Category: myths

How cold is too cold?

How cold is too cold?

There is a complete lack of research on the cold tolerance of parrots, so I have to rely on the thoughts of vets and aviculturists. I’m trying to choose people that are respected in the bird community.

The predominant opinion is that parrots should be kept in a strict climate-controlled range. However, this opinion comes from hundreds of individual people and just saying something is true doesn’t make it true.

I found one of the more amusing opinion pieces on this.

For birds living in our homes, temperatures typically fluctuate very little from one season to the next as we humans like to maintain a relatively constant indoor temperature of 65-72 °F year round.

If your bird gets chilled, warm it on a heating pad, massage its feet to aid circulation and/or put small birds under your clothing to warm them with your body heat.

Avian Enrichment: Temperature

Humans don’t even have feathers and we could withstand that in shorts and a T-shirt.… READ THE REST

Diatomaceous earth and parrots

Diatomaceous earth and parrots

What is diatomaceous earth?

For this article, I’m leaning heavily on a very concise and clearly worded fact sheet from the National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC). This organization is a collaboration between the Environmental Protection Agency and Oregon State University and receives funding from no other sources.

Rather than describe what diatomaceous earth is, I’ll defer to NPIC.

Diatomaceous earth is made from the fossilized remains of tiny, aquatic organisms called diatoms. Their skeletons are made of a natural substance called silica. Over a long period of time, diatoms accumulated in the sediment of rivers, streams, lakes, and oceans. Today, silica deposits are mined from these areas.

Diatomaceous earth is not poisonous; it does not have to be eaten in order to be effective. Diatomaceous earth causes insects to dry out and die by absorbing the oils and fats from the cuticle of the insect’s exoskeleton. Its sharp edges are abrasive, speeding up the process.

… READ THE REST
Are seeds high in fat?

Are seeds high in fat?

It seems almost universally believed that seeds are high in fat. I’ve talked about seeds and fat in a previous article but wanted to address this myth specifically.

First, I took a look at a wide variety of seed mixes and came up with 8 seeds that appear to be most commonly used:

  • Millet
  • Oats
  • Canary grass
  • Sunflower
  • Safflower
  • Hemp
  • Nyger
  • Pumpkin

So, let’s look at their fat percentages:

Sources:

As I mentioned in my other article, recommended fat percentages for humans fall in the 20-40% range, so 44% is definitely on the high side.

Seeds also definitely fall into very low fat and high fat categories.

  • Very Low fat: Millet, canary grass, oats
  • High fat: Sunflower, safflower, hemp, nyger, pumpkin

The budgie diet I used in that article contained 66% millet, 17% oats, and 8% canary grass seed (total of 97% of the seed content).… READ THE REST

UV (Ultraviolet) light myths

UV (Ultraviolet) light myths

This will probably be the longest article I’ll ever write because the internet is full of so many inaccurate statements. I’ll go through each myth one by one.

Myth #1: Any ultraviolet light can cause a bird to synthesize Vitamin D

There are actually two relevant types of UV light: UVA and UVB. Most articles about birds and lighting don’t specify with type and just say “ultraviolet” light.

So, first let’s establish that it’s UVB light that is required for Vitamin D synthesis.

During exposure to sunlight 7-dehydrocholesterol in the skin absorbs UVB radiation and is converted to previtamin D3 which in turn isomerizes into vitamin D3.

Sunlight and Vitamin D: A Global Perspective on Health—Dermato-Endocrinology—’Jan 2013

UV light causes the body to produce vitamin D (specifically, UVB), which is essential for life.

Ultraviolet—Wikipedia

In humans, both UVA and UVB are responsible for secondary effects on the skin such as erythema (sunburn) or tanning, but UVB is the only range associated with the photobiochemical synthesis of vitamin D3.

… READ THE REST