Answer: Misting your pet bird with fresh clean water each day can provide a variety of benefits to your feathered friend. Birds in the wild get showers on a regular basis every time it rains. This is Nature's way of providing the natural shower that birds need to keep their feathers in top condition.
Birds prefer cool water for their bathing pleasure. Many pet birds enjoy a nice misting with a spray bottle. You can also spray the mist upward so it falls on your bird like rain. Give your pet bird a shower with the watering can that you use to water your houseplants.
For general bathing, mist the feathers good, making sure to get the chest and under the wings. You don't have to drench your bird but once a week or so. A light misting goes a long way. If your aim is to relieve itching or heal the skin, ensure that you spray the affected area two to four times a day.
Many birds enjoy bathing every day, while others prefer to bathe only occasionally. Birds should be encouraged to bathe often, as their feathers and skin will look healthier if they bathe frequently. Start by offering a bath to your bird once or twice weekly.
The best thing you can do if your bird bites is to gently put the bird down—just like giving a time-out to a child having a tantrum—and walk away. Try not to acknowledge the behavior.
Try to avoid touching your parrot on the back, wings or tail. Most parrots prefer to be touched on the head. This is similar to how many parrots interact with each other in the wild. Because parrots can't reach to preen the feathers on their own heads, they often appreciate the help of a friend for this job.
Too often, bird owners do not understand what birds find rewarding. More than likely, a parrot does not like being yelled at any more than a child would. Eventually, the bird finds the yelling humorous, which prompts even more bad behavior.
As long as you're not sticking a wet bird in an exposed position in a cold wind, they'll be fine. Put them somewhere warm and let them preen themselves dry.
One of the best bird care habits to develop is daily misting or bathing. Yes, birds need baths even in the winter, too. Don't worry that your bird will get chilled unless it is sick or left in a drafty location And, even if your bird is bald, it needs to take a bath for healthy skin.
Aside from the fact that many birds enjoy a good spritz, misting can promote healthy preening of the feathers, leading to reduced instances of feather picking and plucking, as well as helping to invigorate your bird's skin.
The "drying off" part of bathing for a bird is the best part for a bird owner! Most birds are super calm after a bath and want to focus on preening, shaking all the dander off and making themselves look darn good as their feathers dry.
Indirect Attention (recommended minimum 2 hours per day) - Parrots love to observe other flock members and their daily routines while quietly amusing themselves with a toy on their T-stand. Just taking a few minutes to talk or hand out a treat will help remind your bird he is an integral part of the family.
Positive reinforcement is the best way to discipline a bird and you can do it by rewarding your bird's positive actions with his favorite snack or treats. You may also shower him with praise and attention when he's behaving well so he'll realize how he should act.
In most situations, ordinary tap water is fine. “I don't think every bird needs to have bottled water imported from France in his cage,” says Florida veterinarian Dr. Gregory Harrison, DVM. “If you feel comfortable drinking the water, then it's probably OK for your bird.”
The Spray Bottle Method
It's important to only use room temperature water when bathing your parrot, as warm water can cause scalding.
Mister and Shower Spray for Parrots & Birds helps to keep your parrot clean and in tip-top health. Regular showers for your parrot don't have to be difficult. This refreshing mist of water is a great way to encourage proper preening.
If his eyes appear to be sunken or dull, or the skin surrounding his eyes has a wrinkled appearance your bird may be suffering from dehydration. Dehydration also can cause a bird's mucous membranes, located inside the bird's mouth, to become sticky or dried out.
Birds are attracted to the sound of moving water. Attaching a dripper or mister to your bird bath provides a source of moving water which backyard birds find irresistible! Many birds such as chickadees, finches and titmice will land on the dripper spout and creep down to the end and lean over to take a drink!
Being naturally social creatures, birds often enjoy taking a shower with their owners. There are even various avian shower products available such as special shower perches and sprayers. If you choose to introduce your pet to the shower, it's best to do so with extreme patience at first.
Some birds become spooked or just plain annoyed when a fan's breeze hits them straight on. If you run a fan, see how your bird reacts, and adjust accordingly. Ceiling fans are a great way to cool down a room, but pet bird owners need to be especially careful when they are in use.
You must ignore the bite. I understand why this advice is given. Sometimes parrots use their beaks to test objects (texture or structure of a jewel, for example). Paying attention to his bird during this behavior could result in a positive reinforcement.
Do you love your bird? That's good but you shouldn't get carried away with your affection. For instance, kissing your bird is not healthy and one reason for this is the disease Psittacosis. Psittacosis is a zoonosis, a disease which can be spread from animals (birds in this case) to humans.
Parrots are very sensitive to our emotions, sometimes better than we are. Our birds are keen observers of our facial expressions, body language, tone and even energy levels and therefore we have to be cognizant of how our emotions can impact our birds.