Should you cover a parrot's cage at night

Should You Cover A Parrot’s Cage At Night?

Almost all species of wild birds take cover during the night. They do this to protect themselves from predators and they do this in quiet and shaded areas.

Bird owners should look to mimic the scenery of the wild habitat.

Following the proper routine of the bird is always the best. The majority of birds are known to thrive on 10 to 12 hours of sleep. A well-rested bird is less prone to misbehaving.

Should You Cover A Parrot’s Cage At Night?

Should You Cover Your Parrot’s Cage?

  • To ensure that your parrot sleeps properly, keep them in a secure place which is fairly dark at night, and cover their cage with a light cotton sheet which represents a bush or tree branch.
  • But the covering of birds is also quite relative and depends entirely on the bird. Some birds have been noticed to prefer to remain uncovered during their sleep, while some other birds found it difficult to sleep without being covered.
  • Basically, to keep your bird in the best condition possible, the parrot needs about 12 hours of good sleep each night. Just in a similar manner to humans, the resting periods of parrots can be disturbed by sudden sounds and bright light. To avoid this disturbance to the sleep of the parrot, a lot of owners have decided to cover their bird through the night.

Nest cavities

The reason for this action is not far-fetched. It is due to the fact that wild parrots are found sleeping or roosting in certain holes in the trees.

These holes are popularly referred to as a nest cavity. Parrots and a lot of other species of birds make use of this nest cavity. The problem with most bird species is the loss of habitat to locate or even create these precious nest cavities. The habitats perfect for these nest cavities are referred to as snags and are mostly comprised of decaying or dead trees.

These nest cavities are sometimes formed in trees when a tree branch dies and falls off the tree as a result of the internal decay of the branch. Some other holes formed in the trees have been excavated by other creatures and abandoned due to a lot of reasons. Parrots will take over such abandoned nest cavities and even customize the cavity to their size by chewing through the word and taking up residence in the cavity which suits them best.

These nest cavities are dark and easily protect the bird at night and it also provides a safe place to hatch eggs and even raise young ones. This cavity protects the bird family from rain and keeps them safe from strong winds. It is darker than a nest found on the branch.

Upon proper consideration, parrot owners should realize that the cage of the bird or its enclosure is not its natural environment but protects it from any dangerous situation if the parrot is left unattended to.

The cage is the parrot’s resting place, relaxation spot and at the same time a place to amuse and play with itself in a controlled safe environment. Check out this article where we talked about how you can choose the best cage for your parrot.

The covering of a parrot’s cage helps to mimic the same scenery of a nest cavity. It keeps the parrot safe from any disturbing light in your home and also allows the bird to sleep conveniently, protected from any drafts caused as a result of an air conditioner or air purifier. The covering of a parrot at night will also help to protect the bird from cases of night fright.

parrot in a nest cavity

So Should You Cover Your Parrot’s Cage?

Here are a few tips to help you decide:

  • If you do not have the problem of noise and light in your home, leave your parrot uncovered and take note of its reactions. If the bird seems to be in favor of being uncovered at night, then the best thing to do is stop covering it.
  • However, if your parrot seems more sluggish and begins to shown signs of increased stress, crankiness or drastic changes in behavior, you are advised to keep it covered at night to make sure it gets the best sleep available to him.
  • In certain scenarios, some parrots become used to the time of the night they get covered and they may start exhibiting signs such as fussing around at that time to indicate that something is out of place. The parrot may even decide its displeasure verbally as it becomes increasingly uncomfortable. As soon as they are put into their cage and covered up, they instantly get into their preferred sleeping position, prepare for a good sleep and are found sleeping in a very short time.
  • Provided the parrot is provided with a dark quiet secluded part of the home to sleep in, most of them will do well without being covered through the night.

If you are not sure of what to expect from your bird if left uncovered, then there is nothing to worry about.

Just keep on covering its cage to keep your parrot happy and ensure his good night’s sleep.

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