Why Is My Parakeet Closing Its Eyes?

With a new parakeet in your home, it is likely that you will have a lot of questions that come up. You want to make sure that you are giving your parakeet the right attention and that you will keep them healthy and thriving.

One thing that you may notice with the parakeet though is that they seem to close your eyes, especially when you pet them or give them attention. 

When it seems to happen often, and without petting, it is time to take the bird into an avian vet. 

Let’s take a closer look at some of the different reasons why your parakeet is closing their eyes so you can learn what is normal and what may be cause for concern. 

Why Does My Parakeet Close Its Eyes?

The most common reason that your parakeet is closing their eyes is that they are tired. Just like humans, parakeets will need to close their eyes to go to sleep.

While some will stay up and look around a bit in the darkness, they often get their sleep at night and will need to close their eyes to get to sleep. 

Closing their eyes allows the bird a way to get more darkness, which will help them to fall asleep, just like it does for us. It is also a way for the bird to rest all of the facial muscles to feel better.

When they feel really comfortable, they are able to drop their heads to the side, which will give their neck muscles a chance to relax as well. But for the most part, the parakeet will choose to close their eyes when they need to rest. 

Some bird owners believe that the parakeet will close their eyes when they are bored. This is possible in some cases. The bird may be a little bored with their surroundings and is not getting enough attention, so they will decide to go to sleep and rest.

If you are sure that your parakeet has gotten enough sleep during the day and is still closing their eyes, it may be time to play with them and add a little stimulation to their day. 

Will My Parakeet Close Their Eyes When Sick?

In some rare cases, your parakeet may choose to close their eyes when they are not feeling well. They could have an infection inside the eye and will want to keep it closed because it feels better.

Other times they are closing their eyes because they need more rest to get over the illness that is affecting them. 

You should watch out for some of the signs that your bird is closing their eyes because they are not feeling good.

For example, if your bird seems to be sleeping more than usual, this is a sign that they are not feeling good and may have some kind of illness.

If they seem to be in pain or they do not want you touching them, these can be signs as well. 

As soon as you notice that your parakeet is not feeling good and is closing their eyes too much, then it is time to visit an avian vet to help out.

They can do a checkup on the bird and will give you some good options to help take care of the bird so they get to feeling better. 

Why Does My Parakeet Close Their Eyes When I Touch Them?

If you notice that your parakeet is closing their eyes when you pet them, you may worry that they are brushing you off or that they are bored.

There are many reasons why your parakeet may close their eyes while you are petting them including:

Joy

Your parakeet could close their eyes to show that they feel comfortable and safe with you and that this petting is helping them to feel good. They enjoy the petting and you may notice that they are tilting their head down as a way to encourage you to do it more. 

Relaxed

Your parakeet will only close their eyes during a petting session when they are relaxed. When you see their eyes wide open, this is a sign that they are anxious or nervous about something.

When the eyes are closed, this shows that they are comfortable and relaxed with you. When the eyes close while your bird is getting attention, this is a good sign that they are comfortable and relaxed.

They can let down their guard a little bit and feel like they will not get hurt because you are there protecting them. It may take a little bit of time for the parakeet to open up to you this way and show that level of comfort. 

Why Is My Parakeet Closing One Eye?

There are times when the parakeet will only shut one of their eyes while the other one stays wide open. This may look a little bit strange but it is a sign that the parakeet is not all the way comfortable for some reason.

With one eye closed, the parakeet is comfortable most of the time and may be entering serene mode with you.

However, the one eye open, which will often be the eye that is the furthest away from you, could indicate that they feel the need to be vigilant about the surroundings and they can’t get completely comfortable at all. 

Pay attention to when your bird does this and which eye they decide to close and which one they will keep open. You may be surprised at this and can look around the home to see what is causing them to open the eye.

You may be able to fix the thing that causes them to be nervous so they can relax more. 

What Does It Mean If My Parakeets Eyes are Wide Open?

Your parakeet will naturally have both eyes open when they are eating, flying around, or even playing with you. This is completely normal for the bird because it helps them to see all of the things that are going on around them.

If you notice their eyes are open while you are petting them though, this is a sign that the parakeet is bothered by something and can’t get into relaxation mode. 

If the parakeet keeps their eyes open and does not tend to blink for long periods of time, this is a big sign of anxiety, fear, and uncertainty for the bird.

You may also see that their eyes will widen or the size of the pupils will decrease when they are worried, inquisitive, or frightened about a situation and are not certain the right steps to take for it.

Keep in mind that your parakeet, while not able to talk, will be able to share a lot of communication through their eyes, just like humans can. 

It is normal for your parakeet to be a little anxious or watchful on occasion. This is how they scan the area around them and keep safe. If this is happening all the time, this can be a sign of a big problem though and you may need to get it checked out.

Look around your home to see if there is something that is causing your parakeet a lot of unnecessary stress and see if you are able to fix it. 

When Should Bring My Parakeet To The Vet?

For the most part, this is not a big issue that you need to worry that much about. However, if you notice that your parakeet’s eyes seem to be shut all the time, even if you are not touching or petting them, this can be a sign that the parakeet is sick and not feeling that well.

Once you notice this, it is time to set up an appointment with an avian veterinarian to figure out what is the problem and to get your parakeet the help that they need. 

Your Parakeet and Closing Their Eyes

There are different situations when your parakeet may be closing their eyes. This can happen sometimes when they are bored or they are tired from playing and moving around.

Other times it is a sign that they are joyful and comfortable being around their owner and can be a sign that they are appreciative of the attention while feeling safe with you.

If this does tend to happen quite a bit though, it may be a sign that your parakeet is not feeling as good as they should and it is time to visit a vet to make sure that your parakeet is doing good.