Safe Electric Heaters for Birds

When you have birds in your home, keeping them warm when the weather turns cold might mean using a heat source in addition to your furnace. Being informed and using caution when choosing a space heater or heat lamp can prevent needless tragedy.

  1. Heat Lamps

    • Farmers were the first to use heat lamps for the purpose of keeping chicks warm. Later, in trying to duplicate climate, owners and breeders of exotic birds used heat lamps for both emergency heat and to keep brooders warm. Different from table lamps, which produce heat only when lit, heat lamps provide a continuous source of heat without upsetting the birds' sleep cycle.

      Using a table lamp might provide sufficient heat during the day, but when lights are turned off at night, temperatures can drop. While most birds can withstand colder temperatures for the short term, exposure to drafts over a longer period of time can cause them to become ill.

      Halogen bulbs are very hot and can shatter if splattered with water, so use caution if used near a cage or if your bird flies free.

    Ceramic Heaters

    • Like red heat lamp bulbs, ceramic heaters don't disturb day/night cycles because they don't use light. Ceramic heaters are available in various watt outputs and will not shatter if hit with water. However, these heaters can become very hot, so they must be kept a safe distance from the cage.

      Many ceramic-type heaters are designed specifically with birds in mind. Infrared heat panels, for example, only reach a temperature of 150 degrees Fahrenheit and attach directly to the cage to better focus heat where it is needed. Others have dimmer switches for power adjustment.

      Be sure and keep the cords and switches of heaters and lamps that are positioned close to cages out of reach of the birds, which love to chew.

    Invisible Dangers

    • Some heat lamp bulbs are coated with PTFE (Polytetraflouethylene), a plastic substance known under the brand names of Teflon, Silverstone, Fluron, Supra, Excalibur, Greblon, Xylon, Duracote, Resistal, Autograph, and T-Fal. When heated, the fumes emitted by PTFE are fatal to birds.

      In addition to some space heaters, sources of PTFE in the home may be the plates on irons and ironing board covers, burners on stove tops, waffle makers, electric skillets, coffeemakers, griddles, and many other kitchen appliances and utensils. Dangerous fumes can develop at temperatures as low as 285 degrees Fahrenheit, and need only be inhaled for a very short time to be fatal.

      Self-cleaning ovens can also emit harmful fumes. For this reason, birds should not be kept in kitchens.