Harley's Haven

As humans, we know how good a dose of daily sunlight can be! It makes us feel good and it helps us physically as well. It’s even said to energize us more

effectively than caffeine!

Not surprisingly, sunlight is also great for our parrots as well. The quality of light provided by sunlight is replicated artificially through the use of full spectrum

fluorescent lights – which are believed to be the closest thing to natural sunlight – and these lights are used by parrot breeders and chicken farmers, who testify to

its health benefits for all birds.

These lights are referred to as full spectrum lights, and they are essential for the health of your parrot too!

So what is full spectrum light?

It refers to the light the sun produces that passes through the earth’s atmosphere. In other words, it’s natural sunlight.

Some fluorescent lights replicate sunlight and are used by bird breeders and chicken farmers as well as parrot enthusiasts. Even so, many provide an inferior

version of full spectrum light, when compared with  natural sunlight.

How does full spectrum lighting benefit parrots?

Full spectrum lighting helps with the natural synthesis of Vitamin D3 in the skin and assists the animal to naturally regulate it. Vitamin D3 is the hormone that allows the digestive system to extract

calcium from their diet, helping parrots to achieve healthy bones and beaks. Too little Vitamin D3 results in brittle bones and too much results in calcium build up on the bones or kidney problems.

Full spectrum lighting is believed to help in the process of natural regulation of Vitamin D3.

Full spectrum lighting also helps improve the health of a parrot’s glandular system. This includes the  thyroid and pineal glands and hypothalamus. It  sounds very medical we know, however put simply, the thyroid controls the

function of the other glands (how and when they function), the pineal gland controls cyclical processes of parrots such as molting and reproduction, and the hypothalamus ensures normal feather development in birds.

So you can see that full spectrum lighting provides parrots – including yours –

with real health benefits!

How do I ensure my parrot benefits from full spectrum lighting?

It is recommended that the full spectrum light be placed three feet or closer to  your bird for a set period of time each day. The period of time will be dependent

upon your parrot’s breed. Adherence to recommended times is necessary to  avoid undesirable companion parrot behaviors, such as territorial aggression or

egg laying. The objective with the recommended full spectrum lighting exposure times is to help you achieve for your parrot the health benefits outlined in the

above.

The bird light you choose for your parrot may clearly state the times you need to expose your bird to the light for. Expect daily exposure of 1-2 hours for small

birds (parakeets, canaries, lovebirds, etc), 4-6 hours for the majority of African parrots (Grey's, Vasa Parrots, etc) and 2-4 hours for most other birds, including

the majority of South American parrots. Consider getting an electrical outlet timer to automatically deliver appropriate full spectrum lighting times..

Did you Know…

…that our parrots see in vibrant colors when exposed to full spectrum lighting or sunlight? The ability of a bird to see in color helps them find the right food to eat

and spot danger. Could you imagine foraging for a berry in a rainforest? You'd need very acute vision. The ability of a bird to see in color also is believed to help

in mating rituals. When your bird is in natural sunlight or exposed to full  spectrum lighting, it's visual world bursts into beautiful color beyond what the

human eye can imagine.