Housing and Environment

Temperature:A healthy bird can tolerate temperatures that are comfortable to its owner. Sudden changes in temperature may be a potential threat to any bird. Avoid placing the bird in drafty areas or in direct sunlight with no shade.

Lighting: Many pet birds are kept in well-used rooms in the house. Often one member of the family is up for work at 6am and turns the lights on, whilst anohter may not go to bed 'till midnight or later before turning the lights off again. This means that often the bird only gets 6 or so hours of darkness every day. In the wild these birds live in equatorial regions and have around 12 hours each of light and dark and we should try and mimic this wiht their captive management. for 12 hours (e.g 8am till 8pm) the bird can be kept in the usual place but for the rest of the time it must be either moved to a darkened room, or have its cage covered with a dark blanket and left somewhere quiet. some birds, particularly cockateils, may panic if completely covered, so leave the front of the cage uncovered or provide a night light. Remember to check the cage cover regularly to ensure the bird is not chewing it and potentially creating dangerous loops of thread or holes where beak or toes could get caught.

Caging:The largest cage that can be accommodated in the ome is recommended. Purchase a cage with bars proportional to the size and strength of the bird. The bird should not be able to fit its head between the bars. The bars should be passing horizontally so that the bird can climb. Cages must be made of non-toxic material and be easy dismantle and clean. Remember that birds fly horizontally, not vertically and the cage should be wide enough to accommodate the bird stretching his wings and tall enough to accommodate the length of the birds tail.

BathingIn the wild many of our pet birds, especially African and South American Species (African greys, Macaws, amazons etc) live in rain forests where their plumage is constantly dampened by the high humidity and where it rains steadily for much of the time. In captivity the lack of this moisture can lead to a reduction in 'Normal' grooming activitiy which can lead to boredom, or to abnormal grooming(i.e feather plucking.) All birds should be offered a bath daily, but many will not accept an open dish. Some will enjoy sitting in the sink, bath or shower and taking a dip under running water. Others are still reluctant and should be sprayed daily with a very fine mist of warm water from a plant sprayer.

Security the cage should be secure in that the bird cannot escape by unlatching the door or squeezing through food or water dish portals. Placing the cage against a wall or in a corner offers the bird a sense of security. Cage height should not be lower than three feet from the ground. The higher the cage the more "dominant" the bird-this is prticularly important when trying to understand the psychology of the larger parrot! If using ceiling hooks for the cage, ensure they are well anchored and can support the weight of the cage and bird. Avoid placing the cage on a television or stereo or in the kitchen where cooking fumes are more concentrated.