In this part of our Hormonal Parrot Behavior Series, we take a look at how much sleep does your bird need.
Do you know your bird's sleep needs?
Improper sleep can cause hormonal parrot behavior, so it is very important to know how much sleep your bird needs.
Your parrot's body and physical needs have adapted to equatorial photoperiods. Near the equator, daylight versus darkness hours vary as little as 7 minutes - so in the peak of winter, there are are 12 hrs 4 minutes of darkness while in the height of summer darkness may only be 11 hrs. 56 minutes.
According to Don Harris, DVM, an avian veterinarian in Florida, birds from the extreme southern hemisphere may need up to 14 hours of darkness in the winter to pull them out of excessive hormonal behavior.
Daylight versus night changes the farther you get away from the equator. Daylight hours shorten the farther away from the equator you get, so much so, that near the poles, half of the year has significantly more of one photoperiod than the other.
For instance, in Alaska, Summer has up to 20 hours of daylight, while in the Winter, it has 20 hours of night time. Find out where your bird is from to know how much sleep it needs.
Making sure your bird gets complete quiet and darkness greatly affects its behavior.
Why? Too much light exposure makes a bird hormonal. And, on top of that, your bird will likely experience physical and behavioral problems.
(If you're experiencing behavioral issues from your feathery friend we have a great workbook to help you out. You can find it here.)
Diane Burroughs, LCSW is a licensed psychotherapist trained in ABA therapy techniques. She specializes in avian anxiety disorders and is certified in Nutrition For Mental Health. Diane has written a number of bird behavior books and she offers behavior consultations. She's developed a range of UnRuffledRx Science-backed Parrot Wellness Supplies.
Diane's products have been featured in the Journal of Avian Medicine and Surgery and at Exoticscon, a conference for exotic pet veterinarians. Her bird collars & supplements are stocked in avian vet clinics and bird stores throughout the US. With over 30 years in the field of behavior, Diane has created thousands of successful individualized behavior plans that help pets thrive.
TAGS: #HowMuchSleepYourBirdNeeds #BirdSelfMutilation
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