iridescent
feathers
WATER, WATER, EVERYWHERE
All our birds enjoy a good bath. Bathing is also absolutely essential to maintaining good health in a bird. There are two main ways your can bathe your bird: spray bottle or shower. You can also bathe your bird in the sink, or in a bowl, or even outside in the rain (note that your bird should be harness trained to do this). The technique you use to bathe your bird will wholly depend on your bird’s preferences.
TEMPERATURE
The temperature that we enjoy in comparison to what our birds enjoy can differ. Each bird likes different temperatures, but a basic guide is: not so cold that you can’t stand in it, but not so hot that it burns you. If you’re unsure, go slightly colder, but you still need to think it’s on the end of “warm”. Go a good lukewarm and all birds will be happy.
CLAUSTROPHOBIA
Some birds become extremely claustrophobic when the are in a shower. Even birds that are used to smaller spaces and showers may not be happy with your one. Try keeping the door open, and let them know that it’s a big space, and that it’s okay. Shower curtains can also be evil creations. They fly around and squeeze your bird inside. Leave the shower curtains open and, if possible, out of sight during shower experiences.
SEASONS AND CLIMATE
Here in Australia, our birds are bathed more often in the summer months when we can put them outside to dry off, and less often in winter. Unless, of course, they jump in without us planning it, or they get so dirty (or smelly!) that they need a clean. For us, it’s mostly hot, humid or warm, so they dry fairly quickly without the added shivering. In colder climates or seasons, you can’t plop them outside without them getting a chill, so we need to resort to more man-made solutions. There are three main options: blow-dry, installed heaters around your home or a brooder.
The brooder is a less likely resource to have laying around, unless you breed birds or a similar animal. As we often have baby birds, our brooder is running 24/7, and we can setup a stand for our showered birds in there until their feathers return to normal and they are warm. Often, we have a case of sorry Mum, I just jumped in the shower at night and it's winter and the shivering birds can stay in warmth overnight without worry. It’s definitely a more expensive option, but if you have one nearby...
Next up is a blow-drier. This is the most convenient and most used instrument for this purpose. Our birds love a blow dry, and the warm breeze on the faces. As it’s the most commonly used, I have reserved a paragraph for it below.
Finally, most people have heaters hidden around their homes. You do need to be near your bird for this one, to supervise. If you have a bird stand or even a chair that is near the height of your heater, place your bird a good metre away from the source, or where it’s warm but not hot. Keep an eye on your bird for panting or shivering.
REMAINING NATURAL
When it is possible, allow your bird to dry naturally. In summer, let your bird receive as much sunlight as they can. If you can’t find a dry spot outside due to weather, put your bird in front of a window to allow for filtered sunlight.