Avian light needed?

[Mybluebird]

Now that winter is coming, the daylight is shorter and we have some days that are overcast either all day or until early afternoon. My baby girl's cage is in front of a large window. She comes alive chirping and jumping around when I open the shutters in the morning for her. Yesterday was overcast most of the day. She ate and drank normally but only got very active for a short period of time. Mostly she perched singing softly all day. Should I get her an avian light for the winter or is this just normal seasonal behavior?

 

[Gribouille]

Windows don't let the necessary UV come through so if your bird isn't actually outside, she'll need an avian light every day she's inside.

 

[Mybluebird]

Ah good to know. Will get her one.

 

[Monica]

The light bulbs do not provide the necessary UV that they require, either... so it is, IMO, a waste of money to spend a lot on a bulb. One bulb can even cause eye damage to birds if placed too close to them within the first several hours of using it.

You can simply get a bulb that has a Kelvin rating of around 5,000 to 5,500 and, if available, a CRI rating of 91 and above. The tube lights are better than the screw in type if you don't mind using shop lights.

 

[Ripshod]

Spend your money on a normal standing lamp and a bright LED bulb (daylight will do the job rather than warm white). It's the light level your birb is responding to, not UV.
Any bright light can cause cataracts, UV lamps more so if used incorrectly.

 

[Mybluebird]

My bird does seem to respond to the light. When I open the shutters covering the window, she starts chirping, jumping around and dancing on her perch. Before I open the shutters, she's quiet - She'll eat and drink but doesn't chirp or jump around. Yesterday was overcast and she wasn't very active even with the shutters open. I know the window glass does filter out most of the UV rays. For overcast days should I put a LED light on her or get one that mimics sunlight with the UV?

 

[Monica]

Just get a daylight bulb/tube and put it on a timer.

My birds have lights and the light is timed to come on after the sun rises and turn off before the sun sets, so they still get the natural dawn/dusk (unless of course it's overcast).

 

[JoJo&Loki]

A couple weeks ago I just got “daylight” led bulbs in my room. Within a couple days I noticed more singing and just general happiness. Its approaching winter here and I just felt they needed “more”.
The important thing is just that the light is bright enough for your birbs awesome vision, which is soooo much better than ours

 

[Lori D Pert]

I just use LED "daylight" bulbs. Strangely enough, even when it's raining and miserable outside (most of the time during winter here) Sam still loves to sit at the window and chatter/sing to the birds outside so it may be that your bird is doing the same. It may not be the daylight she's responding to but the wildlife and just general happenings outside.

 

[itzmered]

I have a light next to tangos cage on a timer. During the summer I don’t bother to use it. I forgot to set it up and came home from work last week and he was sleeping because it is now dark by 5:30 oops time to set plug the light back in.

 

[Gribouille]

I just use LED "daylight" bulbs. Strangely enough, even when it's raining and miserable outside (most of the time during winter here) Sam still loves to sit at the window and chatter/sing to the birds outside so it may be that your bird is doing the same. It may not be the daylight she's responding to but the wildlife and just general happenings outside.

Pichu always sits on his "daytime perch" to watch outside when he gets up. His bed/night perch/brush is on the other side of the cage and he never sits there during the day because it is away from the window. He has an avian lamp on a timer over his daytime perch too.

 

[Ripshod]

As far as the UV goes:
UV-B is needed for the production of natural vitamin D3. If you're feeding pellets or a quality seed blend you'll probably find they are supplemented with D3. No need for UV-B.
UV-A is visible to our birbs and to a degree enhances their vision. Some (including the old me) say that without UV-A our birbs are colourblind. Yet they still get all the visible range, so the lack of UV-A is hardly detrimental at all.
And yes, this comes from someone who has a large full spectrum avian setup.

 

[Gribouille]

complete information here: UV and birds' health

 

[Lady Jane]

Here is a good company with great customer service.

https://breedingcage.com/products/ez-petlight.php

This is the one I bought and had no issues. EZ PetLight™ with ChewGuard™

 

[Mybluebird]

Thanks to all!