Answer

I'm so very sorry for this shocking loss. Obviously it's heartbreaking and you're still suffering the pain.

From your description, it's not likely he starved. It's a very good thing that you replace the food as frequently as you have been rather than try to save seed.

It does, however, sound like he gorged and perhaps succumbed to an impaction.

There are various reasons this may have happened and without a necropsy (veterinary examination of the body after death), there's no way to really know.

Even with a necropsy, sometimes a cause is never found.

What you might be very surprised to learn is that parakeets shouldn't be eating more than about 15% seed overall. Though it's perfectly natural in their wild state, so is a huge amount of flying and foraging to burn off the fatty calories. Also, in their natural state they eat a variety of foods, including vegetation and insects. Seed only diets are believed to be the number one contributor to liver disease and early deaths, among other health problems.

The best overall diet for caged birds is a pellet mix. It doesn't matter which kind, as long as the bird eats it.


For your remaining little budgie, this site has a lot of info about nutrition and steps for switching to a pellet diet even with the most stubborn birds.

And there's recipes for meals you can make for both you and your companion

4AnimalCare


Again, I'm deeply sorry for your loss. You did nothing wrong

Expert:	S. August Abbott, CAS
Pos. Feedback:	99.6 %
Accepts:
Answered:	1/24/2009

Certified Avian Specialist

Cert. Avian Specialist; Int. Assoc.Animal Behavior Consult; Pet Ind. Joint Advisory Council; author