Should Parrot’s Cage Be Covered at Night?

People often wonder that whether they should cover their pet parrot’s cage at night.

It depends on your pet parrot’s choice. Some parrots prefer sleeping in darkness and some do not. Like some people cover their faces with the blanket at night but some do not. It’s not necessary that all parrots like covered cages as their choices can be different. As parrots from different breeds have different characteristics and thus different needs and choices.

It’s the pet owner’s choice whether they want to cover their pet parrot’s cage. Well covering the cage at night also has many advantages but if your parrot does not want it then do not cover the cage.

Now you must be wondering that how to understand what your parrot wants?

Well, parrots want to feel safe at night. Maybe they like sleeping in dark or feel safe in covered cages. There can be many cases as it depends on the situation. Also, there are some factors to consider while deciding to cover your bird’s cage. But the question is how to decide what your parrot wants?

It’s simple! You can observe your parrot’s night sleep with a covered and uncovered cage. For few nights keep your parrot’s cage uncovered. Noise and light can also become an issue in uncovered cages. The next day if you see your parrot is normal and fresh that means it has a good night’s sleep. However, if you suspect any change in the behaviour or your parrot gets irritated easily that means there is some issue. This means you should use covered cages for your parrot’s night sleep.

Cover your parrot’s cage or not?

There are many advantages of using covered cages. But some of the common reasons why pet owners cover their bird’s cage are:

Environmental factors do not affect your pet parrot’s sleep: Sometimes external lights and sounds disturb your parrot’s sleep. Television sounds, lamps, reading lights may not affect our sleep but parrots cannot sleep even a little bit of disturbance. They need good and comfortable 12-hours sleep to maintain their health. But external factors disturb the sleeping patterns of your parrot which result in their irritating nature.

External temperature cannot affect their sleep: Covered cages are very useful in protecting your parrot from external temperatures. At times when we feel too hot or too cold, we set our room’s temperature according to our needs. This might not be the case for your pet parrot as their body temperature is different from ours. It’s really important to pay attention to your parrot’s needs and comfort. Covering the cage creates a warm temperature and gives comfort to your parrot.

To make your pet parrot feel safe: At night parrots freely sleep when they know that there are no predators lurking around. So, covering the cage provides a safe environment for your parrot. Some pet owner’s also mimic the nest cavity for their parrots so that they can feel relaxed and close to nature.

A quiet, dark room where there are no noises or light is the perfect place to keep our pet parrot’s cage. With this your parrot won’t get startled from outside noises, won’t get frightened from nightmares.

To keep your pet parrot happy, you should ensure that it gets a proper night sleep. Some small things which can keep in mind so that you don’t disturb your pet parrot’s sleep are:

Turn your lights off as soon as nightfall hits because some parrots need timely sleep.

Keep the water utensil filled during the night as they get thirsty at night.
If your sleep time does not match with your pet parrot then make sure that there are no noises when he is sleeping.

Now if you have decided to cover your pet parrots cage there are some which you should definitely know. As a pet owner, you should understand when to cover the cage, how much space you should leave uncovered, what to use for covering the cage, etc.

Why not fully cover your parrot’s cage?

This is a very important point as covering the whole cage can become harmful to your pet parrot. Ventilation is necessary or else your parrot won’t be able to breathe properly. You should first measure the size of your cage and then cover it with the fabric. Leave one side uncovered, preferably the backside which helps in ventilation. For covering the cage, you can use any kind of fabric made up of individual threads that can cover the cage properly.

Giving your pet parrot a slight comfort makes them feel happy. Parrots are sensitive to and if they are not provided with good sleep, they feel uneasy which directly affects their health. The quality of your cage covers plays an important role in their night sleep.

Do parrots need darkness to sleep?

Parrots get manipulated with night lights and stay awake as they get alerted. They don’t understand the difference between the original and fake light. Parrots need more sleep than humans. They can be easily manipulated by tube lights or other fake lights. It’s their instinct to get alert in the slightest of disturbance. So, even a little bit of noise, light, or motion can disturb their sleep which results in their poor health. Although, they can rest in light but cannot fell asleep as they keep their ears up to listen to the surroundings.

Incomplete sleep can arouse stress, health issues bad behaviour in your parrot. Signs of stress are that they will start biting, screaming, and become aggressive. They will not eat their food and drink and becomes lethargic. As humans, we also throw tantrums when we lack sleep and act grumpy. Parrots are no different…

Darkness is not the only reason which can hinder your pet parrot’s night sleep. There is one more factor that can affect your pet parrot’s night cycle.

How can I keep my parrot warm at night?

Winters can be harsh to everyone. Parrot’s body is different from other animal’s body. Their body is not well adjustable to winters. Cold weather and strong winds at night can make your parrot cold. This creates problems in their night cycles and disturbs their sleep. Although you can use warm covers to keep your pet parrot warm in cold nights. There are some other tips also which you can try to keep your bird warm.

Warm locations: You can change your pet parrot’s cage location according to the external temperatures. Like in winters you can keep the cage in a room where all the windows and doors are shut.

Heaters: Use heaters directly to the bird when they are cold. You can keep the cage in a room where there is a room heater.

Bird thermo perch: This keeps the bird’s feet and legs warm and helps in blood circulation. When a parrot folds its feet and feathers this means they are cold. Bird thermo perches keep their feet tissues warm.

Small cage tents: It’s just like how we take double blankets in winters. Cage tents are small shelters insulated in parrot’s cages to keep them warm at night.

I have seen that some people cover their parrots cage in mid-day also in order to make them sleep. But this is not good for their health. People cover their parrot’s cage when they don’t want to interact with them or talk with them. Also, don’t use covers to make them stop from screaming or talking. This can badly affect your pet parrot’s nature and behaviour.

Do cage covers give discomfort to your pet parrot?

Certainly, not every parrot is similar. Parrots have different breeds and they can have different reactions to using covered cages. As I told you earlier it totally depends on the reaction of your pet parrot of whether using cover at night or not. So, if your parrot is not liking covered cages then you should stop using them. Sleeping in a dark room with an uncovered cage is also an option for your pet parrot.

Forcibly covering your parrot can also have adverse effects. If you have already tried covered cages but your parrot is not feeling calm instead showing anger or aggression that means he does not like the covers. Unnecessary covering, or keeping your parrot from talking is not a good thing to do. They can even go to depression which results in poor health. You have to understand your parrot’s need by spending more time with it.

You must have noticed that parrots who are used to covers cannot sleep without them. So, if you are travelling with your parrot then you should keep the covers with you all the time. Or else your parrot won’t be able to sleep comfortably. Also, it’s not strange that some parrots like covered cages but some do not. Just like humans have different tastes and needs, parrots are also different from each other.

Should we cover the parrot cage at day?

Never cover your pet parrot’s cage at day. Sometimes birds keep making noises that can irritate you but to stop it you cannot cover the cage. It’s just like someone has put a cloth on your face. At night covering the cage makes your parrot feel safe but on day birds need a warm and friendly environment. It needs natural light at least for four to five hours daily. Pet parrots are susceptible to lack of Vitamin C as they don’t get much sunlight and that’s why leaving your parrot outside the cage for few hours is necessary.