Severe intestinal microsporidiosis caused by Encephalitozoonhellem were diagnosed in a European goldfinch, a canary, and lovebird based on histopathological and histochemical findings, and PCR with nucleotide sequencing from paraffin-embedded intestinal tissue.

These are the first documented cases of microsporidiosis and E. hellem infection in the European goldfinch and canary, and in passerine birds in the Northern hemisphere.

Microsporidiosis previously described in lovebirds, but microsporidia were not typed except in studies of fecal shedding.

All 3 birds died mainly of severe concurrent infections, but intense E. hellem infection of absortive intestinal epithelium may have contributed to exacerbated catabolism.