Does Heat Affect Parakeets?

Heat impacts all living animals to some degree and extreme heat can kill any living organism. Exotic birds are no exception to this rule. Although parakeets come from a tropical environment, they are sensitive to temperatures that are too high for them. The term parakeet technically includes a range of exotic birds such as monk parakeets and Quaker parakeets. Parakeets as they are known in the United States are actually called budgerigars, although they are often referred to as budgies. This name comes from the aboriginal people of Australia, where parakeets originally called home.

  1. Ideal Temperature Range

    • Like mammals, birds are warm blooded animals. This means that a bird can tolerate a wide range of temperatures before it become sick or dies because its body works to regulate a constant temperature. But that doesn̵7;t mean that there isn̵7;t an ideal temperature for birds. For most conditions, the most comfortable range for pet birds is from 65 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Of course, birds can tolerate a much wider range from time to time and won̵7;t be harmed by a brief period in temperatures as low as 40 degrees or as high as 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

    Factors That Impact Heat Tolerance

    • Birds that live in cages with access to moving air can tolerate higher temperatures. This moving air allows the bird to circulate air through its respiratory system, which prevents its temperature from rising. Another factor that impacts tolerance is the size of the bird. Birds cool themselves by breathing in to expand these air sacs and fluffing up their feathers to allow circulation. An overweight bird is less able to deal with higher temperatures because it is unable to expand its cooling air sacs as easily as a thinner bird can because the extra layer of fat presses down on these sacs. On the other hand, a bird with an excess of fat can tolerate lower temperatures than they would be able to otherwise.

    Signs of Overheating

    • A parakeet that is overheated expresses its stress in a few different ways. A bird that is attempting to cool itself fluffs up its feathers and breathes in deeply to expand its air sacs. If this doesn̵7;t cool the bird enough, it may raise its wings to release heat and improve circulation even further. An overheated bird also pants or sits with its mouth open. In addition to these two signs, a bird also acts generally stressed, moving about its cage or acting listlessly.

    Maintaining an Ideal Temperature

    • If a bird is going to be in higher heat than it is accustomed to, it should be introduced to the higher temperatures gradually. Don̵7;t raise the temperature more than 10 degrees a day. Keep the cage away from heat registers, direct sunlight and radiators. Brief periods in high temperatures won̵7;t harm your bird, but be careful to keep it out of heat for long periods.