Since winter is never ending, let's talk about temperature and humidity for our parrots, as we get that question a lot. Most parrots come from tropical and warmer climates, so as long as we keep our houses between 65 degrees to 75 degrees, and we are comfortable in that temperature, our birds should be as well. That said, there are a few things to keep in mind.
If your bird has naked spots or plucks their feathers, you might need to consider keeping the house warmer or having a small oil-filled radiant heater in their room to help them maintain their body temperature. A bird that is fully feathered does not have that issue as they can self-regulate their temperature much better.
Oil-filled radiant heaters like the one below are the best and safest heater to use around your birds. REMEMBER if you are buying new, use it at the highest temperatures outside of your house at least a few hours for an initial burn off. Once safely used for a bit away from the birds, you just keep the heater a safe distance from walls and fabric items to prevent fires (obviously fires are dangerous to everyone, not just birds ).
Another factor to consider is that heat in general will dry out the air and affect the humidity level. This is important as most birds are from places with higher humidity than our home in general, and having that dry air can dry out their nares and throat just like with humans. And just like us, this can allow bacteria and viruses to invade and make our birds sick. I use a humidifier in their room that I run for a few hours each day to help with this issue. Other ideas are to take your birds in the shower with you to get some steam to help them and their feathers out.
We also want to consider the type of heating you have in your house. No matter the system, making sure it is in good working order is important for your safety and the birds. Keeping up to date on normal maintenance will help with this. For those with wood burning fireplaces , please make sure your chimney is cleaned regularly and able to ventilate the smoke properly, avoiding it from coming into the house with your birds. We know that due to their respiratory system, birds are extremely sensitive to any air quality issues.
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