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BirdsPet parentSeptember 25, 2026

I have a ~7-year-old cockatiel who regurgitated food last night

Hi! I have a ~7-year-old cockatiel who regurgitated food last night. I saw him doing his usual up-and-down neck-bobbing motion before bed, not violent side-to-side head shaking. This morning there was partially digested food on his cage/collar and one small piece about 3.5 feet away on the wall. He also had some dried food on his cheek feathers. He wears a soft protective collar for feather picking and has worn this type for about 5 years. I removed it this morning for a supervised break. Since then, he has been completely normal: alert, chirping, flying, playing, grooming, balancing normally, and showing no breathing difficulty or tail bobbing. I have not seen him regurgitate again. Does this sound more like normal regurgitation or concerning vomiting? Is it reasonable to monitor him at home if he continues acting completely normal, and what signs would mean he needs an in-person avian vet visit?

A licensed veterinarian’s answer

DWDylan Wilson, DVMVerified VetSmall Animal, Mixed Animal, Preventive Care, Laboratory Medicine · KY license 293504Answered 20d ago

Hello sorry to hear Marvin is worrying you. He's very cute. It's hard to say if it is vomit or regurgitation without seeing the behavior right before the episode. I hope it was just the one episode. If he continues I would definitely get him to a vet to assess what could be causing nausea or GI inflammation. I would just look for decreased food and water intake, ruffled feathers, shying behavior, and listlessness.

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