# New bird making odd gurgling noises?



## TheYellowTiel (Feb 27, 2012)

I'm new to tiels. I've had this bird for about a week, so forgive me if this is something completely obvious. The bird was "rescued" from a dear friend of mine who thought he had a great life sitting in a cage all the time (although I give her credit for buying the bird a large flight cage).

Anyway, I was sitting by his cage and I noticed I could hear him breathing. I also noticed that he was holding his head up pretty high and making these odd noises. I don't know how to describe it other than gurgling mixed with some clicking? I took him out of the cage and to my surprise he didn't try to kill me or attack my finger. He flew to the top of my head and sat there. I grabbed him (a big no-no I realize but how else am I supposed to look at him close up) and he screamed a fairly normal (maybe a little quiet or raspy) scream. I put him back in his cage and have been watching him from across the room (because he doesn't really like it when I stare at him) and he seems ok now. He is preening himself, ate a bit of food, has been climbing his cage, etc. Is this something that needs a vet visit ASAP? Or can I wait until tomorrow? I have a ton of other animals (horses, dogs, cats, fish, chickens, a little sister) and the animal person in me is saying he is not in immediate danger of anything. 
But I wanted to get the opinions of other Tiel owners since I'm a newbie at all of this. I used the search function on the forum and I mainly came up with respiratory infections...is that what this could be? 

Thanks everyone for dealing with my long winded, very concerned, new momma question!

My bird is a Lutino male cockatiel named Sunny by the way. He is VERY opinionated and a seed junkie (we're working on it though). I believe he was born in 2003, he has a silver band around his leg.


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

It does sound like a respiratory infection...if you're hearing sounds its pretty bad. I don't think it will hurt to wait until tomorrow but maybe someone else will know more.


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## jeme (Jan 19, 2010)

I hope he's okay til tomorrow. First thing in the morning.


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

Hi and welcome to the forum 

A little more info...such as has he been klike this since you have had him? When doing the heavy breathing clicking is it when he has been relaxed and still or is it after some type of activity or moving around in the cage?

If you can pick him up you can place your ear on his back and head and listen to get an idea on where the sound is coming from. If from the chest it could be a respiratory infection. If from the head either a sinus infection or dry sinuses due to low humidity.


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## TheYellowTiel (Feb 27, 2012)

The weird thing is that he is completely fine now. Now strange breathing, no holding his head high, no heavy type breathing at all. He is acting 100% normal. Is it possible he had something stuck in his throat? To be honest it sounded more like there was something in his throat than a respiratory infection. 

He's relaxed, has been grooming himself, going about his cage like normal. He called after me like he usually does when I left the room. 

I don't know what to think now...


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