What is a draft?

[ronv]

I don't have any birds yet, but am planning my setup now. I'm doing a lot of researching and find many warnings about drafts. I'm thinking of building an avairy on my screened back porch. It is roofed and open on three sides to the weather. I don't think that would be a draft, is it?

[Sorechia]

Most of the time they are talking about like an air conditioning draft, fan, etc. Outdoors is a little different when the weather is warm. I wouldn't have an open window in the middle of winter though, that kind of thing.

[NotEnoughTime]

Originally Posted by ronv

I don't have any birds yet, but am planning my setup now. I'm doing a lot of researching and find many warnings about drafts.

I believe the concern about drafts is overstated. A draft is a flow of air.

Birds do not have a problem with drafts in my opinion - but they do have a problem with sudden large-changes in temperature... Like taking them outside on a freezing day for an hour...

[ronv]

So maybe a draft is a flow of air that is a different temperture???? If they are out side or on my back porch, the flow of air (wind) is the same temp. so thats OK. An open window would be cool air into a warm room. Bad!!! Is that the ticket????

[NotEnoughTime]

Originally Posted by ronv

n open window would be cool air into a warm room. Bad!!! Is that the ticket????

Even cool air isn't bad - it's darn cold air that you need to worry about. I would not put a bird in the direct path of an air conditioner... But even I don't like to sit there. But I wouldn't worry if there was a slow movement of cooler air...

[ronv]

Great. Thanks for your time.

[chapala]

Two of my birds are housed outside on a covered terrace year-round, and the others often go outdoors during the day. Of course we have a mild climate, but they do acclimatize to various temperature ranges. During parts of the year our daytime high is 30 degrees higher than the night low, and the birds do fine. Now it's more like a 20 degree difference between the high and low temperatures.

[Lori~D]

A draft is a cool airflow. If its in a warm room and coming from a loose window it can be dangerous causing a chill. Its not the same as a breeze outside. Birds can handle temp changes they are acclimated too and can easily go from cold nights to warm days depending on species. What you dont want is a drafty loose window in an 80 degree room in the winter with a canary who cannot handle it. A cool draft on a warm body - even ours can cause you to get a chill and get sick or just ache.Many of our parrots can live outside in temps way below what we might think. But a wind, and a breeze is not the same as a draft from and open window in a warm room. Does that help??
Any species can handle the wind, the rain, the storm, the humidity...of the invironment it is originally from IF it is acclimated to it. Ie: a parrot used to air conditioning may become overheated if expected to spend the next whole day outside in the jungle with 85 degrees and 80% humidity.