Baby, It’s Cold Outside!
Whether it is an arctic chill hitting the US or the sun shinning down i the form of rays, as responsible, loving parrot owners, we need to be aware of temperatures and how they can affect our birds.
It’s interesting to find that parrots can actually take some cold weather. I’ve read about Indian Ringnecks over-breading in England, so much so that they are considered a pest to farmers, and Quaker nests breaking telephone polls in Chicago. In both cases, these parrots are withstanding cold winter weather, breaking the expectation that a ‘tropical’ bird isn’t built for the cold.
On the flip side, the same is true of some parrots in the summer – they can only take so much heat.
A part of the reason that parrots do well in the wild is because they are free to take care of themselves. They can seek shelter from a freezing wind or seek a refreshing bath in the in the hottest summer hours. When they are in captivity, we take on the responsibility of looking out for them. As such, I’ve researched to make sure that I’m providing the proper environmental temperatures for my parrots. This is super important! If you have parrots, you may know that it is hard to tell when they are ill. They hide their illness so much so that by the time you see signs that something is wrong, it is usually too late. So, I like to be preventative in my care.
Here is a great Facebook post from Tony Silva on parrot care during the cold and warm seasons:
Temperature tolerance in parrots: highs and lows
By Tony Silva
During the current cold snap across the US, I am receiving countless emails, phone calls and messages. The questions invariably consist of one of various versions of the following: What is the lowest temperature that my parrot can withstand? The general perception is that parrots are solely tropical and that they will sicken or perish if the temperature drops even slightly. In truth parrots are extremely tolerant of cold. Several species occupy paramo highlands, extreme parts of the northern or southern hemispheres and isolated locations where freezing temperatures are common. More tropical species also display a great degree of cold tolerance. In general all parrot species have shown that they can adapt to living in frigid conditions if the exposure to cold is gradual, so that they can molt into winter feather. You cannot take a bird living in a warm house and suddenly expose it to frigid conditions. That can prove detrimental.
The sub Antarctic island of Antipodes is inhabited by a parakeet—Cyanoramphus unicolor. It is the largest of the kakarikis. It has adapted to living in an area where summer temperatures average 10°C (51°F) and the winter temperature can drop below 4°C (40°F). That this species can tolerate wet, wind and cold is expected, given its evolutionary adaptation. But cold tolerance is also seen in tropical species. The Double Yellow-headed Amazon Amazona oratrix comes from Mexico’s Atlantic coast, where the average winter temperature is 15°C (60°F). It would seem to be the epitome of a tropical species, but in Stuttgart, Germany there is a feral flock that is growing and thriving. It started with a singleton in 1984 and today numbers more than 50 individuals. These individuals experience snow, cold and an average temperature of 0°C (33°F) in January, the coldest month. Ring-neck Parakeets Psittacula krameri, Quaker Parakeets Myiopsitta monachus and other species thrive across frigid Europe, including the United Kingdom, and also parts of the US north. I have seen Quaker Parakeets in Chicago on a January day where the wind-chill was a blistering -22°C (-9°F) in Chicago’s Hyde Park. They survived that winter and many others and today represent a growing flock. Across Europe, from Russia to the UK, I have seen parrots of all species in outdoors aviaries, even though they had access to a heated shelter. One observation vividly come to mind. I was wearing a parka, gloves, hat and scarf. The macaws were playing in the snow oblivious to the cold. Another involved walking across a huge aviary belonging to Kaj Herse in Denmark. The aviary contained Australian cockatoos, parrots and parakeets. The aviary offered no heat yet even the small Budgerigars Melopsittacus undulatus thrived.
The above establishes that parrots can be cold tolerant. The question then is what are the parameters to keep birds safe on cool days. Here is my list:
1) They need to have food and water. Fat rich foods are important, as they help the body generate heat.
2) They need to have protection from wet and wind. Outdoors a nesting box can offer protection for overnight drops in temperatures. Simple plastic sheets can add further protection; the aviary or cage can be wrapped in sheets of plastic. If the temperature will drop beyond a critical level, a heat lamp or heated room will be necessary. Indoors a blanket or towels can help.
3) The concern level should start when the temperature drops below 15°C (60°F). Bird that are acclimated to living outdoors will develop a thicker under down that will allow them to survive far more cold, including freezing weather; in such a climate they need protection for their feet to prevent frost bite. This can come in the form of a heated perch. The exposed facial skin on macaws, birds that are plucked, which are elderly or infirm must have access to a heated shelter (warmed to 15°C) in winter.
4) Wooden perches are best, as plastic and metal can chill or freeze, causing toe necrosis and loss.
5) Never should a bird showing signs of cold stress be left outdoors. They should be brought into a warm room immediately. Cold stress includes extremely ruffled feathers, inactivity, lack of feeding and shivering. On touch the birds will feel cold.
Heat tolerance, like with cold, also has a threshold. Species from the equator can tolerate a lot more heat than those from areas far north or south of the equator. The Slender-billed Conure Enicognathus leptorhynchus is found in Chile’s temperate forests. It has very thick feathering. They dislike it when in summer the mercury begins to climb. Mine bathe in a bowl to which I have added ice cubes during Miami’s strong summer heat. The birds will bathe several times daily if the ice water is provided. Kakarikis (Cyanoramphus sp.) also show discomfort in very warm weather. When I kept this species, I was forced to bring them indoors into an air conditioned room because they were absolutely miserable outdoors. In winter, on a chilly rainy January, they were bathing. That day the mercury read 6°C (43°F)—a unusually cool day for Miami.
The conditions for parrots surviving the heat are several:
1) Shade must be available. The bird must be able to sit in the shade. The food and water must also be in the shade.
2) Metal perches should be avoided, as they can become excessively hot.
3) There must be good airflow; stagnant air can make it intolerable.
4) Fresh, cool water must be available for bathing and drinking. A fog mister can help the birds stay cool during the hottest part of the day. Multiple 15 minutes runs of a mister during the hottest part of the day can make it more tolerable for the birds.
5) Fatty or carbohydrate foods should be limited, as they will merely contribute towards obesity. In summer we feed some fruit, which normally is offered in very limited quantity to the birds; their diet is rich in vegetables.
6) Discomfort for most species is evident above 40°C (104°F), which is the parrot’s average core body temperature. Panting, holding the wings away from the body, perching on the aviary floor in traditional walk in aviaries and inactivity suggest that the birds will need to be cooled.
The goal of the aviculturist is to provide the best conditions for the birds. Insuring that they are neither too cold or too hot is the task of many across the globe. Both forms of stress can contribute to illness and even death.
Finally, if you enjoy aviculture, please Do NOT support the World Parrot Trust. I kindly ask that you visit the Facebook page Stop the World Parrot Trust and leave a like. This entity is a menace to bird keeping and aviculture.
If you would like to learn more about cold and heat tolerance please refer to my book Psittaculture, which is available from www.psittaculture.eu.
Smaller Parrot & Temperature
I’ve noticed that most of the research I’ve done talks about medium size to large parrots. When in comes to smaller guys, like Budgies, Lovebirds, Green-cheek conures, Cockatiels and so on, I haven’t found specific information. My smaller parrots are indoors during the cold, even though I’m in southern Florida. During the summer, I provide outdoor shade and multiple water and bath sources.
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The strong powerful bill of the Black Cockatoo is capable of extracting the seed found in a eucalyptus nut, its favoured food source. Interestingly each of the three species attacks the nut differently. We learnt by inspecting the discarded nuts on the forest floor we can identify which Black Cockatoo has been around the area. This is knowledge any nature lover will get excited about and yes I too was a little excited at the prospect of using this whilst on the trails in Western Australia!