Why Is My Parakeet Closing Its Eyes?

Parakeets are expressive little birds, and their eyes tell you a lot about how they are feeling. If your parakeet is closing its eyes, the meaning depends entirely on the context. It could be a sign of complete contentment or a warning sign that something is wrong. Knowing the difference helps you take better care of your feathered friend.

Closing Eyes While Being Petted Or Talked To

If your parakeet closes its eyes while you are gently petting it or talking softly to it, this is one of the sweetest signs of trust and contentment a bird can show. Closing their eyes makes them vulnerable, so a bird that does this in your presence is telling you they feel completely safe. It is similar to a cat’s slow blink, which is often called a “love blink” in the bird world.

Many parakeets will also close their eyes while sitting on your finger or shoulder, especially if you are speaking quietly or making soothing sounds. This is a sign of a well bonded, comfortable bird and something to feel good about.

Closing Eyes While Resting Or Sleeping

Obviously, parakeets close their eyes when they sleep. They need about 10 to 12 hours of quiet, dark sleep each night. But parakeets also take naps throughout the day, and a healthy bird napping on its perch with closed eyes and slightly fluffed feathers is perfectly normal.

Parakeets often rest on one foot with their head tucked slightly and eyes closed during afternoon naps. This is a classic relaxed posture and nothing to worry about. If your parakeet wakes up easily when you approach and returns to normal activity quickly, everything is fine.

When Closed Eyes Could Be A Warning Sign

Here is where it gets important to pay attention. A parakeet that keeps its eyes closed most of the time, even during active hours when they would normally be eating and playing, may be sick. Sick birds often sit with their eyes closed, feathers fluffed up, and body puffed into a ball shape. They may stay on the bottom of the cage rather than perching normally.

Other warning signs to look for alongside closed eyes include sitting at the bottom of the cage, loss of appetite or not eating, tail bobbing with each breath which indicates respiratory effort, discharge from the eyes or nostrils, lethargy and lack of interest in surroundings, and fluffed feathers throughout the day rather than just during naps.

If your parakeet is showing closed eyes combined with any of these other symptoms, do not wait. Birds hide illness as a survival instinct, so by the time they look obviously sick, the problem may be advanced. Get them to an avian vet as soon as possible.

Eye Problems To Watch For

Sometimes a parakeet keeps one eye closed or squints frequently because of an eye problem specifically. Eye infections, injuries, or irritation from cage dust or aerosols can all cause a bird to keep an eye partially or fully closed. Look for swelling around the eye, discharge or crustiness, redness, or the bird rubbing its eye on the perch frequently.

Environmental irritants like scented candles, air fresheners, cooking fumes, and cigarette smoke can all irritate a parakeet’s eyes and respiratory system. If your bird is squinting or keeping its eyes closed more than usual, consider whether anything in the environment might be causing irritation.

How To Tell The Difference

The key is context and overall behavior. A parakeet that closes its eyes during petting, naps, or quiet time but is otherwise active, eating well, and behaving normally is a happy, healthy bird. A parakeet that is closing its eyes throughout the day, is less active than usual, and is not interested in food or interaction may need veterinary care. When in doubt, it is always better to check with a vet than to wait and see.