Our pet birds like to live in a comfortable environment, and humidity plays an important role. As human beings often use humidifiers to increase moisture, you may wonder if you can use a humidifier for birds.
Is a humidifier safe for birds? The answer is yes. Humidifiers will not hurt your lovely birds as long as you use them correctly. Even better, they would offer many benefits for them. But you should be careful while choosing a humidifier for your pet birds.
I will write down everything you need to know about the humidifier and birds in this post. Without further ado. Let’s dive in.
What is the ideal humidity level for birds?
As I said, humidity is essential for exotic birds to live and play at your home. Even though the best humidity level for birds varies from breed to breed, the ideal value should be between 40% to 60%.
The humidity level should not be too high because the mold spores will grow, introducing hazards to your bird’s health.
Meanwhile, the air should not be too dry. For example, the humidity will decrease a lot in the winter months, causing your pet bird to feel uncomfortable and start to pluck its feather.
The dry air will also negatively affect the function of the lungs, making the bird more prone to infections.
Many parrots come from tropical areas, and they would prefer a room with higher humidity.
Therefore, keeping the room at a proper humidity level is crucial for your bird’s wellness.
Do birds need a humidifier?
Since your pet birds can’t migrate as they want, you need to adjust the humidity level for them. While there are a few ways to modify it, the most straightforward way is using a humidifier or a dehumidifier.
If you find the ambient environment is too dry for you and your birds, using a humidifier would increase the comfort level in a short time.
So, birds need a humidifier in a dry climate to maintain their health, just like us.
You may also want to know how to tell if your pet birds are dehydrated. There are a few ways to do it.
You can look at the skin of your little cockatiels. Whenever you find any crack or scales, it would be a sign.
Or you can watch if your bird feels very thirsty. If yes, it will need more humidity.
Is using a humidifier safe for birds?
A humidifier is safe for birds. Generally, the mist coming out from the humidifier will not do any harm to your birds, but there are some situations to avoid for safety considerations.
Firstly, you should regularly clean the humidifier water tank to prevent mold growth and germs from spewing into the air. These microbes could cause discomfort and infections in your budgies and parakeets.
Secondly, please don’t put your humidifier too close to it. It will get your bird wet and make it sick.
If you are using a warm mist humidifier, you should also ensure the mist is not too hot to scald your bird.
Beyond that, don’t add any essential oils to the humidifier unless the vet asks you to do it. These oil droplets may irritate the airway.
How to choose a humidifier for birds?
We have to consider many factors while choosing a humidifier for ourselves, and the same goes for birds. To ensure your bird is safe and healthy in the long run, you need to take some minutes to get a suitable option for it.
Types of humidifiers
Many people prefer a cold-mist humidifier because they think the cold mist can help avoid any scalding accidents, and that’s true.
However, many vets recommend using a warm mist humidifier since it can kill the mold spores that may exist in the water tank, which are dangerous for the birds. But you should put the item away from the cage to prevent any burn risks.
If you insist on buying a cold mist humidifier, it would not be a big problem either as long as it is cleaned regularly.
Noise
Most pet birds, such as parrots, like to live in a quiet environment and are more sensitive than us. The noise would make them feel nervous and stressed, affecting their overall health.
Luckily, most humidifiers these days are quiet or have quiet modes. The ultrasonic humidifiers are known to be making little noise due to their internal constructions.
We will stay with our pet birds in the same room, and we don’t want to be disturbed either.
Capacity
The capacity of your humidifier determines how frequently you have to refill the water. If you intend to run the humidifier for a long time, I suggest getting one with a larger water tank.
Most of us have to work outside but still prefer to leave the humidifier on for our pets. In this case, a humidifier with higher capacity could ensure it can continue to work even when we are not at home.
Easy to clean
No matter you have a whole-house humidifier or a room humidifier, you have to clean it from time to time. The harmful microbes in the water tank can make your parrot and yourself sick.
As cleaning a humidifier is a chore, you want to make it as easy as possible. Get a product with an easy-to-remove water tank and clean it thoroughly and regularly.
Safety
Usually, humidifiers are safe to use for birds. You should get one from a trustworthy brand to reduce any electrical issues.
In addition, place it away from the cage so that your bird will not inhale the vapor directly.
Spaces
If the bird’s room is large, you may need a bigger humidifier to cover more squares. If the room is small, then a portable humidifier is good enough.
Don’t waste your money and get one that is able to offer enough mist.
Other ways to increase humidity in a bird room
If you still worry about the safety of your birds, then you could look for other ways to humidify the room.
You can put a bowl of water near the window to let the water evaporate naturally. Planting more houseplants is also a good idea. The water will evaporate slowly from the leaves and flowers.
Aside from that, hanging your cloth in the dry room could also slightly modify ambient humidity.
Conclusion
As bird owners, we care about the safety of our pet birds. When trying to increase the humidity, we want to make sure that the humidifier is safe for them.
Luckily, using a humidifier is OK for birds, but you need to consider some factors while shopping for a humidifier.
As you need to keep the humidifier spotless, a humidifier that is easy to clean is vital. If you are afraid of molds and mildew in the air, getting a warm mist humidifier could be a better choice.
Moreover, your parrot will not like an appliance that makes noise, so you need to test if the product is quiet before purchasing.
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