Discover the secret to getting your pet bird to drink water and keep them happy and healthy
Exotic or not, a bird, like any other pet, needs food and water to survive. She may not drink as much as your dog or cat, but he will occasionally take a sip from a bowl or bottle.
Considering birds have beaks in the place of a mouth and lips, most fill their bills with water, then tilt their head back to send the liquid into their digestive tract.
The movements are pretty apparent and noticeable. If you watch your bird drinking, you will notice her fill the beak in 5 to 10 seconds, followed by a quick tilt backward for a swallow.
Gavity helps push the water down her throat, but birds also have muscles that aid swallowing as all animals.
In birds, these muscles seem to be aided by the bird extending her neck along with the head tilt.
Now…
…it is not always your bird will be willing to drink on its own. You might need to encourage yours, especially if it’s a tiny, hand-raised youngin.
Unclean water is another reason your birds may not want to drink, especially parrots. Ironically, your adorable psittacines are not very good at keeping their water clean, to begin with.
So…to get your plummed baby to drink, first make sure the water is clean. You can add a few drops of honey to entice her or replace the water with an oral electrolyte solution or a diluted sports drink.
For a sickly birdie having a hard time drinking, you can use a syringe or dropper pipette to administer liquids into her beak and gently encourage her to swallow.
Well… too much of that intro chit chat! See more details in the length of this post.
How Do Get Your Pet Bird to Drink Water
As I noted above, there are several ways you can get a bird to drink, depending on the situation.
For instance, the way to get a sickly birdie to drink is not the same way you will help a bird that has an injured beak or one that is yet to trust you.
Positiive reinforcement works best when you have a plummed baby yet to bond with you. Offer her treats every time she drinks as encouragement.
You can also choose to add honey to her water.
As well, note that you might need to actively help your bird bond with you since new members in a home can be pretty nervous and avoid all birdly things while you are looking, including feeding and drinking.
I give my birds fresh water at least twice a day in a clean bowl.
Even so…you need to keep the water clean since most birds won’t drink from a messy bowl. Change the water several times daily, especially if you have messy birds, such as parrots.
Position the water bowl on the cage floor away from perches and other debris areas to reduce the workload of changing the water.
The other thing you may want to do is to place the water bowl where your bird can see and access it. Avoid placing the bowl too high or behind obstacles.
Position it next to the food bowl since most birds dunk their food before eating, which may help them hydrate even if they choose not to drink from the water pot.
If your bird is still not drinking as expected, try feeding her juicy fruits, which contain plenty of liquids to keep her hydrated, while you figure out your next course of action.
How Much Water Should A Bird Drink (+Need)
I do not think you can put a single figure on how much water a bird needs daily, but most birds need clean water at least twice. However, how many times they drink from the pot will vary depending on the environment, species, and diet.
Bigger birds will drink more than smaller birds, and those offered juicy foods like fruits will require less water than parrots raised more on a pellet, seed, or grain diet.
Having said that, 75 percent of a bird’s body is made up of water, and each day, the bird needs to drink enough to make up 5 percent of its body weight to maintain those levels.
Any water the bird losses through excretion, respiration, and evaporation must be replaced. The amount is about 0.5 to 4 ounces of water for a budgie (per day ) and 6 to 10 ounces for an African grey…
…but as you would expect, this will vary depending on the diet, environment, and season.
A conure will consume about 4 ounces and a finch about an ounce daily.
Can Pet Birds Drink from A Bowl
Yes, a bird can drink from a bowl if it is appropriately sized for its size. The bowl needs to be shallow enough for your plummed baby beak to reach the water surface but deep enough to keep her bill from reaching the bowl’s base.
The bowl should also be sturdy and on a stable base to keep it in place even if your bird puts a foot inside, as they often do. You do not want water spilling inside your birdie’s cage.
Now…if you need to choose between a deep and shallow bowl, go with the wide and shallow option since your bird is less likely to fall inside and drown.
A bowl designed like a bird bath is best because your plummed baby can drink and swim in it without running the risk of drowning.
Perhaps…the only disadvantage of water bowls (other than your bird drowning) is the water gets contaminated pretty fast, meaning you have to keep changing it.
Can A Bird Drink from A Water Bottle
Plenty of bird owners are switching from bowls to water bottles for their bird’s drinking needs. So, yes, birds can’t drink from water bottles designed for that purpose specifically.
Bird drinking bottles have an-upper-hand over bowls since they greatly reduce contamination associated with food, droppings, and other types of cage debris.
Arguably, they are also more aesthetically pleasing than bowls, easier to mount, and helpful for bird training.
Bird drinking bottles also come in different sizes and materials, meaning you are not limited of choices.
Well, that all for this post. See you in the next one.
All the best with your plummed baby🦜🐦.