Feathers Bird Clinic

Australia's Nectarivorous Birds

Nectarivorous birds are those birds that rely on the nectar produced by flowering trees and shrubs. Most nectarivores are from Australia, including swift parrots, lorikeets, and honeyeaters. Avian veterinarians are still studying and learning about the nutritional requirements for maintenance, growth and reproduction of these birds and the physical adaptations necessary to digest and process their unique food sources.

Nectar is a sweet, sugar-rich liquid food source that provides lots of calories for lorikeets and other nectar eaters but is very low in amino acids, vitamins and trace minerals. Birds that ingest nectar must also rely on other food sources to meet their nutritional requirements. Pollen (composed of highly digestible proteins and diverse amino acids) as well as manna (the sugary excretions of aphids called honeydew as well as lerp, the waxy material produced by Psyllidae insects. There are several reports stating that Australia's nectarivorous birds rely on insects as the main protein source for their growing chicks. These birds have been recorded eating several species of insects including mayflies, grasshoppers, cicadas, psyllids, robber flies, lacewings, lycid beetles and moths.

Nectarivorous birds have developed a variety of adaptations to accommodate their unique diet. Their plumage tends to be tighter and glossier than other parrots to prevent feather soiling by the nectar. They have extensible brush-tipped tongues that allow for the rapid harvesting of nectar. These birds generally have lower protein requirements, lower metabolic rates and some special digestive and kidney adaptations. Some Lorikeets have a grealy reduced gizzard muscle and centrally located stream-lined openings through their gastrointestinal tracts to facilitate nectar passage. Their G.I. tracts are shorter than other parrots (because of their highly digestible diet) and these birds tend to ingest much more water than other parrots and also produce more urine. This also requires their specially adapted kidneys to resorb more water to prevent dehydration.

As researchers learn more and more about wild nectarivorous diets, veterinarians and aviculturists must apply the knowledge to our domestic nectarivores in the pet world. By fine tuning our nutritional recommendations and protocols for these birds we can improve their overall health and quality of life.

Reference: Karen Shaw Becker, DVM of Feathers Bird Clinic within the Natural Pet Animal Hospital in Bourbonnais, Illinois.

Feathers Bird Clinic

Feathers Bird Clinic is operated out of Natural Pet Animal Hospital in Bourbonnais, Illinois and is run by Karen Becker, DVM, NMD.

Dr. Karen Becker has graciously agreed to allow us to post her informative articles each month. To learn more about Dr. Karen Becker and Feathers Bird Clinic, please visit her web site. www.drkarenbecker.com

Hypocalcemia and African Greys

For years avian veterinarians have been aware that African Greys are more susceptible to hypocalcemia (low blood calcium levels) than other types of parrots. There are still lots of parrots that are being fed a seed-based (low calcium) diet with the improper ratio of calcium to phosphorus, yet African Greys tend to have more notable problems including seizures, excessive falling and muscle tremors. Recent studies indicate that low calcium levels may result from a dysfunction in parathyroid hormone, most likely as a result of hypoparathyroidism. Parathyroid hormone is released from the parathyroid gland (located in the bird's neck) when serum calcium levels are low. This hormone stimulates the body to remove calcium from the bones when there is not enough being ingested. Like mammals and reptiles, birds that are fed a calcium deficient diet may develop an enlarged parathyroid gland in an attempt to secrete more hormone to get more calcium. Avian researchers speculate that African Greys may not be able to secrete adequate amounts of parathyroid hormone and are therefore more prone to having hypocalcemic episodes. Although the research is still ongoing, these preliminary results provide more proof that African Greys should be raised on a calcium rich pelleted diet and minimal, if any, seeds. It also demonstrates the importance of yearly blood tests to determine the inner health of our feathered friends. Birds that do succumb to hypocalcemia are treated with injectable calcium and vitamin D3, which helps in calcium absorption. We know that inhalent anesthesics alter calcium metabolism and most avian vets will administer injectable calcium to deficient African Greys before any surgical procedure, just to be safe. We also know that steroids can induce hypocalcemia and should be used with caution (I don't use them at all) with African Greys.

Bird Lovers Only Rescue would like to thank Dr. Becker for contributing to this blog and for educating us to be better bird owners and caregivers for many years prior to opening this rescue.