Ask Lafeber

Pet parrot- Summer heat question

Hello,
I have 2 conures, 1 indian red neck parrot and 1 lovebird and all are aged around 1 year. I keep the birds in a large aviary on my shaded porch outside where there is no direct sunlight throughout the day and there is moving air. I live in the UAE and summer is fast approaching and the temperatures are hitting 30-40° Celsius(85-105 Fahrenheit), I was wondering if it might be getting too hot for the birds as they are kept outside. As the aviary is rather large and I have dogs inside, I cannot bring the aviary inside the house. They are not currently exhibiting any panting but can see them spreading their wings once in a while. Would you mind advising if it’s safe to keep the birds outside as it is in the present summer temperatures or should I take any measures to keep it cooler for the birds somehow?

Thank you very much in advance and I look forward to hearing from you.

Best regards,
Akshay

Hi Akshay,

There are always risks with keeping pet bird outdoors. They can handle cold a lot better than heat. Spreading the wings is the first sign of heat distress. Panting is serious. I really can’t say if the birds will adjust to the high temperatures. Some bird breeders install a misting system that can spray a light mist when it is really hot. You can’t do this all day, and if the food gets wet, it can grow mold or mildew. Some parrots are kept in high temperatures, especially by bird breeding facilities. But they also have heat related deaths from time to time.

Are these birds all in one cage? I’m concerned with the mix of species you have. Even with a very large aviary, it’s not ideal to mix species, and especially when there is a big size difference, such as between the lovebird and the ringnecks. Since they are all young, hormones have not been a factor yet. But once they are mature, you could have issues with fighting, so please keep this in mind. It is very important that you do not give them nests or nest boxes, or this will start fighting. And in the heat, birds can die in the nest box.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda