Guest Author - Mavis Metcalf

We are now heading towards winter in the northern hemisphere and that means cold weather and often snow. Since most of our pet birds are tropical birds that do not normally live in cold weather, we have to take steps to ensure they are kept healthy.

Most of us keep our birds inside the home, where they do not have to worry about snow and cold, but do they have other things to worry about (not that the birds worry - but do we have other things to worry about to keep our birds safe).

Inside the home, you must be sure that your bird is not situated in front of a warm air (or cold air duct). This is not that the warm air or the cold air would harm them, but the draft from either of the ducts could cause problems. No one likes to be in a draft, especially without the option of being able to move away from it. If you do not have air conditioning in your home during the summer, the spot that you have the bird cage might have been perfect during the summer, but may not be so great during the winter. Take a look to see if this is the best spot for the cage now.

Birds do not have difficult adjusting to different temperatures between the day and the night, as this is normal. You can adjust your home temperatures a few degrees cooler during the nights without any problems and you can also keep the temperature lower during the daytime if no one is home. Your bird has feathers and will be fine as long as he is not subjected to a draft.

If you do plan on taking your bird outside during cold weather, a few preparations can make the trip very safe. I used to take a bird or even several birds to displays during the winter - and winter here can mean temperatures in the minus 30 C range or even colder. There were also a couple of winters when I transported newly hatched chicks back and forth to a friend's house for handfeeding on days that I was unable to be home to feed them myself.

The first thing to do is to go out and get your car started and warmed up.
Small birds can be transported in an insulated cooler. It is not necessary to add heat since the cooler will keep the cold and wind out and the bird(s) body heat will keep the space warm enough. This is the method used to transport the newly hatched chicks for handfeeding, except that I warmed the cooler before putting the babies in. Larger birds can be taken to the warm car in their travel cage with a cover over the cage. Once you are in the car, the cover can be removed so the bird can see where you are going. My African Grey Parrot Jewel, loves talking to the people in other vehicles - not that they can hear her.