Do Cockatiels Really Need Sunlight? (Answers Revealed)
Wild cockatiels spend the majority of their time outside in the sun doing their natural activities, so it’s no surprise that sunlight is needed for these birds to thrive.
Cockatiels, like most animals, evolved under the sun.
Without any exposure to sunlight, cockatiels will become deficient in certain nutrients.
These deficiencies can lead to various health problems in your bird.
Simply providing a bit of sunlight to your cockatiel every day will greatly improve their overall health and behaviour.
In this article, you’ll learn how sunlight benefits your cockatiel and how much exposure to the sun they need to be healthy.
I’ll also be discussing artificial lights, full-spectrum lights, and the effect they have on pet birds.
Quick Navigation:
- Benefits Of Sunlight For Cockatiels
- Do Cockatiels Need Direct Sunlight
- How Much Sunlight Is Enough And Safe
- How To Provide Sunlight To Parrots
- Do Baby Cockatiels Need Sunlight
- Artificial Light For Birds
- Short Summary
- Sources
Benefits Of Sunlight For Birds
Providing your cockatiel with enough sunlight is just as important as providing a healthy diet.
Sunlight primarily produces vitamin D in birds, which is then used to absorb calcium, phosphorus, and other minerals within their bodies.
This is very similar to how our bodies function as well.
Without sunlight, cockatiels will not produce vitamin D, which can lead to calcium deficiencies.
Calcium is essential for bone strength, beak health, and feather growth in cockatiels.
Sunlight exposure also supports your bird’s immune system, keeping them healthy and active.
A strong immune system will help a cockatiel fight off germs and minimize the chances of certain cancers developing. As well as fighting germs on the inside, direct sunlight exposure can help kill germs on their skin and feathers.
It also helps keep the feathers looking beautiful.
All these benefits are a result of something as simple as sunlight exposure.
Do Cockatiels Need Direct Sunlight?
In short, cockatiels need at least a few minutes of direct sunlight every day.
Many people have different opinions on how much direct sunlight a bird needs, but when it comes to the health of my bird, I trust what birdtricks.com has to say. Patty Jourgensen, the avian health specialist who works with birdtricks, suggests providing at least 30 minutes of direct sunlight to your bird a week.
That’s about 4 minutes of direct sunlight every day.
She also states that reflected sunlight can be as beneficial as direct sunlight.
This means that birds can absorb sunlight in shaded areas as long as there are surfaces that reflect the sun’s rays.
Reflective surfaces include:
- Bodies of water
- Cement
- Aluminium
- White paper
- Snow
Typically, you wouldn’t bring your bird out in the snow, but you get the idea.
These reflected surfaces have the ability to provide beneficial sunlight to your parrot.
Ms Jourgensen also states that direct sunlight has been found to kill PDD on surfaces.
PDD is an often deadly disease that targets a captive bird’s nervous system.
Typically, cockatiels don’t get this virus, but it’s good to know that direct sunlight can kill traces of the disease on surfaces.
How Much Sunlight Is Enough And Safe?
There is no definitive amount of time a cockatiel should be exposed to sunlight.
As mentioned, if parrots get around 30 minutes of direct sunlight a week, they should get the full benefits of the sun. I’ve asked about sunlight with my avian vet, she said that getting a few minutes of sunlight, direct or indirect, on sunny days will keep them healthy.
However, there is such a thing as too much sun, especially on extremely hot days.
Extreme heat for long periods can cause a cockatiel to overheat.
Overheating can lead to heat stroke, which can be life-threatening in extreme cases.
When overheated, cockatiels will pant and hold their wings away from their bodies:
Notice the tongue flickering?
That’s how birds pant when they’re exhausted or overheated.
Cockatiels do this as a way to cool off from the extreme heat they’ve recently been exposed to.
When they show these signs, bring them into the shade straight away as the sun is likely too hot for them.
How To Provide Sunlight To Parrots
The best way to provide sunlight to cockatiels is by bringing them outside.
Don’t bring them outside unless they’re free-flight-trained, harness-trained, or inside a travel cage. If you have an outdoor aviary with lots of space and perches, you could let your bird hang out there for a while.
Another way to provide some sunlight is by bringing your bird near a screen door:
At certain times of the day, direct sunlight will shine straight through the screen door, which creates a good opportunity for some sunbathing.
However, screen mesh doors can block up to 50% of the beneficial UV rays.
This is dependent on the strength of the mesh.
Strong solar screen doors can block up to 90% of UV rays.
However, there are some very weak screen doors that only block about 15%.
Although cockatiels can still benefit from being near the screen door, they’ll benefit more when taken outside.
“What About Sunlight Through Glass Windows?”
Cockatiels cannot absorb any of the sun’s benefits from a glass window.
Glass windows block out almost all beneficial UVB rays – Source
Although you can feel the heat through the glass, those valuable UV rays are NOT getting in.
The best and only way you can provide the full benefits of the sun is by bringing your cockatiel outside.
Do Baby Birds Need Sunlight?
Baby cockatiels are no different from adult cockatiels in regard to how they benefit from the sun.
In fact, it’s probably more important for baby birds to absorb sunlight benefits during their developing stage.
Baby birds require more nutrients in general, so this is a logical conclusion.
On top of the health benefits given by sunlight, regularly bringing baby birds outside is a good first step to free flight training.
Many free-flighted birds were taken outside regularly as babies.
By doing this, you’re getting the babies used to being outside unrestrained, which ultimately makes them less likely to fly away as adults.
It’s a good idea to take baby birds outside for at least a few minutes daily.
Artificial Light For Birds
Artificial lighting for pet birds is a highly debated topic with no solid professional advice.
There are sources that suggest artificial light is just as beneficial as the sun, but there are other sources that say they don’t do anything at all.
To me, there seems to be a lot of misinformation around this topic.
However, the most consistent answer I’ve found in more reliable sources suggests that artificial lighting is simply not strong enough to benefit a cockatiel.
And it’s definitely not as beneficial as the sun.
The light sources that are even slightly close to replicating the sun’s benefits are “full-spectrum” lights.
The “Full Spectrum Light” Misconception
Full-spectrum lights are often promoted in a way that makes people believe that they emit the same level of UV rays as the sun.
This is not true.
Sure, lights labelled as “full-spectrum” make the room clearer and brighter, but in no way is it actually a full-spectrum light.
The only full-spectrum light in existence today is the sun.
It’s even more ridiculous when you realize that scientists are still trying to figure out how the sun works to this day.
How can we even come close to replicating something we don’t yet fully understand?
The term “full-spectrum” is nothing but a marketing term designed to make people believe their bulbs are as beneficial for animals and plants as the sun.
Meanwhile, it’s probably as beneficial as a lightbulb from the dollar store.
Using natural sunlight is the only way to provide all the essential benefits and nutrients cockatiels need to thrive.
Short Summary
Your cockatiel needs sunlight, there is no question about that.
The sun’s beneficial UV rays produce vitamin D3 in your bird’s body, which is essential for bone strength, beak health, and feather growth.
Other benefits of the sun include:
- Improved vision
- Improved immune system
- Enhanced feather and skin quality
- Helps internal organ functionality
- Kills germs, bacteria, and viruses from your bird’s skin and cage surface
Direct sunlight is best for killing germs, most other benefits can be received through reflected sunlight.
When the weather is nice, you should give your cockatiel around 30 minutes of direct sunlight exposure a week.
Baby birds also require the benefits of the sun just as much as adults.
Taking baby birds outside will improve their health while also preparing them for free flight if that’s your goal.
Regularly being outside unrestrained will lower the chances of them flying away as adults.
Hopefully, you found this article helpful.
Keep in mind, that the best way to provide the benefits of the sun is to take your bird outside.
There is no artificial light that will be as beneficial to your bird as natural sunlight.
Taking them outside in a travel cage or harness is the best and only way to ensure cockatiels get ALL essential nutrients.
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