Physical health does not only require the basic needs or body holds such as water, air, or food. Sunlight is also part of the primary physiological need living species require for survival. Lack of sunlight may invite malfunctioning organs or develop reciprocated chemical reactions in the body, resulting in sickness or disease. This negative natural occurrence is possible for birds such as parrots. The more their environment is unhealthy and unfavorable, their case may lead to destructive behavior or physical disorder.
Direct contact with sunlight may benefit birds like parrots. They enjoy the sun, especially after their bath, since heat helps dry their wet feathers before a flight. The sunlight also integrates Vitamin D3, which helps improve the physical and mental health of the parrots.
Is Sunlight Good For My Parrot?
As living creatures, our body requires the need of sunlight. Exposure to sunlight aids in the synthesis of Vitamin D in our body. Thus, it helps manufacture calcium and phosphorus, which our body will eventually utilize to give it its optimal function. Being under the sun can also raise health benefits such as improving hormonal balance and blood circulation.
Although it is already in our bodies and can be activated with direct sunlight, vitamin D is very healthy since it primarily marks the production of calcidriol in the liver and calcitriol in the kidney.
Another benefit may be better bone calcium absorption and phosphate concentration, enabling normal mineral absorption in muscles. With a lack of sunlight, body malfunctions such as osteoporosis, cramps, muscle spasms, or rickets may occur and may need a more extended treatment period.
Sunlight improves one’s psychological behavior, mental health, and state. If these few significant pieces of information are happening to the average person’s body and well-being, these somehow work the same for fowls such as the species of parrots.
Why Parrots Need Sunlight
A parrot must be exposed to the sun to be physically and mentally healthy. Their playful attitude may manifest entertainingly in sunny environments. Parrots are known to be charmingly sociable pets. So, they are best to be adopted pets for the household. Such characteristics are sold to individuals who like to be amused and invited for some break time or relaxing playful time.
These parrots enjoy the attention and are entertaining, especially around people fascinated by their vivacity and sociable actuations. They are likely to display curiosity and aggressiveness rather than being naive and cautious. With these natural behaviors, their attitude might be affected when they lack exposure to sunlight.
Although household parrots mostly stay indoors, unlike those in the wild, which fly out for long distances to hunt for food and are mostly exposed to stronger ultraviolet rays, they need direct sunlight exposure even on the most average time of contact to ensure their proper care and well-being as unique species.
The Importance Of Natural Light
Indeed, no one might want to get stuck in an enclosed cabin or storage for so long without the sun’s natural light. Somehow it would be impossible for one to provide a man-made environment for these fowls to assure light for them. Natural sunlight is still one of the best mediums for the parrot’s physical health and emotional well-being.
These parrots affect their sleeping habits when they lack natural sunlight exposure. Most avian study shows that parrots would take their sleep from an average of ten to twelve hours a day. However, some birds would do more than that in generality. Nature will take its place on these birds whenever they want to sleep as they are designed that way.
Moreover, sunlight encourages building of solid bones and the bird’s beaks. It also helps them grow longer, shiny, and more robust feathers. Sunlight improves the bird’s immune system and muscle development. Since their bodies produce healthy cells and good hormonal production, their behaviors stabilize, and they interact socially well with the people around them. The energetic and playful characteristic will manifest, and a harmonious relationship between its handler and the parrot will improve.
How Long Can Parrots Be In The Sun?
When one takes their pet parrots outdoors for sun-exposing activities, such an endeavor is favorable to both. Bonding times with your parrot improves an individual’s mental and behavioral health. However, there may be times when your parrot may disclose some phobic behavior after being exposed outside for quite some time, especially when it is not familiar with the environment. When uneasiness is detected, it would be best not to force with it the issue of exposure outdoors. Gradually introducing the unfamiliar environment may help ease your parrot’s phobic behavior.
Furthermore, please remember to never leave our parrot indoors with some restraint. No matter how faithful and loyal the pets are to their owner, Fowls may still break off for escape, especially when enough winds come and give them a good lift away, eventually losing contact with their handler. Parrots adopted in households are likely to be suggested for a little display outdoors to direct sunlight, especially when they are kept indoors for a long time.
How Long Should A Parrot Expose To The Sun?
They should also be exposed to direct sunlight for at least thirty minutes each week and at least an hour in shady areas. Too much exposure to the heat may cause danger to you as well as to your parrot. If one experiences uneasiness or overheating under the sun, your parrot might as well feel the same. They usually pant for breath, or their wings are held away from their body. If this happens, soak them slowly in tap water or room-temperature water.
These may give them a pacifying effect and cool down their body temperature. Never give them cold water as this may cause an instant decrease in their body temperature or may harm any organ. Birds such as parrots require delicate care when physically injured, especially overexposure to the sun’s direct heat. Even though their wings may seem covered with thick feathers, they are still prone to overheating. A very cool and fine bird bath can be a good relaxation time for them.
How Much Sunlight Does My Parrot Need?
The presence of sunlight signals the conure birds of their circadian rhythm or their routine for rest and sleep. Thus, this helps them improve their sleeping habits and increase a stronger immune system. Birds exposed in the wild are given indications out of instinct that they can find time to hunt for their food, bird bath, and mating. Adoptive household conure parrots living indoors best place their cages not too near the windows to protect these pets from direct heat and their prey. It is also advised in hot environments that these bird pets are supplied with cool water in their cages to stabilize their body temperatures and moody behaviors.
The Importance Of Doing Research
Since they have that quality of going aggressive and destructive in cages when uncomfortable, handlers need to study them and observe their changes in behavior. Room temperature must also be considered a factor for their pets’ welfare.
An intelligent disposition must be well informed of these conure parrots’ restlessness, energy, and vibrant attitude. One will know something is wrong when these species manifest some negative actions or sudden character shifts. It is also advantageous for one handler to familiarize their pet conure parrot because he has the idea of its accustomed traits. Thus, he can manage the treatment when his parrot is uncomfortable.
Why Do Parrots Lie In The Sun?
Perching out in the sun may seem to have both its benefits and detriments. It will always depend on how one manages and weighs things to gain more benefits. Favorably, holding outdoor activities also has gains depending on the nature of the event. Most outdoor endeavors improve one’s psychomotor and social skills. It also builds up physical health, especially during the day as good weather permits.
Sunny days welcome more exciting engagements and bonding times. As the sunlight is beneficial to us, so is to the birds like the parrots as well.
Benefits Of Vitamin D3
Sunlight integrates the chemical processes in the body and eventually aids in the cellular reactions which produce Vitamin D3. This essential chemical improves the parrot’s physical health and corrects behavioral problems.
Parrots exposed insufficiently to the sun mostly develop certain irregular behaviors like excessive screaming, biting, anxiety, destructive behavior, lack of sleep or changes in their sleeping habits, feather plucking, overgrown beak, degraded vision or eyesight, depression, trouble molting, and seizures. Such is the importance of sunlight since it caters to the production of Vitamin D3 in the physical process of stabilizing hormones manufactured within the body.
- Linda Roberts, Taking Pet Birds Outside, Vol. 29 No. 1 (2002), https://journals.tdl.org/watchbird/index.php/watchbird/article/view/1689. Accessed July 12, 2022.
- Carrie Stephens, Do Parrot Need Sunshine? AllAboutParrots, https://www.allaboutparrots.com/do-parrots-need-sunshine/ Accessed July 12, 2022.
- Chewy Editorial, What You Need To Know About A Parrot’s Night And Day Cycle, https://be.chewy.com/what-you-need-to-know-about-a-parrots-night-and-day-cycle/, May 12, 2015, Accessed July 12, 2022.
- National Institutes Of Health, Vitamin D: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals, https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/ Accessed July 12, 2022.
- Bird Cages Now, Green Cheek Conure (Parakeet) Species Guide: Pet Parrot Care, Lifespan, Personality & Price, https://www.birdcagesnow.com/blogs/bird-blog/green-cheek-conures Accessed July 12, 2022.