Brooklyn parrot's lethargy reveals hidden illness, sparks urgent vet search

Roxy Nissman built a reputation in Brooklyn Heights as the bird who turned the family routine into a show. The eclectus parrot sang along to disco in the shower, rode on a suction-cup perch, and answered Amanda Nissman’s dancing with a burst of her own vocal energy. Then, in Miami, that bright routine cracked.

Amanda Nissman noticed Roxy tucking her head behind a wing during the day and moving with none of her usual spark. For a bird that had been loud, animated, and unmistakably present, the change was enough to send the family searching for emergency veterinary help over the weekend. That urgency made sense: parrots are prey animals, and they often hide illness until they are very sick.

Bird owners know the subtle version of that warning pattern. A parrot sleeping more than usual, sounding different, fluffed up for longer periods, or suddenly struggling to perch can be signaling trouble long before the problem becomes obvious. Roxy’s lethargy was one of those signs, and in her case it was not just a mood shift or a rough day.

When veterinarians finally examined her, they found multiple masses on her body. What began as a vague concern over a sleepy bird turned into a serious medical crisis. The family then connected with the Schwarzman Animal Medical Center in Lenox Hill and Dr. Katherine Quesenberry, the hospital’s Chief Medical Officer, Senior Veterinarian, Specialist in Avian Medicine, and head of Avian & Exotic Pet Medicine. AMC says Quesenberry has practiced avian and exotic pet medicine exclusively for nearly 30 years and founded its Exotic Pet Service in the 1980s.

Roxy’s case has become part of AMC’s 18th Annual Living Legends Luncheon, where she will be honored on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, from 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the University Club of New York, 1 West 54th Street in Manhattan. The event falls during National Pet Month and is meant to spotlight extraordinary patient stories and the bond between people and their pets.

For parrot owners, the lesson is blunt. A bird that suddenly sleeps more, tucks its head, changes its voice, or loses its usual personality deserves fast attention, not a wait-and-see approach. Roxy’s disco-singing charm made her memorable, but her lethargy was the detail that mattered most.