3 Must-see expert insights for National Bird Day

The annual National Bird Day—held this year on January 5, 2026—was created by the Avian Welfare Coalition as an awareness campaign. The coalition’s mission is to educate the public about the welfare of birds in captivity and ways to improve it.¹

In dvm360 interviews, avian experts Laila Proença DVM, PhD, MV, MSc, DACZM, founder and CEO of VetAhead; Christopher Lee, DVM, MPH, DACVPM, host of dvm360’s Vet Watch podcast; and Deborah Thomson, DVM, founder and executive director of One Health Lessons; share insights for bird care.^2-4 These videos are as follows:

Sedation is the key to better bird radiographs²

Laila Proença DVM, PhD, MV, MSc, DACZM, explains positioning checks to ensure diagnostic images, warns against hands-on restraint and improvised fixes, and recommends appropriate sedation to reduce stress and improve image quality.

Avian influenza, One Health, and a new resource for educating communities³

Deborah Thomson, DVM, discusses lessons and other resources that assist veterinary professionals in educating themselves and the public about avian influenza, which can help protect their communities, families, and pets.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza and biosecurity⁴

Christopher Lee, DVM, MPH, DACVPM, explains why early detection and enhanced biosecurity are essential for mitigating the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza.

References

1. Avian Welfare Coalition. National Bird Day. Avian Welfare Coalition. Accessed January 5, 2026. https://www.avianwelfare.org/nationalbirdday/?fbclid=IwY2xjawPIo11leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFUMHRjQmZnaExrWWlLMEFFc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHpv8-h1XA7LeFqwvoZapT427TwKe8LCIj6AzKuiUsoGNhMLL60EUe0icU3ah_aem_1pH8O_nsgwtvqQUKxCz_uw
2. Proença L, Alaburda R. Sedation is the key to better bird radiographs. dvm360. December 19, 2025. Accessed January 5, 2026. https://www.dvm360.com/view/sedation-is-the-key-to-better-bird-radiographs
3. Thomson D, Alejandre-Bautista. Avian influenza, One Health, and a new resource for educating communities. dvm360. April 1, 2025. Accessed January 5, 2026. https://www.dvm360.com/view/avian-influenza-one-health-and-a-new-resource-for-educating-communities
4. Lee C, Alaburda R. Highly pathogenic avian influenza and biosecurity. dvm360. March 28, 2025. Accessed January 5, 2026. https://www.dvm360.com/view/highly-pathogenic-avian-influenza-and-biosecurity