Ask Lafeber

candles?

I have heard burning candles is not good for birds.? We have an umbrella cockatoo and my wife wants to use her candles…will it be bad for the bird?

Hi Alan,

Open flames can be very dangerous to pet birds – if they suddenly fly, they can hit the candle and get burned.

But aside from that obvious danger are the fumes. Birds have a complicated respiratory system which makes them more susceptible to many fumes that do not harm humans. A lot of scented candles can be toxic. The best thing to do it contact the manufacturer and find out if they are aware of any toxicity to birds. But even if deemed safe, I would not have the bird in the same room or close enough to be exposed to any fumes or the open flame.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda