feathers to grow. To achieve this, the bird will have to forgo flying.
What Makes a Bird Able to Fly?
1. Their skeletons are made up of hollow bones, making the birds’ bodies lighter for flight.
2. Birds have strong muscles that enable them to pull down and push up their wings.
3. Birds have light feathers and streamlined bodies.
4. Their wings have flight feathers, which make flying possible.
5. A bird lays an egg once it is formed as an embryo develops outside the bird’s body. By laying daily, a bird can maintain a lighter weight, thus being more efficient in flight.
Baby Budgie Can’t Fly
Baby budgies can’t fly until they reach the age of 4–6 weeks. This is the best age to train your bird to fly since it becomes hard for it to learn once it gets older.
Clipping their wings before they fledge makes it hard for them to learn how to fly; hence, it is advisable to wait until your bird can fly well before considering clipping its wings.
Why Can’t My Budgie Fly High?
Have you had your budgie’s wings clipped and are wondering why my budgie is flying low? Or is your bird having any health issues?
Flight requires a lot of energy. To fly high, a bird has to elevate itself by generating enough lift. However, if a bird is sick, injured, or stressed, it may lack the energy to fly high.
A clipped budgie will also be unable to fly high since it lacks flight feathers. The budgie falling when flying will also be a common occurrence as the bird fails to maintain itself in the air over long distances.
How Do You Catch an Injured Bird That Can’t Fly?
Catching an injured bird can be difficult, as reckless handling may lead to further injury to the bird. The injured bird can also hurt you by biting or scratching your hands as you try to catch it.
So, it is advisable to always wear gloves before handling injured birds.
The following are steps to guide you through the rescue process:
1. Assess the extent of the injury. Check for signs of serious injuries, such as bleeding, open wounds, or broken legs or wings, and avoid touching the affected areas.
2. Grab your bird gently by its shoulders with one hand and support its feet with the other hand.
3. Put the bird in a well-ventilated box and place it in a dark, quiet room as you seek treatment. This is because darkness is the best treatment for shock and helps reduce stress.
4. Avoid giving food or water to the injured bird.
How Can I Help My Bird Fly?
Different tactics can be used to help your bird fly, depending on what led to its inability to fly.
You can help your bird fly by:
1. Providing Stimulation
If your bird is stressed, you can provide it with a lot of toys to play with. They will keep your bird occupied and entertained.
2. Seek Medication
In case of any injury, have your bird treated and exercise regularly to help heal the injury and improve its flight capability. Some cases will require surgery to rectify the problem.
If your bird falls ill, take it to the veterinarian to have it checked and treated.
3. Provide Your Bird With Nutritional Foods
To keep your bird’s energy levels up, provide it with plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, seeds, and grains when it is molting. Also, ensure that your bird is well-hydrated.
4. Create a Comfortable Environment
If a bird is living through its last days, provide a conducive environment for it to live happily during its last days.
5. Provide Your Bird With Care and Love
During the bird’s old age, provide it with love, rest, hydration, exercise, and enriching activities to keep it stimulated and happy.
Related Articles
Can Bird Fly Without Tail Feathers?