If you are someone who suffers with dry itchy skin during the winter months when our indoor heat dries out the air, then you can well understand the need for some relief for the itch.
That dry indoor winter atmosphere often affects our feathered friends as well. Most parrots are naturally rainforest creatures and are are more adapted for rainforest humidity levels than the average winter heated dry air home.
During the winter months our birds may often over-preen, molt excessively, or even pull out their own feathers, and it may be due in part to the dry skin itchiness of the indoor winter heated air.
There are a however few things you can do to help add some moisture back into our bird's environment and hopefully help relieve the itch at least a little.
Many people think warm spray baths or showers for our indoor birds during the winter is not a good idea as our homes may not be as warm as in summer months. However skipping these baths can actually add to the dryness. Just make sure the bath is early in the day so feathers have plenty of time to completely dry before evening temps lower. If necessary you can let your bird preen and dry off in a heated bath area and once dry be moved back into their cage. Adding a cool mist humidifier to your bird's room will also help add some moisture back into the environment and can be a big help in easing the itch.
Adding plants to your home also helps provide some humidity to the area. Just make sure the plants are safe for your bird.
A really cool idea is to add a tabletop fountain to the bird's area. You will be amazed at how fast the running water evaporates into the air as it adds much needed moisture. So not only are adding cool moisture into the room, but the fountain will add the soothing waterfall feature for all to enjoy.By adding one or more of the above suggestions to your winter routine, not only will your bird receive some of the extra humidity needed, but you may find the humans benefiting as well in the improved air quality.
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