Birds need to have a bath or shower.

Some birds like to splash about in a shallow container of water and some birds enjoy having a shower, either a light misting or right in a regular shower. Some birds will only bath in their water bowl, usually when its a fresh bowl and some birds hate to get wet at all.

In the wild, birds get showers whether they want it or not when it rains. In a downpour, they get really wet. Birds that enjoy bathing will also find a small puddle and splash until they are soaked.

It is a good idea to try several methods of bathing or showering to find out what your bird likes best, so that this will be a fun thing for him or her.

Here are a few suggestions to try on your bird if you haven't found out what he likes yet:

1 – Using a spray bottle, lightly mist above your bird so that the mist falls down on him. I usually do this just before cleaning the cage. If you find that this is something your bird enjoys, you might want to think about purchasing a spray mister that you pump up with air and then just hold the trigger so that your hand does not cramp under the constant squeezing of the spray trigger. Cockatiels in particular seem to love this method.

2 – Put a shallow bowl in the bottom of the cage (with smaller birds, you can purchase a hook-on bath that attaches to the door). Again, this is something to do just before you clean the cage. Experiment with different water temperatures – warm, cold, ice cold – to see what your bird likes. It surprises me that some birds like the ice cold and get really excited when you put a couple of ice cubes in the water. You can also put little pieces of fruits or vegetables in the water (peas, corn, blueberries, etc).

3 – Take your bird to the kitchen sink (or the bath tub for a larger bird) and turn the tap on. Some birds like a gentle drip and others love to run under a stream of water. This is the method that my lovebird enjoyed the most. He had a shower under the tap every time I refreshed his waterbowl.

4 – Take your bird to the shower and turn it on. Adjust the temperature until you can see that your bird is enjoying it. Some birds like it warm and some like it cold. If this is the method that your bird enjoys, you might want to look at purchasing a shower perch so he doesn't have to just stand on the floor of the shower. A bird that does not seem to like the shower, might actually enjoy it if he had something to stand on.

Your bird should have a bath at least once a week. More often is better, but once a week is adequate. His feathers will be shiny, his colours will be brighter and he will be happier. If you have one of the dustier birds, you will also be happier because the dust will be washed down the drain instead of floating around in your home.