Do Birds Cough? (Everything Explained)

Birds have a lot in common with you and me, like sleeping and communicating with each other, but can they cough like we do? Well, in this article we answer all your questions about birds and coughing.

Birds do cough, but they don’t sound like the way we do. They don’t have the diaphragm necessary to make a real cough like we do.Conversely, coughing in many species of birds can be profuse ‘kack’ Love the sound of the head moving forward.This is often confused with sneezing because they make similar sounds; however, sneezing tends to be one rather than multiplemischief‘ the sound of.

We’ll detail why birds can’t cough like we do, and more, below.

Why can’t birds cough like we do?

Unlike humans, who have one set of vocal cords, birds have complex vocal organs in each major bronchi—it’s almost like having two sets of vocal cords in a way.

Birds don’t have throats like us, but have something called a syrinx, which is basically their version of a voice box. The larynx of birds is called the hypolarynx because it’s at the end of their trachea – the opposite end from ours, which is why birds make sounds from their chests and can’t cough like we do.

Their lungs also work in a completely different way than ours because they have two separate lungs. Fill one set with one breath and the second set with the next breath.

Parrots often mimic human coughs, and this is usually nothing to worry about.

Why Do Birds Cough?

Birds cough for several main reasons. The main thing is usually to get the body to clear the airways.

imitate and play

One of the reasons people think birds cough like we do is because certain birds that are capable of mimicry often imitate coughs.

The imitation is so convincing that it sounds like a human cough and is usually nothing to worry about, however, it can be startling as you might think they are sick.

Therefore, if your pet bird or parrot is generally well and has no other signs of illness such as weight loss, unusual behavior or abnormal breathing, the cough is nothing more than a mimic and therefore nothing to worry about.

A general rule of thumb is that if the cough sounds similar to what we make, there is nothing to worry about, your bird is just playing and imitating a sound.

respiratory infection

Other causes may include a respiratory infection affecting the lower airways, such as the lungs or air sacs.

This can cause the bird to make a sound that sounds like a cough, but more often than not, bird coughs are easily mistaken because they often sound like chirps.

allergy

Birds get allergies just like us, and they often “cough” in an attempt to get rid of the allergen.

Strong odors, such as perfumes, air fresheners, and cleaning products, are often the culprit.

The best way to tell if it is an allergy that is causing the cough is to determine if any of the above or a similar condition has been around the birds recently, or if their habitat has recently changed.

When to Worry About Bird Coughs?

If the coughing occurs a few times, it’s usually nothing to worry about, as it could just be something around that usually triggers the above-mentioned allergic reaction.

If your bird seems to be coughing frequently and doesn’t seem to go away, it’s best to contact your veterinarian to rule out any serious problems.

If your cough is accompanied by any of the following conditions, it is best to seek medical attention as soon as possible:

• Their stool is unusually colored (you may notice blue or green material in their stool)
• nose and eye discharge
• unusual breathing patterns
• lethargy and irritability
• Tail wagging (moving the tail up and down quickly)
• Feather loss or darkening
• drooping wings

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