Aging in Psittacines

Dr. Greg Burkett Board Certified Avian Veterinarian

Understanding Aging in Birds

We all have some anxiety of growing old. We all have some idea of what aging is about and what changes occur as we age. Why? We experience it in our daily lives. We see our friends, relatives, parents and grandparents maturing. What about our pet birds? They too are aging and at roughly the rate that we are. We like to hope that they are around for at least as long as we are for a lifetime of enjoyment.

The question of age always comes up when discussing parrots. Almost everyone is aware that parrots live a "long time". But what does that mean- a "long time"? Aviculturists, veterinarians, pet owners and novices speculate parrot life spans and usually express them in safe ranges. Many owners also visit a pet bird store for basic guidance on bird care and lifespan expectations.

Parrot Lifespan Knowledge

Parrots have been kept as pets for hundreds of years, so why are we not sure of their life spans? We do have a good idea of what we expect that time period to be. We even have a few documented cases of exceptional life spans of individual birds. Dr. Susan Clubb has published the most recent data on aging in macaws from studies at Parrot Jungle in Miami Florida. Some of the macaws were documented to be at least 57 years old. Anecdotal reports from other sources have claimed birds living in excess of 90-100 years. In actuality, little documented evidence of the life span or aging process exists in the literature.

Aviculture is a relatively new study. Prior to organized efforts of bird keeping, we had only imported birds to age. No one knew how old a bird was when it was captured and therefore it was impossible to calculate an accurate age. With the advent of captive production, we are able to document exact ages and follow the aging process. Even with this new information we can still only speculate true average life spans. However, we do have a better understanding.

Gerontology and Veterinary Care

Gerontology is the study of aging. Geriatrics is the branch of medicine that treats problems peculiar to old age. Aging is not a disease but there are many problems that exist due to the aging process. You will need to rely on your avian veterinarian to prevent, diagnose and treat these problems associated with the aging of your pet birds.

Signs of Aging in Parrots

How do I know if my bird is geriatric? Aging changes are gradual processes that begin at conception. According to Dr. Clubb, in the macaws that she observed at Parrot Jungle, degenerative changes were variable in onset. Most notable changes began to occur after the age of 35 years. Changes included cataracts, iris color changes, muscle wasting, dermatological changes, joint stiffness and reproductive changes.

I have a number of birds that visit my practice who are elderly. The changes that I have seen as these birds are aging are consistent with those described by Clubb. Degenerative eye disorders are common in older birds. Other ophthalmological changes include changes in iris color, loss of tone in the lids and uveitis. Muscle wasting is also a common change associated with aging. Weight loss and muscle wasting may be related to a decreased level of exercise.

Reproductive Aging

Reproductive life span varies with individual species. Clubb reported the oldest producing macaw in this study to be 35 years. There are anecdotal reports from other sources of Congo African greys producing at 40 years and laying infertile eggs at 60 years of age. We have a Senegal in our collection that is over 25 years of age and produces babies regularly. Some bird owners also use high-quality nutrition such as Harrisons bird pellets to support long-term health under veterinary guidance.

Preventative Veterinary Program

Avian medicine is still in its infancy stages. We are doubling our knowledge in as little as five years. The advances that we have made in the past five years are helping to ensure that our beloved pet birds live longer lives than ever before. It is important that pet bird owners and aviculturists support the efforts of the avian veterinarians and researchers in advancing our knowledge. A sound preventative medicine program needs to be established early in your birds' life to guarantee that it lives a full healthy life. We offer a preventative health program in our practice. Annual well-bird exams are an important part of this program.

Clinical Monitoring

Thorough physical exams are vital to detect changes related to aging. We always weigh our patients and compare current weights to previous visits. This gives us an idea of general body condition.

Nutrition for Older Birds

Nutrition is also a consideration when keeping geriatric patients healthy. Currently there is no information in the literature concerning the dietary needs of older birds. Follow the recommendations of your avian veterinarian for individual cases. Special diets are available for birds with organ failure such as liver and kidneys and for digestive problems associated with age and / or disease.

With the advances in avian medicine today and the formulated diets available on the market, pet birds should live full rich lives in captivity. It is our responsibility and should be our goal to do better for our birds in captivity than they could do for themselves in the wild.