12 week old baby Congo African Greys

Zelda, Bandit, and Zoey

Taylor's Story

As told by his owner

       Our eighteen-week-old Congo African Grey, Taylor, died suddenly today in my arms. Rest in peace, my sweet boy.

When we got this little treasure about a month ago, our initial vet check disclosed a bacterial problem which we immediately began treating with antibiotics ( as instructed by our avian vet). He seemed to respond well, although he had shown no initial underlying signs of any problems. To the contrary, he appeared to be in much better health than we were accustomed to seeing in pet stores.

A week after we got him home, I gave him his formula in a syringe that was apparently too hot and he developed a burn hole in his crop. This was our first experience with an infant bird and we simply didn't know any better. We got him treated immediately, and after a few days of observation, the opening was stitched up without any apparent ill effects. The site of the surgery closed cleanly, there was no sign of any inflammation or other indication of problem, and   he seemed to be settling in with us as a happy, healthy bird.

This morning, his appetite was off and he seemed a little lethargic; we attributed this to some extent to the fact that I had been up late the night before watching television, and he probably hadn't gotten his normal allotment of sleep.  He ate some and then went back to his perch and appeared ready for a morning nap.

We went off to do some errands and we were gone for several hours. When we returned, Taylor was on the floor of his cage, again apparently sleeping. However, he was so lethargic and atypically quiet that I was concerned enough to call the vet. As I was getting him out of his cage, I found evidence that he had vomited while we were out.   The vet told us to bring him in which we did. They took a blood sample and gave him an injection of antibiotic to stabilize him and told us to keep him warm and quiet for the rest of the evening. His weight had dropped from 350 grams to 314 grams in the week or so since we had stopped formula feeding him.

We took him home, with him snuggling up against my shirt, his head cradled in the crook of my neck with a towel over him for warmth. When we got home, I sat in a chair with him in the same manner while my wife got our dogs fed. I was getting ready to have her take over the heating pad duty when I felt him shift. When I moved him away from my chest, he appeared unable to get his balance, he stumbled across my hands for a second or two, and then his head dropped and he was gone.

We took him back to our vets for an autopsy. I want to know why this sweet little boy died. Then we're going to bury him here at home where he belongs.

I want to know if anything we did - or didn't do - contributed to his death. We will have a place in our home and our hearts for another Grey, but I'm going to learn what I need to from this first. Then I'm going to be very much more informed, careful, and selective about where we get our next baby from.

Thanks for listening. Kiss your babies for us tonight.

Thank you to Taylor's human for allowing us to print this story. If Taylor's story saves just one baby bird then Taylor did not pass away in vain.

Please do not buy me if you have never have hand fed or have little experience in handfeeding baby birds. I promise I will love you just as much had you hand fed me yourself. I can bring you so much joy.  Give me a chance at life. Let someone who is experienced with hand feeding baby birds feed me and wait until I am fully weaned before you bring me home.