# Avian heart attacks **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [July 9, 2017, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avian-heart-attacks/790857 "2017-07-09T18:32:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jhirsch1942](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@jhirsch1942](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jhirsch1942)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2017, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avian-heart-attacks/790857/1 "2017-07-09T18:32:34Z")
Yesterday I was observing an adult house sparrow at the birdbath having a drink. Then he appeared to want a bath, flapping his wings, dipping them into the water, then stood on the edge making jerky motions, leaned over, fell to the ground and died. All this in less than a minute. My question then is: Do our avian friends have heart attacks and strokes just like we do? ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2017, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avian-heart-attacks/790857/2 "2017-07-09T18:46:02Z")
I wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t inhale some water and drown. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2017, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avian-heart-attacks/790857/3 "2017-07-09T20:44:55Z")
I had a pet African blackmask lovebird that suffered a stroke, as diagnosed by an actual vet. He survived several years afterward, but only because he was a pet sheltered from predators by two humans willing to care for him. Yes, birds can and do have heart attacks and strokes. They can also suffer from seizures and various other problems. ---
**Author:** ![Renee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/renee/32/287_2.png) [@Renee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renee)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2017, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avian-heart-attacks/790857/4 "2017-07-10T13:08:20Z")
Cornish Cross chickens, the meat birds that are raised in the big chicken houses, frequently die of heart attacks if they’re allowed to live longer than 6 weeks. ---
**Author:** ![somepumpkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@somepumpkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/somepumpkin)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2017, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avian-heart-attacks/790857/5 "2017-07-10T13:31:38Z")
Great band name, btw. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2017, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avian-heart-attacks/790857/6 "2017-07-10T14:55:02Z")
I saw a pigeon land on a ledge, perch for a moment, then topple over dead. The only things I could think of were heart attack or heat stroke. ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2017, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avian-heart-attacks/790857/7 "2017-07-10T16:33:30Z")
> [@jhirsch1942](#): > > Yesterday I was observing an adult house sparrow at the birdbath having a drink. Then he appeared to want a bath, flapping his wings, dipping them into the water, then stood on the edge making jerky motions, leaned over, fell to the ground and died. All this in less than a minute. My question then is: Do our avian friends have heart attacks and strokes just like we do? I guess His eye really IS on the sparrow. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2017, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avian-heart-attacks/790857/8 "2017-07-10T17:16:02Z")
Obvious question. Is this in the right forum? Which column are we talking about here?