Bird Cage Supplies and Bird Beds

First of all, it is important to learn how much sleep your bird actually needs. It is commonly advised that bird's receive between 10-12 hours of darkness per night. However, the real trick is to maintain the bird's natural cycle of darkness and daylight from the area of the world that the species originates. The book "Parrots of the World" by Fern Van Sant, DVM is a helpful resource for determining the amount of sleep each particular species needs. Van Sant references the proximity of a particular species habitat to the equator making it possible to determine how many hours of daylight and sleep the bird needs. Van Sant identifies that birds are particularly sensitive to photo-periods.

Regulating the daily rhythms of your bird's natural habitat to your household schedule will require planning and bird sleep supplies. Cage covers are a multi-use nighttime accessory. No only do they assist in blocking out light, they are helpful in keeping dust and dander in the cage and in keeping pet birds quiet in the morning. Choose a cover made especially for the brand of cage you wish to use it on, especially if you have a chewer! Blankets and sheets that contain flame retardant chemicals should be avoided.

Bird beds are another popular and useful nighttime accessory. Bird Beds allow your parrot to retreat inside for seclusion during the day and provide a dark, cozy place for your bird to sleep at night. Being prey animals, parrots are particularly prone to a need for privacy and security during sleeping hours. Furthermore, bird beds simulate nest cavities that many species of parrots use in the wild. Having a place to hide from new and scary things will make for a calmer, more secure pet. There are several styles of sleep tents on the market. BirdSupplies.com carries safe, brand name parrot supplies from Multi-pet International and a cozy tent from Scooter Z called the bird bed.

Since birds have excellent hearing, they can easily become awakened and anxious from unsettling sounds and noises that occur during bird sleep hours. Parrots startled from sleep may develop night frights and become phobic. White noise has been found to be a great way to filter out noise from the television, household members arriving home after your parrots bedtime, barking dogs, and other disturbing nighttime noises. White noise offers a soothing sound for sleepers within its earshot. It can be attained from white noise devices, similar to those used by psychotherapist's or from CD's that provide soothing, natural sounds.

A number of our customer's have reported that our Wingabago Bird Carrier makes an ideal sleep cage for their parrot. Like a large sleep tent, it provides a sense of privacy and security to the sleeping beauty. Plus, the dense material filters out nighttime noise. Used with a comfy, cotton perch, it is like a bedroom for your bird.

Finally, a comfortable bird perch placed in a high corner of the sleeping cage can be likened to the perfect mattress! A textured bird perch made from natural materials is ideal. Cholla wood, Booda Cotton Rope Perches and Sandy Perches are great choices because they provide texture for digging claws into. Each has enough texture to allow your bird's feed to easily grab on. Avoid using slippery manzanita bird perches or smooth pine dowel bird perches as the highest perch in the cage unless they are scored with sand paper or a razor. Don't place the sleeping perch above your bird's water or food bowls unless you like to wash dishes!