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Cockatiel with respiratory signs

My question, I am worried about my older cockatiel who is 20 years old. His breathing movement seems to be more noticeable than my 9 year old cockatiel. Is this normal as the bird gets older? He is eating well and doesn`t get out of breath flying around. It is mostly late afternoon early evening when he has a sleep that I notice this.

You have reason to be concerned. Increased respiratory effort is not a normal thing that occurs with age. Particularly in older birds, these signs could be early warnings of a multitude of potential problems. If these signs are significant enough to raise your concern, I’d strongly recommend that you have a proper physical examination performed by an experienced and competent avian veterinarian.

About Brian Speer, DVM

Avian veterinarian Dr. Brian Speer was raised in a small town on California’s coast. He received his BS in Biology from California Polytechnic State University in 1978, and his DVM degree from the University of California at Davis in 1983.

An active member of the Association of Avian Veterinarians (AAV), Dr. Speer is a much sought after guest speaker and has presented at numerous conferences in the avicultural and zoological communities both within the United States and abroad. He is well published in the AAV annual proceedings, has served as guest editor for the journal Seminars in Avian and Exotic Pet Medicine, the Veterinary Clinics of North America, and authored chapters in several recent veterinary medical texts on pet bird, avicultural and ratite medical topics. In 1995 he co-authored the extensive avicultural reference, The Large Macaws, and helped to co-author Birds for Dummies in 1999.

Since 1989, Dr, Speer has run a “bird’s only” practice in the San Francisco Bay area and is the President and Director of The Medical Center for Birds. He is a consultant for The Veterinary Information Network (Avian Medical Boards) and the Maui Animal Rescue and Sanctuary. In 2003 he was the recipient of the Lafeber award for excellence in private practice of avian medicine and surgery and in 2006, was named Speaker of the Year for the North American Veterinary Conference.