Holiday Safety for Your Companion Bird

Holiday Hazards to Parrots and Softbills - Part Two

With the holidays, out come our favourite decorations. But some seasonal decorations, plants, and gifts can pose hazards to our birds. Fortunately, with a little awareness and planning we can decorate safely and minimize risks to our parrots and softbills.

Here are decorative items to be careful with during the holiday season:

Trees

Use a Safe Tree of one of these types:

  • Pine or Fir with short needles
  • Soft-needled artificial trees (soft as in nylon fabric or flexible plastic needles)

Do not use these unsafe natural and artificial trees:

  • Spruce - very pitchy branches and needles - pitch may get stuck to feathers if your bird decides to play "Partridge in a Pear Tree" for you
  • Artificial trees with metallic needles interspersed with fabric or plastic needles - metallic needles may contain heavy metals and if ingested can cause metal poisoning, gastro-intestinal (GI) tract irritation and the biggest concern - GI tract obstruction

Avoid these trees:

  • Any long needle natural tree such as scotch pine - long needles pose puncture hazard for your tropical and jungle flying friend who may not have the flying or landing dexterity of their free flying mates in the wild.
Household Decorations

Many decorations on the tree and around the house can be hazardous to your inquisitive flying beak.

Here are a few items to be careful with:

Electrical Hazards - Lights and Cords

With the holidays come extra lights. New compact lights are less of a heat source and burn hazard than old style lights but with any lights comes the danger of chewed electrical cords.

Be sure your birds are monitored at all times while out and about in areas with seasonal lighting and exposed extension cords.

Try to hide, cover and conceal extension cords, lighting cords and tree lights from inquisitive beaks

Other Decorations
  • Decorations like angel hair may be made of fibreglass and very dangerous when ingested.
  • Minimize use of spray on snow. If you must use spray on snow on the windows, keep your birds well away while doing so.
  • Many spray on products use Freon as a propellant. Curious birdies may want to taste the white stuff so be very vigilant while your birds are out and have access to spray on decorations.

Glass and metal decorations and lighting on the tree can be very alluring to your pet. But the materials can be unsafe so be sure not to let birds use them as toys.

  • Metal ornaments may contain metals that are harmful if chewed and ingested.
  • Do a thorough cleanup if glass ornaments get broken. The sharp edges on fragments can cause cuts, both internally and externally.
  • Christmas light strings on the tree are another chewing hazard. Be watchful at all times when your bird is out near the tree, or in the tree.
Gifts and Wrapping

Safe Gift Wrap Options

Recycle, reuse…Well two out of three is pretty good. Unprinted newsprint makes a great gift wrap. Some of the best things come in a plain brown wrapper!

Save and reuse gift wrap from different occasions throughout the year as well as saved Christmas wrap from previous years. Focus on non-glossy, non-metallic papers.

Avoid coloured tissue paper which may contain heavy metals. If ingested, the paper may cause metal poisoning, GI tract irritation or GI tract obstruction.

Use small stick on bows. These are very pretty, hang very short ends and pose less of a threat to your curious bird.

Unsafe Gift Wrapping

Avoid coloured metallic gift wrap which may contain heavy metals. Be very careful of long curly ribbon. Many birds love shiny things and my become tangled in long, loose ribbons on packages when trying to see what Santa left under the tree for them.

Plants

This time of year many visitors and guests will present their hosts with a lovely seasonal plant. Be aware of plants that can pose a threat to your companion bird. Play it safe, keep your beloved birdies away from these plants:

  • Poinsettia - the milky substance in the stems can by irritating to the oral cavity, eyes, and gastro-intestinal (GI) tract.
  • Christmas Cactus - oral and GI tract irritant
  • Holly berries - GI tract irritant
  • Mistletoe berries - highly toxic when ingested

The list of hazards may seem long, but plenty of safe options are available, so bird-safe decorating need not put a crimp in your holiday style. Have a great Holiday Season!

View Part One or Part Three.