Whenever birds spend their day flying and hunting for food, it is inevitable for them not to be in danger sometimes.
The presence of predators and the risk of injuring themselves in their journey do exist.
But when a bird has been injured or has contracted an illness, do they also feel pain like we do?
Let’s answer the question – Do birds feel pain?
When a bird has injured itself, it is very noticeable for us to see them limping, not flying, and sometimes even being lethargic.
Those signs are already an indication that the bird is in pain and something is wrong with it.
Because, after all, birds can feel and experience pain the same way as mammals do.
This is because birds also contain pain receptors that respond to pain stimuli.
In fact, some birds like parrots can even scream or cry when they are in pain.
Let’s get into more detail in this article
Carry on reading
How Do Birds React To Pain?
Birds display symptoms whenever something is wrong with them.
For instance, when they get injured, we sometimes see a birds limping, lethargic, or generally behaving unusually.
This is probably because of the fact that their injury is quite painful for them to live normally.
This is also the same when a bird is suffering from an illness or serious condition.
Although they might not be feeling anything externally, it is likely that they may be in pain deep inside them.
Depending on their disease, birds may also struggle differently.
Overall, birds react to pain that helps us identify what is wrong with them.
They display us symptoms, telling us the location of their pain and how severe it is.
Some of the common symptoms are limping, lethargic, irritability, loss of appetite, and many more.
Do Birds Cry When Hurt?
Humans and other animals sometimes scream or cry when we are feeling extreme pain.
Birds are not different from us either.
Birds may shriek, scream, and cry loudly in pain when it is already too much for them.
Specifically, parrots are known to cry, scream, and display aggressive behavior whenever they are in pain or feeling discomfort.
However, for wild birds, they won’t really cry nor attempt to show any signs of distress and pain because they would only attract their predators even more.
Do Birds Suffer?
Animals have emotions too, and naturally, this includes birds.
They may also suffer from all possible things that may give them trouble, struggles, pain, discomfort, loneliness, and unhappiness.
In fact, birds can get depressed as well. (Check out my article – Can parrots die of depression?)
Their behavior will become abnormal due to prolonged dissatisfaction and suffering.
They may start displaying aggressive and self-destructive behavior which is something you would not like to happen.
Birds express their suffering through these behaviors.
They may start feeling uninterested in their food, show aggression to you and to other bird companions, hurt themselves such as feather plucking, and even change the way they vocalize themselves.
Do Birds Feel Physical Pain?
Like other animals and humans, birds can also feel pain.
These animals also have pain receptors capable of responding to pain stimuli that they encounter.
The way they feel pain is similar to how mammals and humans feel pain too.
The way they experience and feel pain may also vary in intensity as well.
Sometimes, the pain may be severe enough to cause birds, like parrots, to shriek, scream, and cry in agony.
It is important for us, especially as owners, to become attentive to our birds.
Apparently, small birds and other species that often become the prey in wildlife tend to hide their physical pain as much as possible.
Which Animal Has The Highest Pain Tolerance?
Pain is unavoidable and there will likely be an instance in our life and even in an animals lives where they will encounter pain.
However, in terms of tolerating it, the naked-mole rat wins the game.
In fact, scientists claim that this rat has an astounding quality or trait that runs in their family: their inability to feel pain.
Naked-mole rats have the highest pain tolerance and it is even said that they do not feel any pain at all.
This is because these animals cannot even agonize, scream, or even feel the pain brought by the two most horrifying chemicals: acid and capsaicin, the substance behind the heat of chili peppers.
These animals also have nearly impossible traits, such as their ability to survive for more than 18 minutes in a place without oxygen, resistance to cancer, and their long life span.
Wrapping Up
Birds can feel pain like how we, humans, and other animals feel it.
This is because birds have pain receptors that also let them feel varying intensity and degree of pain, depending on their condition.
Birds react to these suffering through abnormal behavior, such as loss of appetite, lethargy, limping, and sometimes loud cries.
However, most birds would not dare to show these signs as they are afraid to become vulnerable in front of predators.
