How to stop budgies/cockatiel from landing in a specific place?

[aurelius]

This is kind of a weird situation and not really safety, but I wasn't sure if it would fit in behavior either...

My birds (2 budgies and 1 cockatiel) live in my small birdproofed room, where my bed is across from the bird cages. Their food gets EVERYWHERE in my room, including on my bed because birds are birds... I got tired of it, so I was considering getting something called a bed tent. It's pretty self explanatory, just a tent that goes on your bed, which would block all the flying pellets and seeds and bird poop from landing on my bed. The only problem I forsee with this is that knowing my budgies, after a few days or weeks of being terrified of the tent, I feel like they will start to land on top of it to play/perch and poop all over the top of it.... Gross. They pretty much get free range of that room during the day - they have pretty big cages, but I still feel like it's good for them to get time to fly around and play outside of their cage most of the time.

The material the tent is made of is very porous and breathable to allow air circulation so it doesn't get too hot in there, and it's dark material so poop stains will definitely show and stick. Putting some kind of towel or thin sheet on top of it will also decrease air circulation and make it stuffy, so I don't really wanna do that either.

Any ideas or tips on how to stop birds from deciding someplace is a great place to sit and poop? Sorry that it's in an odd channel - thanks!!!

 

[expressmailtome]

That would take many hours of training to target them to stay in specific areas. I would instead recommend getting something along the lines of a very large disposable plastic table cloth and throwing it over the tent. They are fairly cheap and can be washed until the y get torn at which point you just buy another one. My local dollar store sells them.

 

[Jin & Pic]

Do you have plenty of other places in the room for them to perch, hangout, play? Like boings, orbiters w/ toys, rope perches, mini java tree type things, playstands, whatever -- places that would be more attractive than the bed tent and keep their focus away from it ?

I realize a cover for the bed tent may make it more stuffy, but a plastic cover or tablecloth type thing would probably not be an appealing surface to your birds (who wants to perch on slick plastic), so that really might be the best way to go, as long as everything about the setup is safe for them, of course.

 

[Fergus Mom]

I'm not sure this would be a good idea or not, but just throwing it out there off the top of my head. A door curtain like streamers - You could put this around the tent and perhaps discourage them from flying past it.

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[Shezbug]

Have you considered just hanging light curtains on a track from the ceiling around your bed? Or even simply throwing a large sheet over your bed that you then remove when the birds are locked in for the night or it is time for you to go to bed?

 

[Aviphile]

This is kind of a weird situation and not really safety, but I wasn't sure if it would fit in behavior either...

My birds (2 budgies and 1 cockatiel) live in my small birdproofed room, where my bed is across from the bird cages. Their food gets EVERYWHERE in my room, including on my bed because birds are birds... I got tired of it, so I was considering getting something called a bed tent. It's pretty self explanatory, just a tent that goes on your bed, which would block all the flying pellets and seeds and bird poop from landing on my bed. The only problem I forsee with this is that knowing my budgies, after a few days or weeks of being terrified of the tent, I feel like they will start to land on top of it to play/perch and poop all over the top of it.... Gross. They pretty much get free range of that room during the day - they have pretty big cages, but I still feel like it's good for them to get time to fly around and play outside of their cage most of the time.

The material the tent is made of is very porous and breathable to allow air circulation so it doesn't get too hot in there, and it's dark material so poop stains will definitely show and stick. Putting some kind of towel or thin sheet on top of it will also decrease air circulation and make it stuffy, so I don't really wanna do that either.

Any ideas or tips on how to stop birds from deciding someplace is a great place to sit and poop? Sorry that it's in an odd channel - thanks!!!

If the cage isn't big you might could get a seed skirt to go around the cage to help keep their food inside the cage without limiting vision. If you or someone else sews you could make your own out of some tulle fabric.

https://www.amazon.com/Dust-Proof-Universal-Birdcage-Accessories-Stretchy/dp/B09KRPKX7Y

https://www.amazon.com/Catcher-Skirt-Cover-Parakeet-Square/dp/B0B6VR26M2

 

[MommyBird]

I wouldn't bother with a tent, just throw a beach towel or sheet over your bed. remove it to sleep or for washing it.

 

[GreenThing]

It's gross, but I just keep a spray bottle of vinegar handy at all times and do a lot more washing than I used to! A good handheld cordless vacuum is also life-changing.

As others have said, making other areas more desirable places to perch is the best bet with small birds. If you get the bed tent you're just going to have to clean the bed tent.

 

[Birdie Mama]

a sheet or even a plastics picnic tablecloth thrown on the bed. I have an old thin blanket or an old sheet, i throw on my bed as my pup insists on sleeping on the bed, then it’s covered in hair. This way I throw it in the wash and put another one on it. Also doubles as bird poop catcher as well when he is in there with me.

just remove when you go to bed.