A little fun fact for you: Budgies have far better eyesight than humans, and they can even see ultraviolet light.
As sturdy as budgies are, you should know that sight is a sense which is more or less a budgie’s Achilles heels.
It has definite strengths, but it also has considerable flaws.
For example, budgies might have sharp vision during the day, but these fantastic creatures can’t see so well after dark.
Also, a budgie’s vision is one of the first things to be impacted when your budgie contracts a severe infection, be it bacterial or viral.
Yet, budgies are pretty phenomenal at hiding illnesses and adapting to changes.
So, many times pet parents don’t even know that their feathered friend is on the verge of blindness until it is too late. But, if you continue reading, you will discover some of the signs that clearly indicate that your bird is blind and what steps you can take to make your winged friend’s life easier.
How Can You Tell If Your Budgie Is Blind?
Budgies are birds of prey, and it is in their genes to hide weakness or illness.
So, it isn’t always easy to figure out if your bird is going blind.
However, if your birdie’s vision loss is associated with disease, the signs become evident enough to spot.
Here are a few of the signs of blindness.
- Depression
- Discharge from the eyes
- Red weeping eyes
- Lack of appetite
- Ruffled feathers
- Gritty skin around the eyes
- Swelling around the eyes
- Feathers growing closer to the eye region
- Blinking more than usual
Also, you should know that vision loss can be partial, affecting one eye or both, so your bird might be able to see very poorly, yet it is not entirely blind, or complete where your bird cannot see at all, in one eye or both.
What Causes Birds To Go Blind?
Once again, there is no one particular cause of blindness in birds.
Budgies can lose their vision partially or entirely for a variety of reasons such as :
- Old age – if your bird has lived a long life and is past a certain number of years, vision impairment is a natural consequence.
- Vitamin deficiency can cause plenty of eye disorders – if your bird lacks either vitamin A or E, then it is likely that your bird will go blind.
- Cataracts – another sign of sightlessness that is linked with old age.
- Conjunctivitis – avian conjunctivitis is an eye infection that affects the conjunctiva – membrane surrounding the eye. The tissue begins to swell, become irritated, and cause complete blindness if not treated.
- Scratches or physical injury to the eye – any direct damage to the eye caused by a predator, animal, or insect can lead to vision impairment.
- Bacterial infections – Salmonella and other bacterial infections can bring about blindness.
- Fungal infections – one of the most common ways to contract a fungal infection in birds is from moldy food.
- Improper diet – you need to be 100% sure that your birds get their complete daily nutrition. Otherwise, lack of specific vitamins and minerals can lead to blindness.
Can A Blind Bird Fly?
It is very much possible for your domestic budgie to go about its daily routine even with visual impairment.
You see, birds are very adaptable.
So long as you don’t shift your pet’s food or water bowls or its perches and toys, you will hardly see a difference in your bird’s behavior.
Also, if a budgie bonds with a human, it relies quite a bit upon its human, and so long as the pet parent makes sure that the bird is not exposed to any form of potential danger, your pet will be and do just fine.
However, birds in the wild do not have such support.
The most you might find is that a bird that has gone blind might, with the rest of its nest-mates, mostly chicks, yell for food.
But, it wouldn’t learn to fly successfully as birds use vision for navigation.
Can A Bird Survive With One Eye?
A bird can survive in the wild with partial impairment, but birds with complete blindness, especially birds of prey, don’t last long in the wild.
As pet budgies are concerned, you can expect a bird to survive as well as thrive with one eye or complete loss of vision.
The fate of a blind bird suffering from partial visual impairment or blindness depends not so much on the bird but instead on its bond with its human.
If the care provider of the bird can present with all amenities, attention, and love, there have been many cases of domestic birds that have lived healthy and happy lives despite being blind.
Wrapping Up
Budgies make wonderful pets as these fantastic animals are beautiful to behold, affectionate, easy to care for, and unbelievably loyal.
The most spectacular aspect about budgies is that these birds are very adaptable to their environment.
So, if your bird is going blind, it will learn to adjust to its new condition.
With a bit of help from you, your birdie will do a great job being happy too.
Birds in the wild, especially birds of prey like budgies, don’t really stand much of a chance for survival.
So, it is true that blind birds don’t fly, but partially blind birds, even in the wild, don’t give up on life without a struggle.