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Do you cover your bird’s cage at night? Has your bird ever had a night fright?

Read below to learn more about how to avoid frequent night frights about what to have in your home to prevent them.

The first time I spoke to my avian vet about covering cages, he said that the “old way” of having a bird was to always cover the cage at night. However, this has been debunked after the last 20 or 30 years of avian research and there is NO NEED to cover the cage. Most people were told that covering the bird’s cage was to provide it with “warmth” (which was something I thought as a child who grew up with pet birds).

My Avian Vet explained it like this to me (which I will always remember): Covering your bird’s cage for warmth is like sleeping in your own bed at night, getting cold, and wanting a blanket. But the blanket to keep you warm is suspended 6 feet in the air above you, and not touching you. Is this helpful? No. Covering the cage for darkness only hinders the bird from seeing and maneuvering in its cage. Birds have poor eyesight and startle easily. Covering the cage is NOT necessary, and (potentially) harmful.

All [parrots] should have a nightlight near their cage to prevent “night panic” or “night fright”.
This sudden flailing of the wings at night with subsequent injury was believed to be caused by a loss of the
bird’s “foot-locking” ability during sleep, causing them to fall off their perch at night. The flailing results from
presumed “predation” in the dark with an attempt to fly up to safety. Covering the cage and improper perch
diameter will amplify this problem since the bird cannot get its grip or bearing as quickly so it is recommended
to NOT cover any bird cages and have a perch circumference that bird’s foot can reach 65-75% around.

“Cockatiel Syndromes and Concerns”, written by Dr. Nemetz, The Bird Clinic

How Do Parrots Sleep? Why Don’t They Fall Off their Perch?

Powered by tendons, the feet of grasping birds (think perching birds and raptors) have a pair of them in the back, flexor digitorum longus and flexor halluciss longus, which are connected to deep flexor muscles in the leg. The digitorum branches and works the three toes in the front, while the hallucis works the back toe, known as the hallux. Both stretch over the ankle, and when the bird lands and the ankle bends, this forces both tendons to automatically pull, thus clenching the toes closed. As long as the ankle is bent, the tendons and toes are locked into place. For perching birds, this results in a dependable grip that lasts even when sleeping.

“HOW BIRDS GRIP THINGS WHEN THEY SLEEP”, by Today I Found Out

What is a Night Fright?

Cockatiels are especially vulnerable to episodes of night frights. But it does happen with other species. Cockatiels are ground feeders and, in the ​wild, they’ve had to develop some wickedly quick escape routines. It’s a fairly dangerous thing to feed on the ground due to predators looking for a snack. So they have developed whip-fast responses to any potential threat by wildly flapping and flying for a quick escape. They travel in flocks and look out for each other and are all sentries for the entire flock’s welfare. If one perceives a threat, the entire flock will escape the area in a flash by flying out rapidly. 

Parrots are prey animals and use these instincts to escape any perceived threat. However a bird in a cage and covered cannot escape. If she flies up, she’s going to hit the ceiling of the cage. These episodes aren’t fun and can be potentially dangerous. 

There are many potential causes of a night fright, but here are some of the most common ones:

• Sudden outside noises (fireworks, car alarm, trash truck, dog barking, etc.)
• Gust of air
• Shimmer of light (such as a sunlight reflection on glass windows, car headlights, etc.)
• Vibrations (natural ones like earthquakes, or mechanical ones like from power tools)
• Noises in the home (children crying/screaming, barking dogs, kitchen sounds, renovations, etc.)
• Others not listed here

What Can I Do to Prevent Night Frights from Happening?

Some of the easiest things you can do to prevent night frights are:

• Never use a cage cover at night (unless specifically instructed to do so from an Avian Vet for medical reasons)
• Get a night light that has a sensor and position it as close to the cage as possible (here’s the one I currently use with my own birds from Amazon)
• Limit the amount of windows near the bird cage, or use a curtain to deter light from coming in from outside to avoid startles
• Stay home with your bird during holidays where there would be celebratory fireworks, such as United States Independence Day, or at local events, and theme parks (such as nightly displays from Disneyland)
• Have a bird first aid kit available on hand, including styptic powder for blood clotting help, and a homemade hospital box or bird carrier for emergency housing use to prevent further injury

What Do I Do Once a Night Fright Has Happened?

1. Stay calm- this will help your bird stay calm
2. Your bird has limited eyesight at night (in the dark), so allow them a moment to adjust by turning on a nearby light (use a dimmed light, NO super bright lights or your phone flash light)
3. DO NOT take your bird immediately out of his/her cage after the night fright
4. Talk softly and calmly to your bird following the night fright while they remain in their cage
5. Once settled and soothed, now take your bird out of the cage (if injuries are suspected)
6. Assess them for blood loss, wing/hip/tail feather or joint injuries
7. Use a carrier or hospital box if needed to transport them to an overnight/emergency vet (be sure to have these phone numbers, operational hours, and addresses on hand- ask your avian vet for recommendations)
8. Turn the light(s) off, place your bird back in the cage, and allow them time to get back to sleep

Unfortunately, we can’t prevent 100% of the night frights that our birds may suffer from, but we can do things to prevent them from happening. I hope this blog article has been helpful!