In the wild, most parrot breeds live in the warmer areas near the equator. They prefer high temperatures and humidity. Like the amazon parrots who live primarily in South America, where the weather temperature degrees are high, macaws as well. African greys parrots also live in similar conditions in the continent of Africa.
However, the parrot’s body is covered with thick and tall feathers, which can help them tolerate cold environments, they can handle cold better than us humans, but, as an owner, you shouldn’t take too far, there are limits to their ability tolerating cold.
So, do parrots feel cold?
Yes, parrots can feel cold, and they are highly sensitive creatures to weather. A sudden increase or decrease can cause the parrot to feel sick. Temperatures between 18-30 degrees Celsius are good for parrots. Although they will feel cold, some parrots can tolerate the weather of 10 degrees Celsius.
However, they can’t tolerate such degrees for a long time, and if the temperature is near 10 degrees celsius or below, the parrot will use the fluffing feathers technique to hold his body heat between and under his feathers.
Let’s dive into more pieces of information like what would happen to a cold parrot, how to warm your cold parrot, what is the optimum temperature to keep a parrot, and why.
How to know Your Parrot is Feeling Cold?
It’s always a good idea to know if your parrot is feeling cold. The cold parrot can shiver, puff up his feather, hide his head, or beak into his chest or under his wings. He may look like he is squatting his head. A cold parrot can appear to be more inactive and weak, his appetite may decline.
What are the symptoms of Cold Parrot?
Exposure to such a low temperature can lead the parrot to fall sick, especially if the temperature has changed suddenly or became more extreme to their bodies, 10 degrees Celsius and below is highly dangerous for parrots.
So, if you live in a cold area, and you noticed these symptoms in your bird, you may want to consult a vet:
- Coughing or Sneezing
- Urinating more than usual
- General Weakness, or Lethargy
- Fluffed up feathers
- Mucus, or nasal discharges
- Wheezing, or difficulties breathing
When you notice these symptoms in your parrot, consider a visit to a vet, because with these symptoms you know your parrot is already sick, try to warm him up in the next 2-3 days, if he didn’t get better, then take to the vet as quickly as possible.
And to make all of that short, take in mind that any temperature below 18 degrees celsius can be very harmful to your parrot, so if your area is cold, observe your parrot for any signs showing that he is cold.
How To Help a Cold Parrot?
If your parrot has already got sick, and you have consulted a vet for his condition. Then, all you have to do is to stick with the vet’s instructions regarding the medications. Changing the place of the cage would be great. Try to put it in a warmer area in the house, cover the cage with a blanket, don’t forget to leave a window so your parrot can look outside.
Feed your sick parrot. Give him whatever he likes. When he is sick, the more food, the better for his health and recovery.
The same also goes for the parrot who feels cold, mitigates the cold as much as you could, turns on the heater, puts the cage in a warmer area in your house, usually far from doors and windows. The kitchen, or the living room, for example. Use a blanket to ever the cage, double it if necessary.
Increase the fat in your parrot’s diet. Fat can help the parrot gain an extra layer of protection from cold and low degrees, and the reason is that fat takes a longer time to process in the digestive system, whether for us humans or for our pets. Nuts and small amounts of olive oil can help your parrot get more fat to stay warm.
What is The Lowest Temperature a Parrot Can Survive?
The answer depends on the parrot and the owner, sometimes the parrot can tolerate degrees of 10 celsius, more or less. But the question is how adaptive is the bird to such a temperature. Some owner keeps their parrot in outdoor aviary spaces. and at night the temperature can go too low, but they can handle very well.
These parrots are probably have been raised in the same aviary, or at least in similar conditions. What I’m talking about here is a degree of 10 celsius. A degree lower than that can pose threats to the parrot’s health. However, not all parrots can tolerate or even adapt to such degree levels, most parrot species won’t be able to handle a degree lower than 18 degrees celsius.
There are some extreme cases where parrots acclimated to extremely low degrees, 5 celsius or so. Those parrots are from large breeds, like macaws, cockatoos, African greys, and some types of Amazonian families. And they can tolerate cold more than the smaller breeds.
If this happens in captivity, where most parrots are acclimated to higher temperatures, they will get sick for sure. Even if the bird was enormous.
So, as a short answer: Parrots can handle temperatures as low as 5 to 10 degrees celsius, in case they acclimated to such weather, and they are individuals of the bigger parrot breeds like macaws, African greys, cockatoos, and some Amazonians, etc.
Breeds like quaker or cockatiels are more prone to health problems or even death if they were exposed to low temperatures, lower than 18 degrees celsius.
How Long Can A Parrot Survive In The Cold?
Most parrots are not acclimated to cold, they didn’t get the chance to adapt to low temperatures. However, if any unacclimated parrot suffered from cold weather, then he is probably gonna get 7 days (more or less) for something to happen and save him, other than that, the bird will die after consuming the energy to warm his body.
Thankfully, it’s very rare for pet parrots to die from cold. Because of the existence of the owner around the pet parrot, to help and give him some warmth.
What is the Best Temperature for Parrots?
I mentioned earlier that the best temperature for parrots is between 18-30 degrees celsius, and what I meant by that is all parrots can live and thrive with these temperatures, however, it’s not the best for them.
What I am about to tell you is the best temperature you can provide your parrots with, and it’s between 25-28 degrees celsius, and if you asked me why. I will tell you that most parrots will thrive the best if they live in such weather. Their appetite will be at its best, their feathers will look shiny and healthy, and they will breed.
Yes, they will breed. The breeding temperature is always the best for your parrot, and if you could provide it to your bird, then you will get the most out of your lovely pet parrot.
Conclusion
In conclusion, yes parrots feel cold, and they are highly sensitive creatures to weather changes, especially the sudden changes that could happen when seasons shift. However, larger breeds are more able than the smaller breeds to tolerate such changes and low temperatures.
As mentioned above, there were a few exceptions where wild parrots (large breeds) have acclimated to stay for relatively long periods of time in low temperatures, around 5 degrees celsius.
Pet parrots are a unique case, it’s not common for them to adapt to cold, at least the smaller breeds of parrots. bigger breeds of pet parrot can handle the cold of 10 degrees celsius with extra precaution like a fatty diet, a gradual decrease in temperature, and an owner who is ready to save them if they got sick.
Cold vaccination for parrots is not available, and the carrot might get sick if it was under the custody of beginner owners. So, be careful and provide the bird with optimum conditions.
Hello, my name is sadeq and I am obsessed about parrot And I am here to share everything about raising pet parrots and how to be good owners to your bird.
