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How Can I Keep My Bird Warm in Winter?

November 2 2022

We love birds, but unfortunately, they’re not built to handle the cold. That’s why you’ll see them fluffing their feathers, huddling together in a group, or seeking out sources of heat when it’s cold outside. So how do you keep your pet bird warm in winter?

Read on as a local vet talks about how the cold affects your bird and ways to keep Tweety warm in wintertime.

Space Considerations

Feathers provide birds their best defense against the cold. Birds will use their feathers as a way to trap body heat, which is called preening. It happens automatically when the bird gets cold. A bird will also fluff up its wings if it’s cold, which we call wing fluffing.

Feathers are a bird’s primary means of insulation, which means you’ll want to make sure it has plenty of room to stretch out comfortably if you have an indoor cage for your pet bird during the colder months.

Make Sure Tweety Has Plenty of Food

When it’s cold, it can be hard to think about eating. But a bird is like any other living creature: if it doesn’t get enough water and food, then it will be in danger of dying. Most birds have the same dietary needs as humans—carbs, proteins, and fats—but they need more protein than we do because of their small size.

Keep the Fresh Water Coming

Birds rely on the warmth of their environment to keep them comfortable, so they generally won’t drink much or eat when they are cold or wet. To ensure that your bird stays hydrated year-round (and especially during winter), change your cage bedding daily so that you can keep an eye on any dampness in the cage itself and replace dirty dishes with clean ones every day.

More tips for Keeping Tweety Warm

Here are a few more tips for keeping your bird warm in winter:

  • Make sure there’s plenty of ventilation in the area where you keep your pet’s cage, so it doesn’t get stuffy with moisture buildup or develop mold issues.
  • Keep the cage out of drafty areas. Make sure that it’s not exposed to direct sunlight, as this can cause overheating and dehydration.
  • Provide a heat lamp to help keep the room temperature up (but make sure it isn’t too close to Tweety or anything flammable).

If you have more questions or need to schedule Tweety for a checkup, please feel free to call us, your local vet in Fox Lake, IL anytime!