TY - JOUR T1 - The bird it was that died JF - Thorax JO - Thorax SP - 1175 LP - 1175 DO - 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2013-204603 VL - 68 IS - 12 AU - Hannah Povey AU - Duncan Cameron Y1 - 2013/12/01 UR - http://thorax.bmj.com/content/68/12/1175.abstract N2 - A family of four from North Wales had a miserable Christmas. Their misfortune began in early December with the sudden death of their two pet lovebirds within 24 h of each other (figure 1). Over the Christmas period they suffered further adversity as the mother developed a flu-like illness with generalised body aches, lethargy and worsening of her prolactinoma headaches. Her 4-year-old daughter developed similar symptoms, while her 2-year-old son was ‘reasonably well but not quite himself’. The father also developed mild flu-like symptoms when he returned home from working away. Figure 1 Bentley - the Indian ring-necked parrot. Published with permission from the family who owned Bentley. At the turn of the New Year their favourite bird, a parrot named Bentley, dropped dead suddenly and unexpectedly. This was the last straw; the mother consulted a diagnostic website. What is the unifying diagnosis, for bird and human? What historical resonances does the case have? Why is this diagnosis easily missed? ANSWER See page … ER -