It is easy to get worried when you see your budgie panting, especially if you just got your first pet bird. Do not be afraid because it is normal for a budgie to pant. I did some research to learn why do budgies pant, so I’m going to share everything I learned in this article.
Why is My Bird Panting?
Why do budgies pant? Budgies pant due to the changes in environmental temperature, exercise, and fright. A budgie can develop heatstroke, so panting allows the bird to control its temperature. Overweight budgies pant more because the layer of fat restricts the movement of air from the ventilatory bags.
Why Does My Budgie Breath Fast?
A budgie can breathe rapidly due to stress. For instance, introducing your budgie to your other pets can make the budgie feel uncomfortable, so it feels insecure. Do not put your budgie in uncomfortable situations if you want him to live peacefully. A budgie can also breathe rapidly after exercise.
Can Budgies Overheat?
Yes, budgies can overheat, so it is your responsibility to check the temperature of your pet bird and to make sure your bird stays cool. Here are some of the ways your budgie can overheat:
Firstly, keeping your cage in direct sunlight.
Budgies need sunlight but do not leave your pet bird on the sun for several hours. If you want your bird to enjoy sunlight during the day, ensure half of the cage is under a shade. This allows the bird to move to a shady area when it feels too hot.
Secondly, leaving your budgie inside a poorly ventilated vehicle.
Do you love driving with your budgie? Then, you may be tempted to leave your bird inside your car for a few minutes. If you have been inside your car with your bird for several hours, do not leave the bird inside the care.
Thirdly, offering additional heat.
It is very cold, so you offer additional heat to your bird. You mean good because you want your bird to get some heat due to the cold. You do not want your bird to feel chilly. So, you use a heat lamp or another heat source to keep your bird warm. The bird can suffer heat stroke if it stays close to the heat source for a long time.
Can Budgies Die from Heat?
Yes, a budgie can die from heat. How? If a budgie overheats, it suffers from heat stroke. A heat stroke is serious because it can be fatal. In fact, a budgie can succumb to heat stroke in around 15 minutes. That is why it is important to protect your bird from high temperatures. If the temperatures outside are very high, do not take your pet bird outside. Budgies do well in modest temperatures.
How Do I Know If My Budgie is Too Hot?
As you can see, a budgie can die from the heat. Do not assume your bird is okay, especially during summer months. As a first-time pet bird owner, you may find it hard to know if your budgie is too hot. Knowing if your bird is too hot can help you cool the bird.
It is important to know that birds do not eliminate unnecessary heat because they do not have sweat glands. So, birds have to do everything they can to eliminate unnecessary heat from their bodies. That is why it is possible to know if your budgie is too hot.
Here is how to know if your budgie is too hot.
Opens Its Mouth
A bird opens its mouth when it is too hot. This is because birds use their mouths to expel the unnecessary heat from their bodies. High temperatures heat the body of the bird. As the body temperature of the bird increases, the bird opens its mouth to eliminate some of the heat.
Keeps Wings Away from the Body
Budgies do not just eliminate unnecessary heat from their bodies, they also try to keep their bodies cool when they are too hot. They do this by keeping their wings away from their bodies. This allows them to cool their bodies. Keeping their wings away from the body allows cool air to hit their bodies.
Ruffled Feathers
A budgie ruffles its feathers to remove the unnecessary heat from its body. Your budgie straightens its feathers to allow passage of air between the wings. The cool air passing between the wings can help reduce the body heat of the bird.
Change in Behavior
Once a budgie becomes too hot, it feels discomfort and become restless. You will see your bird searching for a cooler spot in the cage or moving to where there are cool waves of air. If your cage is close to a heat source or if it is outside in the sun, your budgie will try to escape the cage.
How Do I Keep My Budgie Cool in the Summer?
As you have seen, a budgie can die from overheating. And you already know how to know if your budgie is too hot. You love your bird, so ensure it is always cool. However, do not place your bird in a very cold place because the bird will become chilly and it can develop hypothermia.
The following are the best tips for keeping your budgie cool in the summer.
1. Cooling Fans
Cooling fans can help keep your budgie cool. Cooling fans provide a cool breeze for your budgies, but you need to set it on a low level because you do not want your budgies to become chilly. You should look for the best cooling fans for your budgies because you can use these fans inside your house.
However, cooling fans can injure your birds, especially if you are using cooling fans with big blades. If your birds are flying around inside your house and the cooling fans are on, the blades of the fans can hurt your birds. If you want to cool your budgies with cooling fans, make sure your birds are inside a cage.
2. Provide Shade
You do not want your budgies to stay inside your house all the time. Take them outside because they will have more fun outside. But some budgies do not like direct sunlight. That is why you need to provide shade. You can build a small shade for your cage. The shade will keep your budgies cool.
Do not leave the birds in the shade for a long time, especially if the shade is very cold. If your budgies get very cold, they can get hypothermia. It is important to keep their bodies warm, but not too hot. That is why you need to make sure your shade is warm.
3. Move the Bird Cage
It is important to put your bird’s cage in a cool, quieter place in your home. Do not place the cage near any sources of stress like your other pets. You may hear your budgie panting when it is close to some of your family pets. The budgie pants because it feels uncomfortable. Moving your bird’s cage to a cool place can make the budgie feel comfortable.
4. Spray Bottle
Use a spray bottle during the summer because the days are usually very hot. You do not have to invest in a special spray bottle because you can use a household spray bottle. You just fill the spray bottle with cold water. Then, spray your budgie with the cold water. You will see your budgie spreading its wing. If this happens, it means your bird loves it. Spraying the bird with cold water can help cool down the bird.
5. Do Not Stress Your Bird
The heat increases the heart rate of your budgie, so do not put more stress on your bird. Your bird will cool down easily if it feels safe and comfortable. So, do not put the cage in a noisy room. Reducing stress does not directly help to keep your budgie cool, but it helps the bird relax.
Want to learn how to keep your budgie happy? Then, check out this article.
6. Bird Baths
You might not be always around your budgies. You will leave them at your house. If you are planning to leave the house for several hours, you can use bird baths to keep your birds cool. Your budgies will swim in the baths to keep themselves cool. You should change the water every day.
Final Thoughts
It is easy to get worried when you see one of your budgies panting. We get worried because we love our feathery friends and we do not want anything bad to happen to them. Budgies usually pant due to stress, exercise, and changes in temperature.
If you have been exercising your budgie and you see it panting, do not worry because your budgie will stop panting in a few minutes. If your budgies meet your family pets for the first time, you may hear it panting. It pants because it feels uncomfortable. If you leave your budgie in direct sunlight for a long time, it may start panting. Take it to a cool place when this happens.
As you can see, learning why do budgies pant can help you take proper care of your budgies. You will know when your budgies are hot, so you will use one of the methods mentioned above to cool your budgies.