A budgie that’s feeling under the weather may seem sluggish or lacking in energy, even if it does make an effort to respond to you or play with you. If your budgie bites you when you stick out your finger or attempt to play with it, this is another sign that it might be sick. Budgies don’t usually bite, but if they are sick they may bite because they are scared or in pain. [3] X Research source

Screaming or screeching may also be a sign that your bird is bored or unhappy for some other reason. Look at its environment for clues. If it hasn’t had its favourite food in a while, or if it can’t access its favourite toys, it may simply be upset or bored. If a non-vocal bird also seems lethargic, this is a strong sign that your bird is feeling sick.

Distinguish eaten seed from edible seed in your bird’s food dish. Hulls can be mistaken for whole seeds, so it may look like your bird has plenty of food when in fact it has none. [6] X Research source

Because budgies are prey animals, if they’re sick they instinctively avoid attracting attention. They know that predators will go after birds that are sick or weak. If your budgie is keeping to itself and trying to avoid attention, it likely isn’t feeling well.

If you have several birds, one who is sick will typically want to isolate itself from the others. This often involves hiding on the ground where the other birds won’t bother it.

If you have a webcam or other video monitor, you might set that up with a view of the cage and watch from a distance that way. If you’re in another room, the budgie won’t have any idea that you’re watching it.

Check the ambient air temperature in and around the cage as well. The temperature should be between 60 and 70 °F (16 and 21 °C). If the cage is near a draft, it may be too cool for your budgie at certain times of day.

If there are faces sticking to your budgie’s vent feathers, that can also be a good sign that your bird is under the weather.

Significant weight loss can be dangerous to small birds like budgies, and indicates that your bird is in poor health.

If the colour or consistency of your budgie’s droppings has changed, take a sample with you to the vet for further analysis. If you have several birds, you may need to isolate the bird you think is sick so you can more easily determine which bird’s droppings have changed.

Occasional sneezing is normal in budgies, just as it is in people. But if your budgie is sneezing consistently or its nose is always moist, your bird is probably sick.

If your budgie is bobbing its tail up and down as it breathes, this is another sign that it’s having difficulty breathing.

Budgies tend to go downhill very quickly. Consider any sign of illness to be a medical emergency.

Thoroughly clean the cage and replace all food and water before allowing any of your birds back. This helps prevent the spread of disease. Watch your other birds carefully to make sure none of them caught the illness from your sick budgie.

You can use a heating pad under the cage or heat lamps to increase the temperature in the cage. If you use heat lamps, don’t leave them on at night.

If you live in an area where you don’t get much natural sunlight, try full-spectrum lamps to provide your sick budgie with the UVA and UVB rays it needs.

A sick bird should get at least 12 hours of sleep each day. Limit handling of the bird and make sure the bird’s sleep is not interrupted. Don’t put any toys or other distractions in your budgie’s recovery cage. These items may keep the bird from sleeping or encourage it to be active. If you have perches in the recovery cage, they should be low enough that your budgie won’t be injured if it falls off.