How To Bathe Your Bird

Let’s look at the issue of bathing and your bird. Should you bathe your bird and if so how to bathe your bird is a question I see a lot of people asking?

Birds that are kept indoors must have the opportunity to bathe regularly in order to keep their plumage in good condition. This is naturally achieved by means of a waterproofing oil released from the preen gland, which is a slightly swollen area that is normally hidden under the feathering at the base of the tail.

The readiness of birds to bathe in a pot of water differs according to the species and the individual. Mynahs for instance will do so readily almost every day. Some budgerigars will regularly use a plastic bath, but others are more reluctant in which case you can bathe them in the following manner.

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How To Bathe Your Bird

If your bird doesn’t like to bathe on its own, whether it be in a birdbath in its cage or simply in its water bowl as mine like to do, you may find it helps to spray them twice a week or so.

Buy a plant sprayer like the one below which can be purchased online by simply clicking on the bottle, and fill with tepid water. Set the nozzle to spray a fine mist.

Never add soap or detergent of any type to the water.

Remove the food containers from the cage before spraying. the best time to do this is just before cleaning out the cage because the water will also help to damp down feather dust lying on the tray.

Do not point the nozzle directly at the bird, rather aim slightly higher than its head so that the droplets fall down like rain.

My birds normally love this and even lift their wings for me to spray underneath.

When you first try this though it may take some getting used to, and the bird may be nervous, squawking and moving around its quarters to get away from the water, but this will soon pass and before long it will be waiting to be sprayed.

This will be followed by an intense session of preening, after which the feathers will look immaculate. Just make sure that your birds are not in a draft, especially when wet or they could get sick.

Regular spraying could help to prevent a parrot from plucking its feathers, which can be a particular problem in the case of household pet birds.

Here is another way to encourage your bird to bathe.

What To Do If Your Bird Is Really Dirty

This rarely happens as birds are forever preening and cleaning themselves, but if the bird has been sick as was the case with my Bare Eyed Cockatoo, some intervention may become necessary. You can read about what happened to her here.

When she arrived home from ‘bird hospital’ her tail and wing feathers looked terribly unkempt, due to the fact she now had a bird collar on her and she could not preen her feathers.

Under her tail, there was poop that had collected there due to the antibiotics and they had formed a hard ball that I couldn’t wipe away without hurting her.

So once her foot looked a bit better, I filled a small basin with warm water and let her waddle around in there for a while. Luckily this softened all that poop and it came off after a few minutes leaving all her feathers intact. She resisted me at first, but after a while, I think she really enjoyed her warm bath.

I dried her well with a fluffy towel afterward and she looked a lot better.

So hope that this article has helped you learn how to bathe your bird. Please comment below if you have any questions.