Stress in birds

An important aspect of animal husbandry is investigating how animals react to changes, routines and environments. In most cases, animals adapt well to changing situations. However, in order to scientifically evaluate wellbeing or if an animal is chronically "stressed", zoo biologists have various "tools" available. The first and certainly the most meaningful is "observed behaviour". Variable behaviour and social skills are a good sign of adaptation. But hormones, especially the stress hormone cortisol, also help us to assess situations. While high cortisol levels are normal in acutely stressful situations, high levels over long periods are a sign of chronic stress. This, in turn, is hazardous to health. Cortisol can be measured in the animals’ blood, faeces, saliva, feathers and hair. However, in order to interpret the values accurately, in relation to potential stress levels, validation is required, which can only be acquired by means of research.