Why do parrots shake? A parrot may shake, shiver, quiver, or tremble for several reasons. Sometimes a brief movement can be associated with normal behavior, excitement, fear, bathing, or adjusting the feathers. In other situations, persistent or unusual trembling may indicate that something is wrong.
The important thing is to consider what the movement looks like, how long it lasts, what was happening immediately beforehand, and whether your parrot is showing any other changes.
Because birds can hide signs of illness, new, persistent, or unexplained shaking shouldn’t automatically be considered harmless.
- See also Parrot Body Language: 15 Signs Explained.
1. Not All Parrot Shaking Means the Same Thing
The word “shaking” can describe several different movements.
A parrot might briefly shake its entire body, quiver its wings, tremble, shake its head, fluff and rearrange its feathers, or make repetitive movements involving only part of its body.
These behaviors don’t necessarily have the same cause.
Before deciding something is wrong, observe exactly what your bird is doing and what else is happening at the same time.
2. Why Do Parrots Shake Their Feathers?
You may occasionally see a healthy parrot give its body and feathers a quick shake.
This can happen when the bird is adjusting or settling its plumage. A parrot may fluff its feathers and then shake them back into position.
The movement is generally brief, and the bird returns immediately to whatever it was doing.
This is different from prolonged or repetitive trembling that appears unusual for your individual bird.
3. Parrots May Shake After Bathing
A wet parrot may shake its body or feathers following a bath.
Birds use different movements while bathing and afterward as they rearrange their plumage and dry themselves.
Make sure your parrot can dry in a comfortably warm, draft-free environment, and don’t use a hot hair dryer or other potentially dangerous heat source.
Bathing preferences also vary considerably between individual parrots.
- See also How to Bathe a Parrot.
4. Fear Can Cause Quivering
Body language is important when trying to understand why parrots shake.
A frightened or uncomfortable parrot may display several behaviors at once. For example, fear can be associated with wing quivering as well as changes in posture, feather position, eyes, crest position in crested species, or movement away from whatever is causing concern.
Look at the entire situation rather than interpreting one movement by itself.
If your parrot appears frightened, identify what may be causing the reaction and give the bird an opportunity to move away or calm down.
Don’t force interaction with something the bird clearly fears.
5. Why Do Parrots Shake When Excited?
Parrots can become highly animated when something interests or excites them.
Food, a favorite person, toys, training sessions, another bird, or anticipation of an enjoyable activity may produce noticeable changes in posture and movement.
Some parrots may quiver their wings or make other brief movements when highly stimulated.
Again, context matters.
A short-lived movement in an alert, active bird behaving normally is very different from persistent trembling in a quiet bird that isn’t acting like itself.
6. Why Do Parrots Shake When They’re Cold?
If the environment is unusually cool, a bird may respond to the temperature.
However, repeatedly seeing a parrot tremble shouldn’t automatically be blamed on being cold.
Check the bird’s surroundings for drafts and sudden temperature changes, but also look for other changes in behavior or health.
Don’t place an unregulated heater, heating pad, heat lamp, or other heating device near a parrot without appropriate veterinary guidance. Some heating appliances and coatings can create hazards for birds.
If your parrot continues trembling despite being in an appropriate environment, contact an avian veterinarian.
7. Why Do Parrots Shake When They’re Sick?
Persistent or unexplained trembling deserves attention because medical problems can sometimes cause tremors or other abnormal movements.
There isn’t one disease that explains every shaking parrot.
Possible medical causes depend on the individual bird and may involve neurological problems, metabolic abnormalities, nutritional disorders, toxicity, weakness, infection, injury, or other conditions.
For example, some nutritional and metabolic disorders can produce muscle tremors in affected birds.
Trying to determine the medical cause at home isn’t appropriate because very different conditions can produce superficially similar symptoms.
An avian veterinarian can examine the bird and decide whether diagnostic testing is necessary.
8. Look for Other Signs Along With Shaking
Shaking becomes more concerning when it occurs with other changes.
Watch for:
- Reduced appetite
- Weight loss
- Weakness
- Unusual sleepiness
- Sitting on the bottom of the cage
- Difficulty perching
- Balance problems
- Falling
- Head tilt
- Changes in droppings
- Vomiting
- Changes in vocalization
- Fluffed feathers for prolonged periods
- Drooping wings
- Difficulty breathing
- Open-mouth breathing
- Tail bobbing while breathing
- Seizure-like activity
- Major changes in normal behavior
These signs don’t tell you exactly what’s wrong, but they are reasons to contact a veterinarian promptly.
9. Why Does My Parrot Shake Its Head?
Head shaking isn’t necessarily the same as whole-body trembling.
A bird may briefly move or shake its head during normal activities, including eating, grooming, or interacting with its environment.
Repeated or unusual head shaking, however, deserves closer observation.
Pay attention to whether you also notice discharge around the eyes or nostrils, excessive sneezing, changes involving the ears or face, vomiting, balance problems, or other abnormalities.
If head shaking is new, persistent, severe, or accompanied by other symptoms, contact an avian veterinarian rather than attempting to treat the problem yourself.
10. Trembling and Seizures Are Not the Same Thing
Not every trembling movement is a seizure.
Seizures and other neurological problems may involve abnormal movements, loss of balance, falling, altered awareness, muscle contractions, or other neurological signs.
It can be difficult for an owner to accurately identify an unusual episode just by watching it.
If your parrot has a strange movement episode, recording a short video can be useful if it can be done safely. The video may help your veterinarian see exactly what occurred.
Don’t delay veterinary care in order to obtain a recording if your bird appears seriously ill.
11. Keep Track of When the Shaking Happens
If you’re concerned about recurring shaking, write down when it occurs.
Record information such as:
- Time of day
- How long the episode lasts
- What part of the body moves
- What the bird was doing beforehand
- Whether the bird had recently bathed
- Room conditions
- Recent changes in the household
- Changes in food or appetite
- Changes in droppings
- Any unusual behavior
- Whether the episodes are becoming more frequent
A video and written record may give your veterinarian useful information.
12. Don’t Try Home Remedies for Unexplained Trembling
Avoid giving medications, supplements, vitamins, herbal remedies, essential oils, or other treatments simply because your parrot is shaking.
The correct treatment depends on the cause.
Giving unnecessary products may fail to address the real problem and could potentially create additional problems.
If nutrition is a concern, discuss your bird’s diet with an avian veterinarian rather than giving concentrated supplements without professional guidance.
13. Know What Is Normal for Your Parrot
One of the most useful things a parrot owner can do is learn the bird’s normal behavior.
Individual parrots differ in their movements, vocalizations, activity levels, sleeping habits, and reactions to their surroundings.
Knowing what’s normal makes it easier to recognize a meaningful change.
A behavior your parrot has displayed occasionally for years may have a very different significance from a new movement that suddenly appears and becomes increasingly frequent.
14. Why Do Parrots Shake Suddenly?
If your parrot suddenly begins shaking, first look at the entire situation.
Was the bird frightened?
Did it just bathe?
Was there a sudden environmental change?
Is the movement a quick feather shake, or is the bird actually trembling?
Most importantly, is your parrot otherwise behaving normally?
Sudden unexplained shaking accompanied by weakness, difficulty breathing, falling, loss of balance, abnormal posture, seizure-like activity, or another significant change should be taken seriously.
Birds often conceal signs of illness, so waiting for symptoms to become severe isn’t a good strategy.
15. When Should You Call an Avian Veterinarian?
Contact an avian veterinarian if shaking or trembling is new, persistent, worsening, unexplained, or accompanied by other signs of illness.
Seek veterinary attention promptly if your parrot has:
- Difficulty breathing
- Severe weakness
- Repeated falling or inability to perch
- Seizure-like activity
- Loss of consciousness
- Significant balance problems
- Sudden major behavioral changes
- Suspected poisoning or toxic exposure
- Trauma
- Persistent vomiting
- A significant reduction in eating
- Rapid deterioration
Don’t assume that a seriously ill bird simply needs to be warmed up or allowed to rest.
The Association of Avian Veterinarians provides a Find-a-Vet directory for locating veterinarians with an interest in avian medicine.
Why Do Parrots Shake? Look at the Whole Bird
If you’re wondering why do parrots shake, there isn’t one answer that applies to every situation.
A quick feather shake after preening or bathing can be very different from persistent trembling in a bird that is weak or behaving abnormally. Fear and excitement can also produce noticeable body movements, while some medical conditions can cause tremors or other abnormal movements.
Watch the behavior in context and learn what’s normal for your individual parrot.
Most importantly, don’t ignore a new or persistent change simply because your bird still appears relatively normal. Birds can hide illness, and an avian veterinarian is the appropriate person to evaluate unexplained or concerning trembling.