How to manage bird sleeptime?

[Ezekiell]

I’ve read that parrots need between 10-12 hours of sleep a night, otherwise their health is at risk.
I’m wondering how people who work during the day manage this?
For example; Our usual day is we both get up between 6-6:30am, leave for work at 7am, return home at 3:30-4pm, our bedtime is usually 9:30-10pm.

We are planning to get a bird within the next year after we’ve moved into our new (owned) home. We’d keep the cage in the main room, but could move it easily into the laundry around 8:30pm where it’d be quiet for sleeptime while we’d still be watching tv in the main room. My concern would be disturbing the bird when I’d wheel the cage out from the laundry room into the main room in the morning so the bird can wake up naturally a few hours after we leave for work and be able to look outside/get natural light/have breakfast thats left for it in the cage/play in the cage before being let out for the evening upon our return home. Ive read that disturbing the continuous sleep is bad for birds, is this true?

Also, I’ve read that sometimes you can leave half the cage covered to help the bird continue to sleep but still be able to wake up naturally and not be spooked when you go to work. Is this something that’s advisable to do to help rest the bird adequately?

 

[ChristaNL]

No sure how bad...most animals will not be knock-out continuously for the whole night!
It is not a natural thing at all.


Even for us humans: till a few decades ago it was considered "normal" to be awake in the middle of our sleep for a few hours, only when we started using alarmclocks and getting by on less and less sleep did we glorify "the continuous sleep".
Most sleeppropblems are actually not a real problem at all
(Just not getting enough because well...we all have appointements to keep, set office/workhours etc.etc.)


So I would not be too worried about disturbing the bird.
If you have enough space, you could actually get the bird a separate sleepingcage- that does not need too many toys, run around space etc..


The idea is to make the night-period at least 12 hours to keep their hormones from going overboard (and a sleepdeprived bird is a cranky bird).
It is the in-the-dark-time, not the amount they actually sleep, because that is something you cannot controll: you can put a bird to bed - you cannot make it sleep


Birds get very used to a certain routine, so it will adapt to you leaving the house early f.e.


bad example:
I cannot take my birds to another room or couver the cages (-> too large and clumsy, and the birds demolish covers as fast as I can hang them) so I just ignore them after I wish them goodnight and they go to sleep in the livingroom with me watching TV or messing with the computer. Not ideal, but we manage!
They know "goodnight" means "shut up and go to sleep, playtime is over".
(Being parrots they will try and break that rule of course- but most of the time...it works)

 

[RemiBird]

Remi has adapted pretty good to our schedule, which hasn't always been exactly the same. Some mornings I had to be at work at 4am and he would be woken up (making coffee, lights, snuggling with me while I drink coffee before work). Now my schedule is more consistent and we usually don't stay up past nine pm. I can see that he always snuggles up next to my neck around 8.30 pm and starts dozing off.
But then, most mornings we are up around 5. I imagine he sleeps and naps throughout the day while we are gone. I haven't noticed that it affects him in any bad way.
Like Christa mentioned, it's not natural for any animal to have an uninterrupted sleep all night long. When you think about it, they have night predators in the wild.

 

[Flboy]

Use a ‘sleep’ cage! For my JoJo, it is in my room, for the wife’s Bongo, in a large walk-in closet!

 

[noodles123]

Honestly, I think for many, it is closer to 12-14 for many species. You might consider getting a sleep cage that stays in a separate room. I have found that TV and talking does prevent my bird from sleeping. I can hear her in there stirring or occasionally flapping.
Just because they aren't making sounds, doesn't mean they are sleeping, so you are right to consider this as a possible issue.
Also, although some birds might nap, mine definitely doesn't, because I live-streamed her to my work completer for like 3 months straight. When her sleep has been disrupted, she is discontent and demanding the following day and much more needy. Even though she has a lot of time to nap, she simply will not. Lack of sleep also messes with hormones and, as you stated, immune function.

If you do the sleep cage, then you can wake him up and spend time with him while you get ready for work (and move him to the room with windows). You just will have to make sure that someone is home a few hours before bedtime (which would be around 5 or 6 if you get up at 5).

I have my bird in the living room but I watch TV with headphones or move to the other room to watch movies. Just last week, my friend came over and we talked until midnight, and even though Noodles didn't say anything, at one point (11:30 ish) I heard her banging her beak. I could also hear her grinding her beak off and on every 20 minutes or so, which means that she wasn't sleeping (she does that when trying to go to sleep).

Another thought- if using the laundry room, make sure that you aren't storing dryer-sheets and scented detergents in there, because they have a scent that is not good for birds in such a small room. I wash Noodles' cage cover in Tide Free and Clear because the rest contain scented chemicals.

 

[Sunnyclover]

I have sleep cages in spare bedrooms for all 4 birdies. At 7am they are begging to go to bed and I wake them up around 8am. Getting them to go to bed has never been an issue.

 

[Kiwibird]

Our bird is in the living room and I simply cover his cage at night and go about out lives as normal. He settles down within minutes and not a peep until covers come off in the morning. The jungle is neither silent nor pitch black at night and parrots in nature sleep just fine. If you train them to only sleep in complete silence/pure darkness then if life situations ever change, they’ll have an awfully difficult time adjusting to a little noise or light. As is our bird can sleep through most “normal” nighttime noises like tv shows, normal conversation, us moving around a little etc... and whatever minimal light filters through the thick covers doesn’t phase him.

Interesting to note- When I sleep in the living room during the summer (too hot upstairs and I’m a super light sleeper), I still hear him shift in his sleep or ruffle his feathers or poop when there is no noise or light to wake him.

 

[noodles123]

Our bird is in the living room and I simply cover his cage at night and go about out lives as normal. He settles down within minutes and not a peep until covers come off in the morning. The jungle is neither silent nor pitch black at night and parrots in nature sleep just fine. If you train them to only sleep in complete silence/pure darkness then if life situations ever change, they’ll have an awfully difficult time adjusting to a little noise or light. As is our bird can sleep through most “normal” nighttime noises like tv shows, normal conversation, us moving around a little etc... and whatever minimal light filters through the thick covers doesn’t phase him.

That is a good point too. My bird came to me as an adult and she had her ways established already. It may just be her personality, but it could also be a precedent that was set by a past owner. I just know that she doesn't sleep like she should if she is in a room with lots of noise. I think, in her case, a lot of it has to do with proximity to her cage. If someone walks past her cage, the floor shifts a bit and the rustling puts her on high alert. If you get a baby, you might be able to make it so that they adjust to sleeping through certain noises. That having been said, if you have behavioral issues etc, remember that it is possible that you have a light-sleeper who will need a quieter sleeping space.

 

[mrs.pants]

we have 2 cages and 1 is in the main social room (computer room) and his "sleepy cage" is in our bedroom where we never are. Hes up with us at 7 and goes to bed at like 8:30. we cover his cage and turn out the lights and it seems to work out for us. I also work from 8 to 5. mr. pants doesnt work just yet and we stay up til like 11 lol

 

[bill_e]

Edit: WhaTPretty simple answer, one of you has to quit their job to stay home and care for the bird.

Actually, it is a pretty simple answer from my point of view. Dont move the cage from the laundry room until you get home from work. Have a light (daylight bulb) on a timer in the laundry room, have plenty for the bird to do in the cage for once it wakes up, have a radio or TV on...HGTV or animal Planet seem to get good reviews by parrots.

Dark, quiet sleep is very important especially to control hormonal behavior.

When you get home either move the cage or better yet have a separate perching area in the main room and bring the bird there. I really don't think that it's that important to have a window for the bird and in many cases that can actually provide more stress if there's a lot going on outside...remember the parrots instinct is that it's prey.

Edit: When I want Nike to have some background noise I use my Amazon Echo. "Play Bird Sounds" seems to really stimulate her and you can use the Echo as your timer for the sounds and lights.

 

[GaleriaGila]

My goodness, you're getting lots of good info and discussion.

I'll add my three cents...

Ever since the Rickeybird hit sexual maturity at about 3-4 years of age, I've had to manage his hormones! If kept on too steady a long day, and too much light, he stayed "in the mood" (aggressive, even louder than usual, pleasuring himself on my neck ) year round. If I keep him on a natural light schedule... up with dawn, down with dusk, year around... THEN he's only a little monster rooster from July to September). He has his own room, so I can do that easily.

I was in college when I got him, and then grad school, so I spent LOTS of time with him. Then it was time for internship and then work!
There were years (about 25 of them) when 6-7 days a week, I was gone at dawn and back at night.
Some did and will consider me wrong and think I should have re-homed him.
Anyway, here is what I think made it work.
I moved and got new jobs maybe 5 times or so. BUT...
Every morning, he had at least ten minutes, and every evening, he had 20 or so. I have always kept him on a natural light schedule, in a separate room, so sometimes those times together were in the dark. During the day, he had a big window looking out on something interesting, a television on one of his favorite channels (music channels, news shows - he loves talking heads), a biggg cage, lots of fun foods, and great toys that I changed out regularly).
He KNEW he could count on those two crumby sessions a day. Somehow we both made it.
I'm now retired and times are pretty good again.

Good for yo for reaching out!

 

[Ezekiell]

Edit: WhaTPretty simple answer, one of you has to quit their job to stay home and care for the bird.

Actually, it is a pretty simple answer from my point of view. Dont move the cage from the laundry room until you get home from work. Have a light (daylight bulb) on a timer in the laundry room, have plenty for the bird to do in the cage for once it wakes up, have a radio or TV on...HGTV or animal Planet seem to get good reviews by parrots.

Dark, quiet sleep is very important especially to control hormonal behavior.

When you get home either move the cage or better yet have a separate perching area in the main room and bring the bird there. I really don't think that it's that important to have a window for the bird and in many cases that can actually provide more stress if there's a lot going on outside...remember the parrots instinct is that it's prey.

Edit: When I want Nike to have some background noise I use my Amazon Echo. "Play Bird Sounds" seems to really stimulate her and you can use the Echo as your timer for the sounds and lights.

The only reason I'd be considering moving the cage from the laundry room is because it's built with a massive glass brick front that makes it very bright from early morning, whereas the living area near the back door remains darker for longer. So I thought that would be a good option; cage in laundry with cover whilst we're still up late, then cage in main room with cover off/partially off whilst we're at work until we get home.
My SO is a computer nerd and he sets up timers for everything, so it'd be easy to set the light and TV on a timer in the main room. But it'd be useless in the laundry room because that's flooded with natural light all the time.
I hope that the comment that someone has to quit their job to stay home with the bird is just flippant facetiousness, as that is simply not possible for the vast majority of people. Plus I'm a psychologist and school counsellor so I'm hoping that sometime in the future I'll be able to train the bird to come out to school with me sometimes as a therapy animal.

 

[noodles123]

Edit: WhaTPretty simple answer, one of you has to quit their job to stay home and care for the bird.

Actually, it is a pretty simple answer from my point of view. Dont move the cage from the laundry room until you get home from work. Have a light (daylight bulb) on a timer in the laundry room, have plenty for the bird to do in the cage for once it wakes up, have a radio or TV on...HGTV or animal Planet seem to get good reviews by parrots.

Dark, quiet sleep is very important especially to control hormonal behavior.

When you get home either move the cage or better yet have a separate perching area in the main room and bring the bird there. I really don't think that it's that important to have a window for the bird and in many cases that can actually provide more stress if there's a lot going on outside...remember the parrots instinct is that it's prey.

Edit: When I want Nike to have some background noise I use my Amazon Echo. "Play Bird Sounds" seems to really stimulate her and you can use the Echo as your timer for the sounds and lights.

The only reason I'd be considering moving the cage from the laundry room is because it's built with a massive glass brick front that makes it very bright from early morning, whereas the living area near the back door remains darker for longer. So I thought that would be a good option; cage in laundry with cover whilst we're still up late, then cage in main room with cover off/partially off whilst we're at work until we get home.
My SO is a computer nerd and he sets up timers for everything, so it'd be easy to set the light and TV on a timer in the main room. But it'd be useless in the laundry room because that's flooded with natural light all the time.
I hope that the comment that someone has to quit their job to stay home with the bird is just flippant facetiousness, as that is simply not possible for the vast majority of people. Plus I'm a psychologist and school counsellor so I'm hoping that sometime in the future I'll be able to train the bird to come out to school with me sometimes as a therapy animal.

Birds shouldn't be pets...for the most part...Although I'm sure the comment was semi-flippant, birds aren't meant to be caged in homes...Really, to do what it takes, you pretty much have to....I have a job, but I feel guilty. If you are getting a bird, at least re-home one if you can....They are so amazing, but hundreds need homes...for this very reason. Only humans would find the most intelligent and wild animals and cage them....I say that as a bird owner, rather, I have a bird who owns me and I am her 4th home. There are many good people who buy babies, but babies are so easy to mess up, plus, there is a surplus of adults who are iin need of re-homing. That having been said, DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE TIME that it takes...it is like a child....If you wouldn't put a kid in a cage for 8 hours, it's best to avoid it with your bird...I have mine in the cage far more often than is healthy and it is WRONG..Despite the fact that mine is doing alright overall....

 

[Ezekiell]

Edit: WhaTPretty simple answer, one of you has to quit their job to stay home and care for the bird.

Actually, it is a pretty simple answer from my point of view. Dont move the cage from the laundry room until you get home from work. Have a light (daylight bulb) on a timer in the laundry room, have plenty for the bird to do in the cage for once it wakes up, have a radio or TV on...HGTV or animal Planet seem to get good reviews by parrots.

Dark, quiet sleep is very important especially to control hormonal behavior.

When you get home either move the cage or better yet have a separate perching area in the main room and bring the bird there. I really don't think that it's that important to have a window for the bird and in many cases that can actually provide more stress if there's a lot going on outside...remember the parrots instinct is that it's prey.

Edit: When I want Nike to have some background noise I use my Amazon Echo. "Play Bird Sounds" seems to really stimulate her and you can use the Echo as your timer for the sounds and lights.

The only reason I'd be considering moving the cage from the laundry room is because it's built with a massive glass brick front that makes it very bright from early morning, whereas the living area near the back door remains darker for longer. So I thought that would be a good option; cage in laundry with cover whilst we're still up late, then cage in main room with cover off/partially off whilst we're at work until we get home.
My SO is a computer nerd and he sets up timers for everything, so it'd be easy to set the light and TV on a timer in the main room. But it'd be useless in the laundry room because that's flooded with natural light all the time.
I hope that the comment that someone has to quit their job to stay home with the bird is just flippant facetiousness, as that is simply not possible for the vast majority of people. Plus I'm a psychologist and school counsellor so I'm hoping that sometime in the future I'll be able to train the bird to come out to school with me sometimes as a therapy animal.

Birds shouldn't be pets...for the most part...Although I'm sure the comment was semi-flippant, birds aren't meant to be caged in homes...Really, to do what it takes, you pretty much have to....I have a job, but I feel guilty. If you are getting a bird, at least re-home one if you can....They are so amazing, but hundreds need homes...for this very reason. Only humans would find the most intelligent and wild animals and cage them....I say that as a bird owner, rather, I have a bird who owns me and I am her 4th home. There are many good people who buy babies, but babies are so easy to mess up, plus, there is a surplus of adults who are iin need of re-homing. That having been said, DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE TIME that it takes...it is like a child....If you wouldn't put a kid in a cage for 8 hours, it's best to avoid it with your bird...I have mine in the cage far more often than is healthy and it is WRONG..Despite the fact that mine is doing alright overall....

Thanks for the opinion Noodles. But seriously calm your farm! Heaps of people have pets/keep animals and work. You cant seriously say that the choice is for someone to quit their job if they have an animal or dont have an animal. Get with damn reality!
I’m a psychologist and I am seriously tempted to point you towards all the research stating the benefits of keeping animals, as well as point out that my SOs mum is a vet who treats birds and has given us advice, but I’ll refrain because you have made your black and white position abundantly clear and who am I to try to reason with you?
As for your ignorant, straw man argument of ‘would you keep a kid in a cage for 8 hours’, well depends; a baby who is helpless no, a child who can mostly look after themselves given some precautions maybe I’d leave at home for a bit. Would you like to extend this argument to the dog and cat realm? Heaps of people keep dogs and cats as companions (commonly known as pets) and still have to work, so said pet gets left at safe at home for the day with food, toys, possibly kept in a room for their own safety. How is that different for a bird? Just substitute food for food, toys for toys, and room for cage (which is the birds room). But again, I now know your ignorant position so I’ll again simply give up rather than waste my breath.
All I can say with good grace is I’m glad that you have the luxery and priviledge to afford the cost of living including looking after your companion animals without having to work or living on a single income from your partner/parent. Oh wait, my mistake, you said you had a job. In that case I’ll seriously consider your position when you stop being a hypocrite.

Sorry for everyone else reading this, but I am honestly sick and tired of priviledged and often hypocritical keyboard warriors flaming me because I’m not their version of a good ‘bird owner’. I came back onto these forums to get information from people to helo me make the best decisions I can to provide the best care I can to a companion animal I will have in the future. Im disappointed that the comments that have stuck with me the most are from people telling me unrealistic things to do such as quit my job or only keep a bird if I live in a country town.

 

[noodles123]

I think you misunderstood.

It was kind of a tongue-in-cheek remark by the poster who said "quit your job". He wasn't literally telling you to quit your job. I think it was sort of a joke about how much work birds really do take. People here say what they say based on first-hand experience and birds get re-homed more than any other pet, so the reality is that they are a ton of work and that is why so many people quickly realize they aren't up for it. It is a fact that they probably shouldn't be pets (even though they can be great companions---it is rarely fair to them).

No is going to stop you from getting one if that is the choice you make, but it's important that you don't underestimate the level of commitment required. I have a job...and I have a bird...most of us have jobs...That wasn't the point of my comment (when I said that birds aren't really meant to be pets).

Based on your comments above, I feel like I need to clarify somethings--
When you get a bird, you are choosing to live with a very smart animal who is intended to fly miles and miles a day with a massive flock. They cannot do that in a home, so they look to you for stimulation. Caging a bird for 8 hours a day when they should be foraging and flying is the opposite of natural and comes with a huge level of responsibility and complicated/unnatural behaviors. Do I cage my bird when I am at work? Yes. Does it produce some undesirable consequences in terms of behavior? Yes. You should really consider the fact that people are saying these things because they know what it is like to have pet birds (not because they feel superior). An under-stimulated or bored bird will exhibit problem behavior and if re-homed because of this behavior, it creates a vicious cycle of trauma and future re-homing for said bird.

Like I said, no one is telling you to actually quit your job...the point was to emphasize the level of time and energy required in order to keep a bird semi-content. I'm not saying that to be a hypocrite or a crazy parrot person, but as a person with a parrot, I can tell you it is the truth.

With regard to birds vs. other pets (such as cats/dogs), birds are closer to a pet orangutan or a kid with powerful lungs, a beak and wings. A dog or cat can stay home for many hours on its own and be just fine--plus, most of them can run around the house or yard. Furthermore, a dog or cat's natural range is not miles and miles per day (so even if a dog is in a room, that is going to provide it with far more freedom to move than a bird has in a cage---even a large one). Parrots are wild animals (unlike dogs or cats). A domesticated dog cannot be compared to a wild wolf (nor can a house cat be compared to a lion or cougar), as dogs and cats have been bred in captivity for thousands of years (which has fundamentally changed their genetics, instincts and behaviors). Birds are still wild. Finally, even the smartest dog or cat isn't nearly as intelligent as a bird, nor will they self-mutilate and scream if they feel neglected...or if you move a picture 3 inches to the left, or if your hair changes, or if you get a new chair lol....

Parrots have the intelligence of a 4-year-old (in some cases, 6-year old) human. Studies have proven that are on par with primates and in some cases, even smarter. They can count, sequence, identify patterns, use language to form novel sentences with meaning (not just mimic), use tools, create tools, solve complicated problems that children are unable to solve, remember and share what they have learned with other flock members who haven't shared the same experiences (aka teach other birds about things that have happened to them and change those birds' behaviors based on their "teaching")....They also move in slow motion and may or may not like you (unlike a dog or cat who will inevitably bond with the person who cares for it). A dog or cat may not like you right away, but within a few weeks, most will come around or at least tolerate you as a "pack member". Birds do not operate this way. They can takes years to bond with someone and they sometimes bond with a person who doesn't care for them (only to become depressed and upset when that person leaves or fails to reciprocate their interest). They can be fickle and they are very sensitive to changes in family structure, routine and surroundings. Combine all of these factors, and you can see why it is very hard to provide adequate stimulation within a household environment.

Due to their intelligence and due to the unnaturally small enclosures (even the best cage in the world is "small"), birds in captivity are MUCH more neurotic and extremely high-maintenance...again, absolutely nothing like dogs or cats (mostly because dogs, cats, pigs, horses, rabbits etc are all domesticated animals but birds are not). They take way more work than the average pet because captivity prevents them from doing so many of the things that they need to do in order to stay mentally and physically healthy and because their instincts and behaviors still are identical to those seen in wild birds.

 

[noodles123]

" You cant seriously say that the choice is for someone to quit their job if they have an animal or dont have an animal. Get with damn reality!

Would you like to extend this argument to the dog and cat realm? Heaps of people keep dogs and cats as companions (commonly known as pets) and still have to work, so said pet gets left at safe at home for the day with food, toys, possibly kept in a room for their own safety. How is that different for a bird? Just substitute food for food, toys for toys, and room for cage (which is the birds room)"

Your "impassioned" reply was the result of my attempt to explain someone else's statement--one that I never made.... You seem very upset by my assertion that a bird is going to be a high-maintenance "pet". I suggested that adoption was a good option due to the extreme surplus of homeless adult birds who have been given up by their previous owners....

I want to re-assert that I am not against people getting birds, but it is important to go into ownership with eyes wide open--if you think of it as a "just a pet", you are on the wrong path already. For all of the joy they bring us, there are numerous sacrifices that are discussed less often in public...

Research on the benefits of keeping birds tends to focus primarily on the benefits for the HUMANS. Again, I simply have stated that being a good parrot owner is almost impossible because, in a domestic environment, we cannot wear all of the hats that they require (to compare a parrot to a dog in a room or to believe that a parrot could be happy in a cage with food, water and toys is to SEVERELY underestimate all parrot species--large or small). As parrot owners, we do the best we can, but it doesn't compare to what they truly need... There are only good parrot owners when you compare parrot owners to other parrot owners, but we all fall short in the end. If you are up for it, great, but don't act like this is just any pet...

I have stated that even the best owner is going to fall short when compared to the life they would have outside of captivity (I stand by that statement). Like I said, I do have a bird and I do the best I can--the best I can takes A TON OF WORK. Even then, I fall short daily because I am not a flock and I am not the Indonesian wilderness. Nevertheless, there are plenty of birds all over the world who need human homes (As they were raised in captivity and relinquished by their previous 1-10 owners). It's a difficult job full of laughter and suffering and compromise, but someone has to do it. Just don't perpetuate the cycle by getting a bird and expecting a dog or cat (that always ends in absolute disaster)....They are more like a human child than a pet.
Since you are a fan or credentials and research, I will share some of my own (I am not telling you NOT to get a bird, but if you don't understand the seriousness of this commitment, then that is going to be a problem for you, your SO and your theoretical bird):

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/bear-in-mind/201110/why-the-caged-bird-does-not-sing

https://www.humanesociety.org/news/no-fly-zone

https://atrium.lib.uoguelph.ca/xmlu...14/4955/Mason 2010.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

https://www.thedodo.com/its-time-to-admit-birds-shouldnt-be-caged-as-pets-1540187340.html


Here is a direct quote from the Humane Society link (and it reflects my experiences):

"The truth is, most pet parrots are only a few generations removed from the wild, and few owners are prepared to fulfill even their most basic instincts: flying, flocking, and finding mates. These highly social creatures are usually kept alone and rarely allowed to fly—many parrots’ wings are clipped. Often their relatively small cages have little in the way of stimulation and “enrichment,” or toys. For an animal as emotionally complex as a chimpanzee or dolphin, it amounts to an unimaginably bleak existence. In fact, parrot advocate Mira Tweti estimates that some 75 percent of birds “live a life of abuse or neglect.”

PS- living with a bird "in a country town" (as you call it) is way harder than living in a city where CAVs are nearby....Not sure where you garnered that information...Unless you mean chickens.....

 

[bill_e]

Ezekiell, it was absolutely said tongue 'n cheek

But as far as light in the room, I use a black Cozzzy Cover. A bit on the expensive side but keeps my bird quiet and restful from the time I cover the cage till the time I remove it.

 

[Scott]

A spirited exchange of opinion with bits of misunderstanding and assumption. I am certain we'll all gain knowledge and new friendships by dialing back the angst a notch or two and not taking responses as personal affronts.

Longtime parronts (bird parents) understand the complexity and oft times impinged proclivities and intelligence of our feathered children. Many choose to keep birds while cognizant of their imperfect home situations. The how and why are for another day and thread! Minority opinions, when respectfully stated, are equally important as time honored "truisms."

I try to ensure my flock can sleep during natural hours of darkness. Does not always happen, however they have periods during the day with little stimulation and they nap at times. I am not an avian sleep expert, but have observed they slumber on a hair trigger, from zero to flight in seconds. My assumption is total sleep per day for many parrots in captivity is greater than nightime "lights out."

 

[charmedbyekkie]

For us, 10-14 hours is incredibly important. Lately, Cairo will scream his head off if he's tired and can't sleep due to light shining into his cage.

I also have a work schedule that's not as forgiving as a US work schedule. I work 9am-6pm, which culturally is expected to extend to 7pm on average (occasionally 10pm or even 2am). It takes an hour for me to commute each way. Which means, I'm away from the house 8am-8pm on average. Plus being on the equator, our sunrise-sunset is always 12 hours, 7am and 7pm. So what does that mean for Cairo?

We've had to shift his 'natural' sleeping hours because he needs at minimum 2 hours of attention every day. He's better behaved if he gets 5+ hours outside of the cage. So I've shifted his sleeping hours for 12-12.

Every morning before I head out to work, I quietly tell him, "Good morning," as a warning that I'm going to be shifting his food bowl (and disturbing his cage in the process). Depending on how he's feeling, he'll either go and grab a snack before going back to sleep, or he'll choose to keep dozing. Then my partner, who freelances, will open the curtains in the afternoon. We do plan on automating this since my partner is looking to switch to full-time soon - likely using an rpi to handle the processing that'll pull open the blinds. Then I reach home around 7-8pm, and let him out. Which gives us confirmed 5 hours of time.

Cairo also really does live for the weekends, which is a little bit more free flow with his sleep hours. It's easier to go flying in the park during the morning (afternoon has too many people), so we sometimes break his sleep schedule to get him his favourite flight time. However, that does mean I try to put him to sleep earlier the night before and plan in a nap in the afternoon the next day. It's not the most ideal, but he lives for the training sessions on the weekdays and for the full-days out on weekends, so we do have to make sure he gets his sleep.

Hopefully the rpi will solve the wake-up curtain issue.

 

[Ezekiell]

Thank you everyone for all the valuable advice! I get the feeling that I may have to experiment a bit until I find the right ratio/timing for the bird, which I’m happy to do.

I totally agree that living with humans is a completely unnatural situation for a bird so I want to do my utmost best to give it as much as I can. I maintain that their dinosaur ancestors didnt inherit the world for nothing, they are the avian equivalent of humans. Hence why I’d ultimately want to both flight train it (park flights incoming) and train it to the standards required in Australia to act as a therapy bird, that way I can give it a flock consisting of at least 1 whole school rather than just a flock of 2 (me and my partner)!

I am heartened by how passionate everyone is about these animals, but maybe avoiding tongue in cheek comments in written format would be helpful for clearer communication and reducing miscommunication/assumptions.