Lighting for Birds

[Lady Jane]

So is this something I should put on my worry list?

 

[Mizzely]

Now these studies are done on smaller birds, trying to find parrot stuff

Why You Can’t Take a Pigeon to the Movies | Psychology Today

Ultra-Rapid Vision in Birds

Small birds' vision: Not so sharp but superfast -- ScienceDaily

Golden Gate Audubon SocietyHow fast can birds see? - Golden Gate Audubon Society

 

[Mizzely]

So is this something I should put on my worry list?

The problem is that essentially ALL electrical lights are going to cause flicker.

What invisible flicker do different types of light bulbs have? - Physics Stack Exchange

So to worry about it is to avoid using electricity....I don't know that that is feasible for most people!

ETA: Or only supply DC power to lights.

 

[soleaux]

If you have access to a window in your bird room, natural lighting is your best bet. I try to minimize the amount of artificial light they’re exposed to by leaving the lights off in the bird room all the time (fortunate to have really large windows) but, this obviously isn’t completely possible when they come out in the evenings.

 

[faislaq]

We make sure our guys' pellets have D3 and we use 2 kinds of bulbs, a regular and a full-spectrum just because one is too glaring and the other seems yellow by comparison. We also open the blinds during the day to let some natural light in, so now I'm hoping that makes the flickering less noticeable. Also, would the multiple sources flicker at the same time?

I wonder if there's any kind of converter that the lamps could be plugged into to make the current direct instead of alternating. And if so, could you still use the same lamps?

 

[soleaux]

We make sure our guys' pellets have D3 and we use 2 kinds of bulbs, a regular and a full-spectrum just because one is too glaring and the other seems yellow by comparison. We also open the blinds during the day to let some natural light in, so now I'm hoping that makes the flickering less noticeable. Also, would the multiple sources flicker at the same time?

I wonder if there's any kind of converter that the lamps could be plugged into to make the current direct instead of alternating. And if so, could you still use the same lamps?

Multiple sources would all flicker in tandem, since it’s the source of electricity and how it’s supplied that causes the flickering, and not the lightbulb itself. So it wouldn’t be like.. a crazy mish mash of different strobe light flashes, but I suppose a more pronounced single one

My initial feeling is that there isn’t a converter unless it lets the current build up or charge or something.. a DC would need to be a change at the source. But if there was one, you could use the same lamp. Will do some research and see what I can find...

Edit: @faislaq i found this Alternating Current vs. Direct Current - DecksDirect and it looks like there’s some sort of transformer but you have to change your electrical wiring setup. Most other pages were so jargony, makes my head spin!

 

[Mizzely]

Multiple sources would all flicker in tandem, since it’s the source of electricity and how it’s supplied that causes the flickering, and not the lightbulb itself. So it wouldn’t be like.. a crazy mish mash of different strobe light flashes, but I suppose a more pronounced single one

My initial feeling is that there isn’t a converter unless it lets the current build up or charge or something.. a DC would need to be a change at the source. But if there was one, you could use the same lamp. Will do some research and see what I can find...

My understanding is that fluorescents flicker slower (120 times per second) than an LED bulb (which I have seen listed as "low" as 400 times per second)

Which lamp will be optimum to eye? Incandescent, fluorescent or LED etc

The Scientific Reason You Don't Like LED Bulbs—and the Simple Way to Fix Them - Scientific American

 

[soleaux]

My understanding is that fluorescents flicker slower (120 times per second) than an LED bulb (which I have seen listed as "low" as 400 times per second)

Which lamp will be optimum to eye? Incandescent, fluorescent or LED etc

The Scientific Reason You Don't Like LED Bulbs—and the Simple Way to Fix Them - Scientific American

You are totally right!!

Along that vein, looks like there are DC and AC lightbulbs too. I keep seeing contradictory information, like if the bulb is mismatched to the current type it won’t work properly, but then some articles say that it works — just is converted to a different type. Confusing

 

[Mizzely]

No one told me when I got birds I would have to learn about electricity

 

[faislaq]

No one told me when I got birds I would have to learn about electricity

... or carpentry, or psychology, or become a master chef!
:hammer: . . . . . . .

. . . . . . .

 

[Brittany0208]

... or carpentry, or psychology, or become a master chef!
:hammer: . . . . . . .

. . . . . . .

And biology and pharmacy

 

[pawanranta]

Modern LED lights don't flicker but do confirm the CRI numbers before buying.