How to choose proper lighting for your parrot

If you own a parrot, chances are it has crossed your mind as to whether or not enough lighting is being provided for your feathered friends and what type of lighting would best meet their needs. Should we choose a bulb, a fluorescent, a halogen? What about the amount of watts?

There are many ways to create lighting that will meet your parrot’s needs. Light manufactures make artificial light that reproduces sunlight as closely as possible. In order to create a similar lighting to what a parrot might find in the wild, they try to reproduce the sunlight that not only gives out the colors red, orange and yellow, but also green, blue and purple which are often non-existent in the light spectrum of commercial fluorescent lamps. “Kelvin” (K) is the unit used to measure the color temperature produced by a lamp. By using lamps with a 5,000 Kelvin or more, it is possible to allow a bird to detect, according to its sight, part of the color normally missing from conventional lighting.

The ability of a light source to reproduce colors on objects is called the “Color Rendering Index” (CRI) Based on a scale from 0 to 100 – the higher the number, the more colors that can be seen clearly. The CRI is critical when we want to reproduce a light that is as natural as possible.

A CRI which is too low will produce a generally uncomfortable lighting. While a high CRI will allow a better definition of the lighted space creating an even more comfortable environment. It allows us to feel better and therefore become more productive.

We know that the ability that birds have to detect colors is different from our own. It seems that human beings can detect three main colors while birds detect four, including UVA rays. In this case a CRI that is high is very important. The chosen lighting must allow ultraviolets to pass through for the well being of the birds.

All fluorescent lamps produce UVA and UVB rays within a safe range. UVA can be reduced in intensity according to the use of the lamp. Changing the light annually will help maintain the maximum level of UV required for breeding birds. Replacing the light every 18 to 24 months for our pet birds will be greatly appreciated.

Threaded compact fluorescent bulbs will produce the proper light for our pets at a low cost, provided you can find a bulb with 5,000 Kelvin or more. This type of bulb can be installed in existing lighting fixtures. This means that you can simply screw them in to replace the usual bulbs. These bulbs typically come in the shape of a “tornado”. Do not use the type of bulb that looks like a cartridge since it prevents UV from escaping from the lamp.

When choosing the type of fluorescent lamp bulb to use you want to look for one that is marked something like this: F 32 T8 TL 8 50. These numbers are telling you that the bulb is “F” = fluorescent - “32” = 32 watt capacity – “T8”=dimensions of the lamp – “TL” = linear tube – “8”= color rendering index and the “50” represents 5000 Kelvin units At present time – bulbs marked with T8 or T10 will be your best choice. Keep in mind that if you put a cover over these bulbs the benefits of this lighting is significantly reduced

It is important to note that a good choice in a lamp lies with a high Kelvin, but it must be combined with the highest color rendering index possible. Remember that to reproduce sunlight, we need 5,000 Kelvin or more.

It is possible to find lamps on the market with the higher Kelvin and a CRI of 60 which is less than acceptable CRI for our pet parrots. This will create a blue effect instead of white. A low CRI is not adequate to reproduce a comfortable natural light. Lamps that are available on the market with the proper CRI are those that have between 5,000K and 5,500 K.

Therefore if you find lamps with a higher Kelvin rating that 5,500 K, you must make sure that the CRI is high enough. You want the CRI to be as close to 100 as possible. Unless the information regarding the Kelvin and the color rendering index is listed on the lamp then our choice would be left to chance.

Most fluorescent lamps found in pet shops had been developed to meet the needs of aquariums or reptiles and are usually low in CRI. Therefore a parrot with bright yellow feathers would lose the nice yellow coloration under a light with too much blue. This could result in the bird looking green.

It is important to read labels when choosing the correct bulb.

Another feature that can be added to your bird lighting is a dimmer option. The dimmer feature adds the ability to gradually increase or decrease the light in the room. This will simulate the natural increase of sunlight in the morning and the natural decrease of the sunlight at night fall.  It is possible to find some dimmers on the market that can reduce the light from 100% to 0% (called “fade out”) over a one hour period.  This allows us to get our pet birds ready for sleep without rushing them.

Also when choosing the type of lighting fixture you will use, try to find a fixture with a “wire guard” to ensure that your parrot does not have access to the lamp or other electrical components.  A fixture with a lens would be perfectly safe but should not be used since the lens blocks most of the ultraviolet rays which are beneficial in the type of lighting that we are trying to achieve.

So, if you choose to use lighting for your birds – read labels so you are ensuring that you are providing the benefits you are trying to achieve.