Certain animals just love to stay clean, and birds are one of them. Whether out in the wild or in a cage, they will spend a large amount of their day preening, fluffing, and shaking themselves. This helps to keep their feathers in top condition.
With all that self-care, do pet birds actually need to bathe? The answer is yes, but with certain conditions. Here we’ll look at what a bird bath is, how to take care of your bird, and also understand their behavior.
Do Birds Need to Bathe?
The simple answer to this question is yes. As with humans. it’s important for their overall health and well-being to be hygienic. Birds will gradually accumulate dust, dander, and debris on their skin and feathers. Water helps to remove all of this dirt and allow their feathers to shine.
With that loosened dirt, birds can preen more effectively. This is the act of using their beak to align feathers, remove parasites, and ensure oils are evenly spread. This leads to proper waterproofing, insulation, and a reduced chance of bird feather loss.
Our heated homes are also often low humidity environments where skin can become dry and irritable. Regular baths can help to reintroduce this moisture to keep your bird happy and healthy.
There is also the issue of powder-down birds. These are birds, including many parrots, which continuously grow feathers with the tips disintegrating. Without regular bathing, this can create excess feather dust and more likely to trigger humans with allergies or respiratory issues.
Do Birds Bathe in the Wild?
The need to bathe a pet bird completely aligns with that of a wild bird. When we talk about ‘bathing’ here, it’s about water washing over their skin. It doesn’t involve using any soaps or chemicals.
They do this in the wild a lot. Each species will have their own method but dips into ponds or puddles are common. Some also like to brush against wet leaves or grass that is damp from the early morning dew.
There is also the simple fact that birds will get rained on. For the likes of parrots in rainforests, these heavy showers happen a lot. Birds accustomed to more arid areas may not bathe as much but will still take advantage of water when they can.
For most wild birds, the opportunities to clean their feathers are frequent. It’s important to know your bird and understand its species and behavior. For example, cockatoos with their natural rainforest habitat and powder-down feathers will need regular baths.
How Often Should Pet Birds Bathe?
Each bird is different, but the answer is as much as they want. Some species of parrot may come to enjoy a daily bath, whereas others may only want one weekly. It not only comes down to species, but also the personality of the individual bird.
Just like with cleaning their cage, birds will start to become stressed if they live in an unclean environment. Thankfully bathing them is usually extremely simple so it’s not much of a burden for owners.
A good rule to start with is 2 to 3 times per week. If you are removing a lot of dust and dander with these baths or your bird really enjoys them, bathe them more. If they don’t seem interested in bathing a couple of days after they’ve had one, you can slightly reduce.
One of the key aspects of being a moral bird owner is understanding their behavior and characteristics. You want it to be a positive experience for them, and you can even experiment with different types of bathing until you find what makes your bird the happiest.
Signs Your Bird Wants a Bath
There are some clues birds can give if they want to bathe. This can include fluffing up their feathers, slashing their drinking water, showing interest in running water, or hopping excitedly when water is present.
You also need to be mindful of molting and dry seasons. New feathers are encased in keratin sheaths. Bathing helps to soften up these sheaths and make bathing easier and less uncomfortable.
You also want to check the humidity in your home, especially if you live somewhere that has a dry season, as this is likely to affect your bird’s skin and feathers. In both these cases, they should be bathed more regularly than usual.
Bathing Methods for Pet Birds
Bird bathing is easy, and you have multiple options. The most common is simply giving them a shallow water dish with lukewarm water. You can place this in the cage, and they’ll love splashing around. But ensure the water is shallow enough to prevent drowning.
Some birds also love to be misted with lukewarm water from a spray bottle. This should be a fine mist and can mimic rainfall. Similarly, your bird may enjoy a shower perch to enjoy a gentle shower stream, although this is usually only suitable for larger birds.
Leaf bathing is another good option, especially for smaller species who may be overawed by falling water. Here you can get a damp green leaf, such as lettuce, and gently rub it over them. This will mimic what they do in the wild.
Curious birds may even love the running water from a faucet. As with all of these methods, you want the water flow to be gentle and the water to be lukewarm. This will allow them to play and bathe, meaning you get a happy and stress-free bird.
Tips for a Safe Bird Bath
You need to keep safety in mind when offering your bird a bath, with only clean and lukewarm water being used. It’s imperative to avoid any soaps, shampoos or any additives. Birds are highly sensitive and soaps can strip feathers of essential oils.
There is a slight possibility that your bird may get something on its feathers you can’t clean off. If water doesn’t work here, you should take your bird to a specialist rather than attempting to clean off the substance yourself.
All bathing sessions should be supervised, especially those with running water. And it’s also best to let them try naturally in a warm and draft-free environment. Make sure to clean up afterwards, and enjoy the peace of mind of being a great bird owner.
