Birds need to be bathed. Plain and simple. It is necessary for their mental, and physical health, and also cuts down on the amount of dust and dander they scatter about your home. First we'll cover the physical benefits. Birds have sensitive skin. Bathing your bird moisturizes the skin, as well as rises off any buildup of dust, or debris that might cause irritation. Your macaw is native to south america...think Rain Forest. A place where the humidity is the highest on the planet, and it rains all the time. Yellow Collared Macaws are meant to be in a wet, humid environment...at least part of the time. It is a great disservice to your bird to deprive it of a bath...they should be given the opportunity to bathe AT LEAST every other day...I prefer to bathe Alex everyday, however, as well as purchasing a humidifier for the bird's area. This is also beneficial to their respiratory system, which is often dried and chapped, due to the dry conditions found in most homes. Now if you live in select parts of the world, say...Florida, SOUTH AMERICA, LOL, you don't have quite as much to worry about, but for the rest of us, humidity plays an important role in the health of your bird. Ever notice your bird sneezing more than usual in the dry months? A humidifier and a daily bath can alleviate the dry nasal passages that cause that discomfort. Just one more responsibility you have once you become a "parront".

Now the mental benefits of daily bathing. Bathing is a great stress reliever for your bird, just as it is for you. Most birds do one of two things while bathing, either sit very still, eyes closed, and enjoy the bath, or most birds....go CRAZY :) They flap thier wings, thrash about, yell, get excited, dive through the water...its a great way to relieve tension and built up energy. Many birds who have developed severe problems, like feather plucking or self-mutilation, can be greatly helped by a daily bath. I have seen birds go from completely bald, to like new, just after the addition of a daily soaking to their normal routine. Bathing is very important to your bird...So lets look at a few of the best ways to go about it.


There are several different ways to go about bathing your bird. Many people just place their bird next to a bowl of water and let the bird go to work. Alex and I have developed a few more interesting ways to go about things. Not all birds will appreciate all methods of bathing, but these are a few ideas for you to try with your featherd friend to keep things interesting. First of all is the basic misting. Grab a squirt bottle, one that you are CERTAIN has never been contaminate with harmful chemicals, anything with perfume or oily consistancy. Really its best to go buy a squirt bottle specifically for this purpose...they're about $1.00 at Wal-Mart. In this exercize you park the bird somewhere, either your other hand or on a perch, and squirt away. Most birds LOVE this method. They'll raise their wings, flap about, and have a great time. Some birds hate this, usually because they've been mistreated in some manner involving the squirting of water as punishment. NEVER NEVER NEVER squirt water at your bird as a punishment. This is both cruel and distasteful, and it doesn't work. The only thing you will accomplish is ruining an otherwise enjoyable activity and turning it into something traumatic. It is unfair to make your bird afriad of taking a bath. Back to the topic at hand. Spraying with a mist bottle is a great way to bathe your bird.

Another fun way to bathe your bird is the "soaking" method. This is illustrated in the photos above with Alex sitting in the bath tub. You have to be very careful when trying this method....one that you don't frighten your bird, and two that you don't get the water too deep and cause your bird to aspirate (breathe in) water. You can use your hand to splash about, getting your bird utterly soaked. You can incorporate the squirt bottle, use your imagination...as long as your bird enjoys himself. In the warm summer months Alex and I go outside for a romp in the hose, which also involves cleaning his cage, and all his perches. Basically I put the hose on the shower setting, set Alex's cage outside, and leave him in it. Then go to town showering down everything. Alex ADORES bathing in the hose. Buy a nozzle with several settings and experiment. The one I found has a great mist setting that is quite relaxing, and the shower setting is always a favorite. Be very careful whenever taking your bird outside. It has to be at least 75 degrees farenheit before you can bathe your bird outside. Make sure your bird's wings are clipped, to prevent a devastating incident. Always use extra caution when taking your bird outside! Anyhow...some birds like to bathe in the kitchen sink being sprayed by the squirt nozzle used to rinse the dishes. Or roming through the sprinklers...Again, use your imagination, your bird will love you for it.