Where to Place Your Birdcage By Ernie Allison
So you’ve got a new pet bird. It looks pretty and healthy, and he/she seems to get along with you well enough. You’ve got a good cage and included everything your bird should need (newspaper lining the bottom of the cage, some toys, some bird seed, etc.). All you need to do is set the cage down somewhere and you’re good to go, right?
Well, yes and no.
A good deal of consideration needs to go into where you place your birdcage. Your fine feathered friend’s attitude and even health could depend on it. Here are a few factors to consider:
Height
The height of a birdcage can affect your bird’s psychology. If you place it down low, your bird will think that you’re a predator and panic. This anxiety could cause the bird to suffer health problems. If you place it higher up (e.g. over your head), your bird will start to think that he’s superior to you. If you place the cage really high up—on top of a bookshelf, say—your bird will start to feel lonely, which could also lead to health problems. The best height for your birdcage is at about chest level. Your bird will see you not as a threat or an inferior but as a companion.
Presence of Humans
Birds like attention. Don’t place them off in some back room of your house that you rarely use. Put them somewhere where they can see and interact with people. Not too many people, however: if they’re in an area that has too much noise and activity, they could panic and their health could deteriorate.
Location Within Room
Once you’ve got a good room picked out for your birdcage, think about where to place it in the room. The ideal spot is in a corner with two walls (if this isn’t possible for some reason, placing it against one wall should be fine). This will help the bird to feel that he/she has some protection from attackers. Placing the cage in the center of the room could cause your bird to panic. Also, it’s a good idea not to place a birdcage directly in front of a window. Birds could get scared by something outside like dogs or storms. They could also get hurt from excessive exposure to heat or cold.
Temperature and Air Quality
That last point leads directly into two more things to consider when situating a birdcage: how hot or cold the room will get and what the bird will breathe in. Birds don’t handle dramatic changes in temperature very well. In addition to windows, it’s a good idea to keep them away from heaters and air conditioning vents (not to mention doors or anyplace else where a draft might come in). Also, keep them out of your kitchen or your bathroom: the changes in temperature and humidity in these rooms as well as the fumes created from cooking or from hairspray and air fresheners could prove fatal.
Birds may need a good amount of care and consideration, but they’re worth it in the end. Just take a few steps to provide them with safety and comfort. They’ll return the favor with years of companionship.
Ernie Allison loves nature. More specifically, he loves birds and wants to teach others how to appreciate them, too. To help further this mission, he writes for the bird feeder provider, birdfeeders.com.
