Natural Sunlight

How much natural sunlight does your bird get?

My green cheek Larry, was getting about 1 hour of filtered sunlight daily.
The room he lives in has a window that allows filtered sunlight for a short time late in the day, but I didn't feel that he was getting enough.
I recently put a cage outside and I now take him out in the morning for an hour and in the afternoon for a while. Weather permitting.
I make sure he has access to some shade as well.

Anyone have thoughts to share on this?

Riley spends pretty much all day in filtered sun light theres 5 windows in the surrounding area where shes at so she gets plenty of sunlight but i never put her in direct sun light.

Three to six hours of unfiltered sunlight per day.

About 6 filtered, occasionally 1-3 unfiltered.

Every day (weather permitting) they spend at least 2-5 hours outside in dappled light. The rest of the day they go where they please, but it's usually near a window. So we do about the same thing. In winter, it's window sunlight...but if course they're not always by the windows. I don't use UV lights because of the potential eye damage.

Breeders get about 3 hrs filtered a day, Maya and the rest of em get probably like 3-4 filtered, and Maya goes outside with me whenever i do in direct Florida sun which she LOVES. She will spend up to 3 hours at a time in her tree. And when i am watering the plants she's on my shoulder or near me in direct. She loves it, and if she's inside and see's me going outside she makes it known that i need to take her with me. She insists. Those of you who own a bird that is demanding knows what i mean. Especially one that wants to get somewhere and you are their mode of transportation.

See, the thing with filtered sunlight is that it's exactly the same as a bright fluorescent light. Windows are designed to block much needed UVB, but still allow UVA, which any bulb will provide.

After we remodeled the house the fids got a great spot near the French doors that lead to the pool deck. They get nice filtered sunlight all day and I can roll their play stand and cage on the deck when it isn't too hot out.

NiRD said:

See, the thing with filtered sunlight is that it's exactly the same as a bright fluorescent light. Windows are designed to block much needed UVB, but still allow UVA, which any bulb will provide.

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Yes, today's window glass is designed to reduce the effects of UV radiation on our lives, though claiming that the filtration is the same as bright fluorescent light is a bit of a stretch.....if you really want to use fluorescent light to provide UVB exposure for your birds, look at possibly using a tanning bed bulb/tube or two, but don't forget to look into the proper ballasts needed to power those bulbs/tubes...just like "lights," they're not all the same.....metal-halide and mercury-xenon lamps actually produce more consistent and cleaner UV radiated lighting than do consistently degrading fluorescent lamps/tubes.....

There have been some recent (1-5 years) statements by various veterinarians that as little as 2-5 hours of sunlight per week is better than no sunlight, however, I do not know of any studies that have been done on the specific UV requirements of feathered friends and the majority of the information that has been forthcoming about the UV requirements of the different herps, has been researched, conducted and published by volunteers.....

Buddy sits next to a window that looks out to a covered patio. The sun only hits the window directly for about an hour in the mornings, right now he gets 10 - 12 hours looking out the window. He visits with his cracklings buddies and doves that come to the yard, he speaks crackling, lol.

Any non filtered sunlight is better than no sunlight.

NiRD said:

Any non filtered sunlight is better than no sunlight.

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The window glass manufactured today has some degree of UV filtration manufactured into it, especially the thermalpane/insulated glass, and though you can specially order non-filtered glass if you are installing new windows, but expect a price increase and if you are thinking about retrofitting existing windows, that is an expensive process.....and.....expect your heating bill to seriously increase in the winter and go through the roof for your A/C in the summer.....

If you want un-filtered sunlight, take your bird(s) outside.....

That's why I think sitting them near a window is useless.

JanHarvey said:

HPS (High-pressure sodium lamp) was the first sodium lamp. Its create a monochromatic light also called Hydroponic lighting by Sunlight Supply. These LED Growing lights produced orange spectrum which is best for encourage rapid fruiting, flowering and budding.

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Say there JanHarvey, when you post, you seem to dance around some of the members questions, without bothering to either address or answer them. Back on the 14th, I asked you about you being in the lighting business and specifically asked you how you determined that cold factor lighting produced by LEDs was related to the needed production of vitamin D3, something required by our companion birds, yet you keep referring to fruiting, flowering and budding, terminology totally of no relevance to how LED lighting will benefit a companion bird and your offering your various hypothesis is doing a disservice to those members looking for true & credible solutions to a need their birds have and I really do not believe your cold light offering offers anything except possibly as an expensive sprouting accessory.....

For members who do not understand lighting and what the various producers (bulbs, tubes, emitters) can and cannot do, they often find themselves wasting $$$ chasing someone's unproven theory.....

I could be very wrong here, but the type of technology and products you seen to be peddling, simply do not lend themselves to the producing of the type of light and subsequent production of any vitamin D3 needed by companion birds.....if, on the other hand, you are able to provide independent, verifiable study data to the contrary, I would be happy to apologize and reverse my position on this matter.....

Rosie gets light just about daily when I take her out in her aviator harness for a walk, the sunlight is so awesome for her. Kenji not as much since he is so phobic of stepping up from his cage. I also have a outside cage for Rosie and Kenji to take turns using, Rosie's used it a few times but was unhappy if I walked away. Kenji hasn't used it yet, won't until he's stepping up good.

Shaymus gets a ton of light, he lives in a shaded dog run, but I take him out to fly and also have a perch on the lawn I tie him to for a bath and sunbath.