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Are Humidifiers Safe for Budgies?

Finding the right humidifier can keep a budgie’s skin and respiratory organs healthy. Humidifiers are safe for budgies, as long as they aren’t kept inside or too close to the cage.

The inside of a humidifier should be cleaned regularly to prevent mold buildup. When sprayed into the air, mold can expose a budgie to a respiratory infection called aspergillosis.

What is a Humidifier?

A humidifier is a device that emits water vapor into the surrounding area to add moisture to the air and raise humidity levels. Humidifiers are useful in cold and dry regions, where humidity levels are low.

While humidifiers come in various shapes and sizes, they all moisturize the surrounding air and prevent any complications that may result from dry air.

Parrots can benefit because most species are endemic to warm and humid regions. Consequently, getting a good humidifier for your budgie can keep its skin hydrated and healthy during the dry season.

Do Budgies Need Humidity?

Humidity is important for budgie health for two main reasons, which are:

Skin and Feather Health

Underneath their colorful feathers, budgies have sensitive skin that requires proper care. When a budgie’s skin gets too dry, it can cause irritation and itching, which is not only uncomfortable and stressful.

Usually, budgies with dehydrated skin will scratch themselves aggressively and pull out their feathers. This causes significant damage to the budgie’s plumage and leaves its skin exposed, which increases the risk of injuries and infections.

If you notice your budgie is suddenly plucking its feathers, you should get a good humidifier to rehydrate and soothe its skin.

Respiratory Health

Optimal humidity is crucial for the respiratory health and lung function of budgies. Like most bird species, budgies have a highly sensitive respiratory system.

So, if their air sacs and lungs become too dry due to low levels of humidity in the air, they’ll become susceptible to respiratory infections. These can cause breathing difficulties and discomfort.

What is the Optimal Humidity for Budgies?

Budgies require humidity levels of 50-80%. Not only is humidity important for feather and skin health, but Physiological Biochemical Zoology has shown that humidity is vital for thermoregulation in birds.

While the right humidity level is easier to achieve during warm weather, you’ll likely need a humidifier to maintain the optimal humidity levels for your budgie during cold and dry seasons.

Choosing The Right Humidifier For Your Budgie

As mentioned, there are humidifiers that serve different purposes. However, they’re all useful for raising humidity levels in the air.

With that said, not all humidifiers are healthy and safe for budgies. So, you need to scrutinize them before using them around your pet.

Here are some factors to consider when buying the ideal humidifier for your budgie:

are humidifiers good for budgies?

Humidifier Type

Humidifiers come in 2 main types, which are as follows:

Cool-Mist Humidifiers

Cool-mist humidifiers emit a cooler mist of water vapor to cool or humidify the environment.

Since these humidifiers give off cold air rather than hot or warm air, they can be used to soothe scorched injuries. While cool-mist humidifiers are ideal for use during the summer, they aren’t very effective at hydrating the air and may not be appropriate for cold weather.

Warm-Mist Humidifiers

A warm-mist humidifier releases warm air into the surrounding area.

While the heated air emitted by a warm-mist humidifier may cause scorching accidents, avian vets generally prefer this type to a cool-mist humidifier.

The warm mist can eradicate molds and fungi that may develop due to excessive humidity levels.

Capacity

The capacity of a humidifier determines how long it can run. Humidifiers with small tanks typically run for shorter periods.

So, if you want your humidifier to operate for extended periods, you should pick one with a larger tank. However, the downside to a large humidifier is that it takes up more space.

Safety

Budgies have extremely delicate respiratory systems. So, any strong scents, fragrances, or compounds in the air can irritate and upset the respiratory system of your budgie.

Avoid using humidifiers that contain Teflon, which is a compound that is commonly used to coat:

  • Non-stick cookware
  • Wire and cable coatings
  • Fabric and carpet protectors
  • Waterproof fabrics

While Teflon is considered a safe and stable compound, when heated under high temperatures, it releases toxic chemicals into the air.

Inhaling Teflon fumes can cause respiratory illness and irritation to the lungs and respiratory tract. Also, Teflon exposure is thought to be a risk factor for certain types of cancer.

Avoid using essential oils and any other strong fragrances in a humidifier, as their strong scents can be too overwhelming for a budgie’s sensitive respiratory system.

Noise Rating

Budgies need a peaceful and quiet environment to sleep.

Any loud noises in your bird’s environment can disrupt its sleeping patterns and increase its stress levels. Prolonged noise exposure will cause your budgie to become restless, anxious, and grumpy.

Opt for humidifiers that run silently since these won’t make loud noises that can interfere with a budgie’s sleep. Fortunately, most electric humidifiers come with a quiet mode setting.

There are also ultrasonic humidifiers that make very high-frequency noises that are inaudible to birds.

Ease of Cleaning

The ideal humidifier should be so simple to clean that you don’t have to exert much effort to maintain it. Failing to clean your humidifier exposes it to harmful bacteria and mold that can cause aspergillosis.

Are Humidifiers Good for Budgies?

While budgies don’t necessarily need humidifiers to live happy and healthy lives, they can benefit from them under certain circumstances.

As highlighted, budgies require 50-80% humidity levels to remain healthy. When the humidity levels drop below optimal, budgies are likely to develop health problems, such as itchy skin, dry skin, or respiratory difficulties.

Getting a good humidifier keeps your budgie’s skin hydrated and prevents its lungs from drying up, particularly during cold and dry weather. 

Likewise, a humidifier removes harmful pathogens from the environment, thus ensuring the air in your budgie’s environment is clean and safe.