Haematological reference intervals in captive African Grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus)

Abstract

The African Grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus) is one of the most popular avian pets in exotic animal practice. In this study, blood samples (n = 459) from healthy African Grey parrots (n = 239) were collected for haematological testing. Reference intervals were determined according to the guidelines of the American Society of Veterinary Clinical Pathology with the Reference Value Advisor (v2.1) freeware. The calculated reference intervals (RIs) were: packed cell volume 38-59%; haemoglobin 105-154 g/l; RBC 2.3-3.3 106/µl; MCV 145.5-199.7 fl; MHC 38.3-55.6 pg; MCHC 232-313 g/l; WBC 2.7-12.6 103/µl; heterophils 1.2-10.2 103/µl; lymphocytes 0.8-4.3 103/µl; monocytes 0.0-0.6 103/µl; basophils 0.0-0.1 103/µl; eosinophils 0.0-0.2 103/µl. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study in psittacines to use such a high number of birds and samples to establish haematological species-specific RIs, providing a valuable tool to professionals dealing with the health of African Grey parrots.

Keywords

• avian medicine
• blood cell count
• haematology