Most parrots love to bathe, which softens
dirt on the feathers and skin and encourages
preening. If you bathe your parrot regularly,
you will notice that his feathers will begin
to become waterproof due to his preening
duties.
Benefits of Bathing:
Bathing is important for parrots,
whose skin can become dry and itchy, leading
to plucking.
It's also important that any pollutants
be removed from the bird's feathers so that
it doesn't ingest any toxic stuff while
preening.
Bathing promotes healthy feathers and revitalizes
a bird's skin.
Leading aviculturists have speculated that
more frequent bathing can even benefit the
respiratory systems of some tropical bird
species.
Bathing is also important for breeding birds,
as it helps them regulate the humidity level
in the nesting box, which is important for
the development of the chicks inside the
eggs.
Bathing Tips:
In warm weather, or when you can provide
enough warmth after a bath, you can mist
your parrot with a handheld spray bottle
like the iMist EZ Mister. If he's interested
in the bath, he'll spread his wings, put
his head down, shake around, and delight
in every drop.
Try misting above the bird so that the water
simulates a rain shower. You can do this
outside (in a safe place) with a hose for
larger, ardent bathers.
Parrots are naturally social creatures and
enjoy taking a shower with their owners.
There are even various avian shower products
available such as special shower perches
and sprayers. If you choose to introduce
your pet to the shower, it's best to do
so with extreme patience at first. Allow
your bird to watch you in the shower before
attempting to convince him to join you.
He should decide on his own that the shower
is a friendly thing, and poses no threat
to his safety.
In the summer, you can completely soak your
parrot to the skin a couple of times a week.
This is very good for your bird.
In very cool weather, keep bathing to a
minimum unless you can offer heat after
the bath. A bird lamp will do.
Bathe only in the daytime hours —
a bird that goes to bed wet can catch a
chill and will be uncomfortable.
Some companies make a suction-cup shower
perch that you can use to shower with your
parrot. Make sure, though, that the water
isn't too hot and that the bathroom is parrot
proofed. If the parrot doesn't like to bathe
in the shower, merely being in a steamy
room will add moisture to the skin. Always
supervise your parrot when the water is
running. Many parrots love showering with
their owners. This can be a daily fun bonding
activity.
Washing dishes is another bathing opportunity.
Put your parrot on your shoulder during
this time, and he may hop into the sink
for a bath under the faucet. Make sure the
water temperature is mildly warm.
Never spray a bird that's freaked out by
the whole affair. This bird will need to
come to bathing on her own. Allow her to
be near a stream of water (in the shower
on a shower perch) and enter the water by
herself.
Don't blow-dry your parrot. Some blow-dryers
contain nonstick coating on the heating
coils, which can be deadly to your bird.
For the reluctant bather, a flat plastic
or ceramic dish filled with wet spinach,
watercress, curly kale, or other greens
may encourage bathing (the greens are also
fun to play with and are good to eat).
Don't ever use soap on your bird unless
it's for a very good reason — for
example, if he gets oil on his feathers.
Make sure to use very mild glycerin soap,
and rinse your bird thoroughly. Wash only
his body (not the face), and don't scrub.
Your best bet is to fill a plastic tub with
warm soapy water about chest-deep to your
bird and set him in it, if he'll tolerate
that. Remember, when doing anything unnatural,
such as a genuine bath (not a mist or shower),
be gentle and compassionate, and realize
that your bird may become frightened. When
in doubt, call your avian veterinarian.
There are bathing products that you can
buy in your local pet shop that contain
ingredients such as aloe that are good for
the skin (very recommended for feather pluckers.
The simplest approach to bathing your bird
to use plain, tepid, clean water. Many of
the store-bought products can irritate the
eyes and contain unnecessary fragrances.
A parrot's chest muscles contract rapidly
and repeatedly after a bath. This looks
like shivering, but it's not. It's actually
the way the parrot creates body heat after
getting wet, and it's nothing to be concerned
about.
Source: Adapted From: Parrots for Dummies
– Bathing Your Parrot, Simply and
Safely.
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