The bird it was that died.

To cite: Povey H, Cameron D. Thorax 2013;68:1175. 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. 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.