Potential Hazards for your Bird

PTFE and/or PFOA (E.g. Teflon)

• Birds are susceptible to PTFE toxicosis from overheated cookware or microwavable items that are heated at a high enough temperature to release toxic fumes into the air.

• Common items with PTFE and/or PFOA are non-stick pans, cake tins, air fryers, microwavable popcorn bag linings, some heaters and hair dryers.

• Ensure your kitchen is well-ventilated and that any PTFE & PFOA items are never left to burn or used at an extreme heat.

• Some owners opt to use their air fryers outside and change their cookware to stainless steel or cast iron.

Candles, Essential Oils and Aerosols

• The fumes from candles, diffusers, air fresheners, deodorant, hairspray, and other aerosols can irritate your bird’s respiratory system and cause damage to them.

Humans & Our Homes

• Bird’s love to fly or walk around, which means they can hurt themselves easily if they meet something they are not expecting, such as –

  • Ceiling fans

  • Windows

  • Wheels on chairs

  • Other domestic animals

  • Hot water on the stove

  • Toilets or sinks

  • Human’s feet

  • Particle board furniture (the glues used can potentially be toxic, don’t let your birds chew on your furniture, and walls)

  • Human medication (such as tablets left on counters)

• Before letting your bird roam free, make sure all hazards are taken care of and all humans are aware that the bird is having some out of cage time. Close windows, lock up pets, close the toilet lid and do not let your bird in the kitchen if someone is cooking.

Heavy Metals

• We often see birds in our clinic with lead or zinc heavy metal poisoning. Here are some common household items you should avoid with your bird –

  • Lead paint

  • Galvanised wire (this can be on shop sold cages as well)

  • Batteries

  • Electrical leads (Remember parrots love to chew)

  • Nails, screws, and other hardware

  • Some metal bird toys such as bells and balls

Insect baits

• Insect baits such as stick fly traps, rat bait, cockroach houses or ant traps can cause serious damage to your bird if they fly into the glue or ingest the poison. Ensure any insect preventatives are placed in ways that your bird has no way of getting to.

Household plants

• Although our birds thrive in nature and love to eat different plants, there are some plants that are toxic for them. Some common toxic plants are – lilies or Azaleas. Ensure your birds are kept away from any pesticides or fertilised soil as well, for those toxins should not be ingested.

Common Items sold for Birds

• Happy huts and rope toys are often sold in store for birds, they look comfortable, colourful, and fun to play with. However, the materials used are easily ingested by birds – but unfortunately not easily digested. Vets often see crop blockages from birds chewing and swallowing fibres from happy huts, rope perches and rope toys.

• Dowel and sandpaper perches often come with cages or are sold for birds. These perches are not good for your bird’s foot health as their delicate skin can form sores which can lead to a disease called Bumblefoot. These should be discarded for natural wood perches with a range of sizes appropriate for your species of bird.

• Bells and mirrors are popular toys sold for enrichment in the parrot world. The main two reasons these should be used with caution is that mirrors can cause behavioural issues in birds, as some will believe the reflection is a new bird and may become territorial, and hormonal. Bells should also be examined to ensure they do not contain any zinc and is purely stainless steel or aluminium.