For birds, the ability to pick out intricate sounds is hugely important for communication, survival, and environmental awareness. Due to this, their hearing is far more acute than ours, especially in the higher frequencies.
In captivity, these senses can be more of a hindrance than a help. Some everyday noises that seem harmless to us can be quite harmful to them. With that in mind, here are 10 common household noises that can harm pet birds.
1. Vacuum Cleaners, Blenders, and Hairdryers
Here we’re talking about any high-decibel appliance, with many exceeding 70bB. They can cause birds distress, especially if they emit a high-pitched whine, such as with hairdryers. Birds will instinctively associate these unnatural sounds as signs of danger.
As with any animal, a sign of danger can come with a surge of stress. This can lead to the likes of feather plucking and frantic movements. If you have to use a loud appliance, avoid using it in the same room as your bird.
2. TVs, Loud Music, and Home Theatres
Many birds will enjoy ambient noise from the likes of TV shows and music, but only up to a point. This can be entertaining for them but if you’re not careful, that can turn into overstimulation. Action movies with their moments of explosive sound or music with heavy bass will often be too much.
Prolonged exposure can desensitize them so they don’t show immediate signs of stressed behavior, but having constantly high cortisol levels can affect them in many ways. This includes poor sleep, weakened immune function and erratic behavior. Keep in mind what you’re watching and how close your bird is to the sound.
3. Doorbells, Phones, and Beeping Electronics
Every human will know the feeling of sharp pain you get from a horrible high-pitched noise. For birds, the same sensation can come from the likes of doorbells and ringtones. These sounds usually happen without warning and can be difficult for them to comprehend.
Repeated exposure can lead to nervous behaviors and outbursts. If your home contains these types of sounds, find ways to mitigate them. Examples can be using softer ringtones or changing harsh alarms to music instead of a high-pitched noise.
4. Kitchen Clatter and Appliance Noise
It can be tricky finding the right spot in your home for a birdcage. One place to always avoid is anywhere near the kitchen. Not including noise, these are areas where smoke and other fumes can damage your bird’s health.
However, they are also a hotspot for bird-stressing sounds. Along with appliances, there can be clanging pots, utensils and cabinet doors to deal with. This cacophony of noise can be quite disorienting for any bird.
5. Laundry Machines and HVAC Systems
There are also those machines in our home that may not be incredibly loud but can let off a constant rumble. This low-frequency rumbling can be stressful and eventually contribute to some common health issues in pet birds.
Along with the sounds, birds can be bothered by the vibrations, which they are also highly sensitive to. Placing cages near utility rooms can cause a constant sense of unease, as well as exposing them to fumes.
6. Construction and Power Tools
Some birds can imitate the sounds of construction, but that doesn’t mean they enjoy them. This is a quite obvious irritant. The scream of power tools is often too much for humans to manage without ear protection, so you can imagine how bad it can be for birds.
If you need to work near their cage, it’s worth considering temporarily moving it until completion. If there is outside construction noise, consider taking steps such as closing windows or using noise dampening cloth.
7. Thunderstorms and Fireworks
Unless you’re setting off fireworks yourself, these are two sounds you can’t avoid. However, there are still ways to make life easier for your bird. Providing them with enclosed spaces or counteracting the bangs with white noise or soft music are some solutions here.
Here the sound isn’t the only issue. Flashing lights from fireworks or lightning can be startling. Even changes in atmospheric pressures can trigger their survival instincts. To avoid some of the biggest signs of stress in birds, try to make their lives as comfortable as possible.
8. Alarms and Smoke Detectors
We’ve already touched on it with doorbells and phones, but few things startle birds more than a sudden, blaring noise. Smoke or carbon monoxide alarms are meant to be unpleasant for good reasons, often reaching over 100 decibels.
However, you want to lessen the risk of false alarms going off. It’s also another reason not to have a bird near a kitchen, as alarms are more likely to trigger near there. When it comes to testing the alarm, make sure there is at least a closed door between the noise and your bird. Keeping them in mind will help to make you a good and moral bird owner.
9. Screaming and Crying
On a basic level, a child crying or screaming can be a distress call. In the wild, such distress calls often put animals on edge. It makes them think there may be imminent danger and therefore need to be on high alert.
The volume and unpredictability of children can cause chronic stress in birds. This is especially true if they are close to the cage. The best solution here is a mixture of creating rules around indoor volume and keeping the cage away from areas where volume control may be a struggle.
10. Other Birds’ Distress Calls or Screaming
If you have a multi-bird household, then one distressed bird can cause a chain reaction. Birds are social animals and others can mimic or join in on a distress call. This can lead to a period of escalating volume, tension, and stress.
One of the keys to being a good bird owner is understanding and respecting your bird’s behavior. If one of your birds is regularly becoming vocal and stressing out others. It’s important to identify the root cause and give it a break from whatever is bothering them.
