Temperature requirements for birds

[KRCSWO]

I live in Ontario, Canada and I have a couple of questions:


What temperature range is alright for a bird to live in?

I like to keep my house colder in the winter than most at 65 degrees.

In the summer, it doesn't tend to get too hot inside. Maybe 80 degrees at most before I start the central air which will keep it at 78-80.

What about temperature changes? During what conditions would it be alright to take a bird outside for a walk here? The first spring days in the high 40's or low 50's seem so nice to us, could a parrot be outside in this?

If you have an outdoor cage or aviary, what temperatures are alright to leave the bird outside for longer periods?

[extremefire]

We keep our house at about the same temps, maybe a little cooler in the summer. This would be good to know.

[mmr]

rule of thumb is if you are cold without cloths on then it is too cold for the birds. I usually keep my house around 67 in the winter!

[asurademon]

It depends on the species of bird, some birds are pretty hardy and can be kept at relatively low temperatures, others are more sensitive, and have a shorter range of temperature they can handle. What species are you wondering about? Also a bird is more likely to do all right if the temperature is fluctuating slowly over an extended period of time than if the change is more sudden.

Originally Posted by KRCSWO

I live in Ontario, Canada and I have a couple of questions:


What temperature range is alright for a bird to live in?

I like to keep my house colder in the winter than most at 65 degrees.

In the summer, it doesn't tend to get too hot inside. Maybe 80 degrees at most before I start the central air which will keep it at 78-80.

What about temperature changes? During what conditions would it be alright to take a bird outside for a walk here? The first spring days in the high 40's or low 50's seem so nice to us, could a parrot be outside in this?

If you have an outdoor cage or aviary, what temperatures are alright to leave the bird outside for longer periods?

[Kolkri]

The birds on the farm where I work part time stay out all year long. As long as they acclimate and do not get any lower then 45ish they do just fine.

[KRCSWO]

I currently don't have a bird. I'm debating possibly getting one again in the near future.

I'm interested in small-medium sized parrots.
Smaller side of the scale maybe a GCC.
Larger side of scale Ekkie, CAG or TAG.

It just seems like occasionally I read how you have to be careful about adjusting temperatures slowly for birds. I can see that being tough to do at times, but I wouldn't want to hurt any pet.

If I do get another bird, I would want to know it would be comfortable in my house at 65-80 deg temperatures. I would also want it to be able to spend time outside either with me (walking, biking, etc) or in an aviary.


This question is about knowing I can provide a good life for the animal before getting one.

Anyone in the northern US or Canada, in a climate that actually gets winter want to share their opinion and experience?

[New Ekkie Mom]

I'm in Rhode Island. I got my Eclectus in November. From what I hear, this winter has been one of the coldest winters in many years. It's starting to warm up now (highs in the high 40's/low 50's Farenheit), but most days during this winter, the high was below freezing. He's been inside all winter so far, except for when I take him from the house to the car and back in his travel cage. I just warm up the car a few minutes before we leave and cover the cage with a towel or blanket for the short trip in between. We keep our house in the low 70s (I don't like to be cold.). He's been fine. From everything I've read and heard from talking to many different people, birds can do well in a variety of temperatures, assuming they have had a chance to become acclimated to them. I have heard of people keeping their bird rooms in the low 60's and even the mid 50's. The birds do fine in this temperature, because they got used to it slowly. I would not want to take a bird that has been in a 75 degree house and just throw it into 50 degree temperatures, but if it's a gradual change, they should be fine. Ideally, it seems that 10 degrees hotter or colder than their normal environment is ok. Anything more than that and it can start to be a shock to their system. So, I can't wait for it to get up to the low 60's here. As soon as it does, we're headed outside! :) Once it gets above the low 80's, I'll have to start making a point to go outside during the cooler hours of the day.

I would say that your bird will do fine in your house. You are obviously doing much more research than the average pet owner, and you obviously care very much and are very conscientious. A bird should do fine in those temperatures in your house. I don't know that I would want the temperature swinging from 65 degrees to 80 degrees everyday, but I doubt that will happen. If it's a gradual change over the course of the seasons, it's fine. As far as going outside with you, the consensus I've gotten from many people is the 10 degree rule...10 degrees above or below the regular temperature is fine. More than that might be too much. If your house is in the mid 60's now, I would say taking a short trip outside in mid 50's weather would be ok.

Good luck!

Danielle

[Poicephalus girl]

I also live in Canada and I also like keeping my house (well appartment) on the cool side (which is around what you have been mentioning). In the winter, I do put the AC on, but I mostly use it to get rid of the humidity and it's not blasting too much cold air.

The problem is really how sudden the change in temperature might be, aka going for a heated house in the winter to outside in cold weather without proper isolation. If the difference is great, then that could be bad for the bird.
There are stories of cockatoos playing in the snow and being fine; however, they lived out in an aviary and were accustomed to the weather (mind you, this was not in Canada and I don't it got as cold as it does here in the winter and this snow didn't accumulate as much..)

[KRCSWO]

Thanks for the more detailed responses, that is what I was looking for.
The +/- 10 degree rule seems to make sense and I think that would work for what I would want for a pet.