Being meteorologically inclined, I am always looking at the latest forecasts for my area. Confidence has been pretty high for the past few days that we are going to experience a heat wave next week. The forecast is calling for temperatures in the 90’s to around 100 F and the humidity is going to make things even more uncomfortable or even dangerous. Heat can put tremendous strain on human and animal bodies… as well as on our power grid, which we often rely on to stay cool. I grew up without air conditioning. I don’t know how I’d live without it now.
Budgies are native to the deserts of western Australia. They are built to survive in that hot, dry climate. (Cedric especially. Month 13 and I still haven’t seen him drink water. Is he descended from camels? Does he store water somehow under his fluff? What’s he hiding under there? Maybe he just drinks at night?)
Budgies can survive in temperatures ranging from about 40 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit, though temperatures at either extreme can put a lot of stress on them if exposure is prolonged. To keep themselves comfortable and healthy, they rely pretty heavily on their feathers. In cold weather, they fluff up their feathers to trap air close to their bodies. This helps to insulate them against the cold. When they get hot, they’ll try and cool themselves down by holding their wings out from their bodies. They will also breathe rapidly and open and close their beaks like they’re panting, which is another cooling mechanism. I’m not sure of the specifics, but it somehow helps increase evaporation.
One of my biggest concerns whenever extreme heat or cold is forecast is keeping the budgies safe and comfortable in the event of a power outage. For whatever reason, power outages have become increasingly common where we live. I like to have a plan before the lights go out.
I know the birds are likely going to be more comfortable than I am in the event of a power outage on a hot day. They like the warm weather and do a great job of keeping themselves comfortable with their feather-conditioning. They still could be at risk of overheating, though, especially Cedric. He was bred to look pretty, not for desert survival.
One thing I plan to do on those hot days is offer a bath or several. Budgies LOVE bathing and the water evaporating off of them will help cool them down. I usually set out a pie plate full of water for baths, but I will sometimes also spray/mist them with water. They don’t all like this. Cedric seems to like it and Cricket… tolerates it. With her limited mobility, she has a harder time bathing these days so she will begrudgingly let me spray her lightly with water. She won’t let me do it for long, though. The rest of the birds fly away from the spray bottle and want nothing to do with it.
Another thing I can do to help keep us all cool is to keep the blinds closed during the day. It’ll be a little dark, but it will keep a lot of the heat out of the house. In the event of a prolonged power outage, I might consider moving the birds to another room. Our lower level is often pretty cool and comfortable compared to the rest of the house in the summer. I’d have to keep the birds locked in since it’s not bird-proof down there, but they wouldn’t overheat.
I know we’ll all get through it. It will be fine, but none of us are looking forward to the extreme heat next week. Hopefully, it will be short lived and we can get back to more comfortable weather soon.
Budgie Adventures! 
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