In the last entry in our gut health mini-series, we defined the gut microbiome and discussed pre-, pro-, and postbiotics. As a parrot owner, you might still be wondering what you can do to support your parrot’s gut health.

Excellent probiotic products exist, but to find them, you’ll need some familiarity with the most common types of microbes they contain. In this explainer, we’ll dive into the details to help you determine what products are best for your feathered friend. 

What kinds of bacteria live in a parrot’s gut?

Bacteria play an outsized role in a parrot’s gut flora. Not only do they make up a huge proportion of the microbiome, but their processes and products are critical to healthy gut functioning. Even so, studies on parrot gut bacteria aren’t as plentiful as we might hope. Intestinal bacteria are extremely diverse and can differ between species, so cataloguing them is no small undertaking. Additionally, parrots tend to be less popular research subjects than other species (namely chickens), so much of our knowledge on the parrot gut microbiome comes from studies conducted with poultry.

However, recent research has found that bacteria from the Lactobacillus genus are common in psittacine gut flora (here, “genus” refers to a group of related bacterial species). A 2019 study involving nine different parrot species, including macaws, parakeets, and cockatoos, also found the Clostridium genus to be relatively common (Liu et. al., 2019). Just last year, a study conducted at Charles University in Czechia took a look at the microbiomes of 85 different parrot species (Černá, 2023). This far-reaching research supported Lactobacillus’s prevalence, but also found that bacteria from other genera like Enterococcus were sometimes present, just in lower quantities.

Why does this matter? In parrots, Clostridium bacteria may play a role in breaking down fibrous, plant-based foods, and Lactobacillus bacteria can “crowd out” more harmful types of bacteria. But don’t let these two genera steal the show! Enterococcus bacteria, specifically E. faecium, play a fascinating supporting role in your parrot’s gut.

E. faecium: Microbial MVP

E. faecium is a round, unassuming microbe that can be found in the intestines of many animals, from birds to cats to humans. Though it lacks the name recognition of more famous gut bacteria, like Lactobacillus and E. coli, its health-boosting abilities shouldn’t be underestimated.

For decades, scientists have been uncovering the benefits of E. faecium supplementation in poultry diets. In certain doses, providing E. faecium as a probiotic helps chickens make more efficient use of their feed (Owings et. al., 1990). Even if your parrot isn’t actively growing, it’s important that their body is able to get the most out of the food they’re eating. E. faecium may help them do just that. 

Newer research has dug even more deeply into what this little microbe can do for a bird’s gut health (Huang et. al., 2018). In this study, scientists found that E. faecium supplementation may help birds fight off life-threatening E. coli infections. How? First, E. faecium produces bacteriocins, substances that can kill off potentially harmful bacteria like E. coli and Listeria. Bacteriocins are a hot area of research, as they may be a way to combat bacterial infections without the use of antibiotics. 

Second, E. faecium helps bolster the gut’s natural defense mechanisms. The intestines have a variety of tools for preventing infection, including tight junctions between cells and a layer of sticky mucus lining the intestinal tract. However, pathogens like E. coli can compromise these first-line defenses. Not to worry! E. faecium helps encourage the production of molecules that maintain the gut’s tight junctions and mucosal layer, keeping harmful bacteria from sneaking past.

Lastly, E. faecium may have a potent anti-inflammatory effect. In Huang et. al.’s study, E. faecium suppressed a variety of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Cytokines are substances cells use to send signals to other cells. In this case, cytokines like IL-6 and TNF-α send a signal to increase inflammation. E. faecium helps crack down on this signalling, reducing inflammation in the gut. This effect may be especially important in parrots. Among all birds, parrots are uniquely susceptible to inflammation of the brain and spinal cord (Divín et. al., 2022), and a parrot’s brain works in close connection with their gut. See the previous entry in our gut health mini-series for more information on the gut-brain axis!

E. faecium can be a key player in your parrot’s overall health. However, no probiotic is a one-size-fits-all solution. Read on to discover how dosage can mean the difference between a powerhouse and pathogen. 

How do I choose a product to support my parrot’s gut health?

Balance is key when choosing a probiotic product for your parrot. The microorganism communities in your parrot’s gut are diverse and delicately balanced, and when the population of a microbe gets too high or low, it can result in a condition called dysbiosis. Dysbiosis, or imbalance of the microbiome, can be accompanied by unpleasant (and potentially dangerous) symptoms like diarrhea and bloating. 

Many probiotic products take a quantity-over-quality approach, with supplements containing billions of CFUs (“colony forming units,” a measure of viable microbes) in each dose. Focusing on E. faecium, most studies achieve beneficial results with far smaller doses, often in the range of 100,000-250,000 CFUs. These more modest doses align with the most up-to-date scientific knowledge, which shows that E. faecium lives in small populations in the parrot gut microbiome. At best, providing your parrot with mega-doses of probiotics is simply wasteful; at worst, it could contribute to conditions like dysbiosis. 

In addition to a targeted amount of CFUs, it’s a good idea to look for a probiotic product that also contains pre- and postbiotics. Your parrot’s gut microbiome is a living ecosystem, and pre- and postbiotics help nourish and support the bacteria there. Well-supported bacteria are better able to do their jobs and keep your parrot healthy. 

Wrapping Up

Your parrot’s gut flora is home to a huge variety of microorganisms. From the very-common Lactobacillus bacteria to the small but mighty E. faecium, every microbe has their role to play in combatting harmful bacteria, assisting digestion, boosting immunity, and more. However, you can’t just give your parrot huge doses of probiotics and hope for the best. The safest, most effective products have science-backed dosages specifically tailored to the parrot gut microbiome, and are fortified with pre- and postbiotics to ensure the live bacteria can do their jobs. 

Because your parrot deserves not just to survive, but to thrive, every Bird Street Bistro product is carefully formulated with psittacine nutrition in mind. Browse our food and tea collections for nourishing, delicious options made by parrot lovers, for parrot lovers. 

Sources Referenced:

Černá, K. (2023). Interspecific and intraspecific variation in gastrointestinal microbiota composition of parrots and its association with incidence of selected disorders.http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11956/185867

Divín, D., Goméz Samblas, M., Kuttiyarthu Veetil, N., Voukali, E., Świderská, Z., Krajzingrová, T., ... & Vinkler, M. (2022). Cannabinoid receptor 2 evolutionary gene loss makes parrots more susceptible to neuroinflammation. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 289(1988), 20221941. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2022.1941

Huang, L., Luo, L., Zhang, Y., Wang, Z., & Xia, Z. (2019). Effects of the dietary probiotic, Enterococcus faecium NCIMB11181, on the intestinal barrier and system immune status in Escherichia coli O78-challenged broiler chickens. Probiotics and antimicrobial proteins, 11, 946-956. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12602-018-9434-7

Liu, H., Chen, Z., Gao, G., Sun, C., Li, Y., & Zhu, Y. (2019). Characterization and comparison of gut microbiomes in nine species of parrots in captivity. Symbiosis, 78, 241-250. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13199-019-00613-7

Owings, W. J., Reynolds, D. L., Hasiak, R. J., & Ferket, P. R. (1990). Influence of dietary supplementation with Streptococcus faecium M-74 on broiler body weight, feed conversion, carcass characteristics, and intestinal microbial colonization. Poultry Science, 69(8), 1257-1264. https://doi.org/10.3382/ps.0691257