Parrot Island--Articles

Winter Considerations
by Terry Beaudoin

Home Environment

Most pet birds can live in a temperature that is comfortable for us. Of more importance to their health is how much temperature fluctuation (in particular a fast lowering of temperature) occurs at any given time.

Check the temperature in the area where your pet bird's cage is located several times during the day - also check the temperature as late in the evening as you can. If the temperature remains stable (it doesn't vary more than 5 degrees) your bird should have no trouble adapting. Some of the smaller birds kept as pets - parakeets, etc., need to be watched more carefully than their larger cousins. As a general rule - the smaller the bird the easier it's body temperature can be dropped which can result in it becoming ill. Areas near windows are best avoided as a place for your bird's cage or play gym - these areas usually show the most temperature variance. If you feel there is a need to warm your bird up - covering all sides of the cage except the front with a blanket or large towels and placing a heating pad under 1/2 to 2/3 of the bottom of the cage (*Note: it is very important that you do not completely cover up your heating pad- this can be dangerous) and raising the cage temperature to 78 - 85 degrees can help greatly. If you do not have a heating pad a 60 to 100 watt light bulb placed within 6 inches of the covered cage will substitute temporarily. We offer several excellent thermometers that make it easy to routinely check the temperature of your pet bird's environment. We can also give you some excellent recommendations on the best heating pads to purchase for this usage. Infrared heating products are probably the best and safest method for warming your pet bird - they are designed to heat only those things that will absorb the infrared spectrum - they heat up your bird much more than the materials of it's cage and the bird can easily move away from or get closer to the heat as he desires. We carry two sizes of infrared heating panels

Traveling

If you must travel with your bird during the winter months you must take great care - when temperatures drop below freezing only seconds of exposure can do great damage. It is best when transporting your bird to use a carrier designed for this purpose. Transportation of birds in metal cages can be very dangerous to your bird - we have seen enough examples of birds injured because of spooking and hurling themselves into their cage bars to recommend against this. There are several alternatives in carriers available at Parrot Island. We have custom acrylic carriers as well as modified cat carriers that are very convenient and safe. Also a cardboard box can work well for short-term transport of your bird. Contact us as to the specifics of how to use these various methods. Once you have chosen your bird's carrier you must then prepare it for use in cold weather. Be sure your car is thoroughly warmed up and is as close to where the bird will be leaving your home as possible. Next, wrap up your bird's carrier in a heavy blanket or coat (we also have available custom polar fleece carrier covers that we have found to work very well) and move the bird into your warm car quickly. When you reach your destination park your car as close to it's entrance as possible and take your bird inside. Remember to minimize your bird's time outside in the cold as much as possible.

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