Please Note: Christmas Tree Hazards and Safety

[lotus15]

This recently came up on another forum and I figured I should post it here as well. A note on Christmas Trees and our parrots-- it is NOT a good idea to let them hang out in them as they can be toxic to parrots.

http://birds.about.com/od/livingwith...-Pet-Birds.htm says

Certain varieties of live evergreens have been known to cause problems in some parrot species, so it is better to play it safe than be sorry and opt for an artificial tree if you own pet birds. Even then, care must be taken to make sure that your bird isn't allowed access to any Christmas tree -- the shiny decorations invite curious beaks and can cause choking hazards, delicate glass lights can be bitten off posing a risk of cuts, toxins, and electrocution, or bits of artificial fibers can be ingested causing all manner of health problems for a bird.

How to Keep Your Pet Bird Safe | eHow.com says

Christmas trees (both live and artificial) and their decorations, as well as a variety of other house plants can be poisonous to your avian friend.

Somebody pointed out that these links only say that certain species are safe/unsafe and that ehow.com isn't a credible source anyway, which is true. Regardless of species, however, a natural pine tree is still unsafe-- even if it is a safe species-- because of all of the bark, sap, leaves, etc. Here's another quote on the safety of pine from a more trusted source, Bird; Birds: Safe, Toxic Trees, Woods. Safe Tree Wood. Parrots. Parrot cages. :

When we listed pine above, that meant as perch wood which this page is geared for. Also be certain that the pine for bird perches is dry pine that aged for as much as a year or two. Otherwise the pitch in the pine will be an awful thing for bird feathers.

Then of course there's the fact that most Christmas trees are sprayed with pesticides and fertilizers and whatnot. It's just a good idea to keep your parrots away from them

 

[Love My Zons]

Great info to pass along. Since having our Amazons, we have not done a real tree since. I just cannot envision a large Amazon flapping around breaking everything onto the floor.

Secondly, I hate that so many trees are cut down and tossed out each year. I'd opt for one ball and roots that would be the only way I'd do one if I could fill my backyard with them for my wild birds.

Other than that, the fake 3 ft tree goes up until I decide if I want a larger one!

 

[Kathy]

No real trees here.

 

[Nikki]

Great info, Coco!

We have a fake tree and I don't let my birds around it...Who knows what the tree and ornaments are made out of and I'm not going to let them find out.

 

[GG.]

great info Coco - thanks!

 

[birdlvr466]

Great info and Claire I agree with you..what a waste to cut down a tree for Christmas unless it could be replanted.

 

[lotus15]

I know this is a very old thread, but I thought it would be useful to bump it up for this time of year.

 

[gibsongrrrl]

I haven't had a tree since I got birds but I did find an organic/pesticide free tree farm that has Douglas Firs, which are bird safe, so we decided to get one and hopefully use the wood to make a bird tree and/or perches. Has anyone tried that before?

 

[VictoriaVague]

Thanks for sharing. Fake all the way here.

 

[lotus15]

I haven't had a tree since I got birds but I did find an organic/pesticide free tree farm that has Douglas Firs, which are bird safe, so we decided to get one and hopefully use the wood to make a bird tree and/or perches. Has anyone tried that before?

I think there would still be some issues, at least from one of the links above. It says: "When we listed pine above, that meant as perch wood which this page is geared for. Also be certain that the pine for bird perches is dry pine that aged for as much as a year or two. Otherwise the pitch in the pine will be an awful thing for bird feathers."
I'm not sure if that applies to Fir as well though. But I would definitely make sure to dry it properly first.

 

[Saemma]

Awesome info to know.

 

[FidFlock]

We do a real tree, but the birds are all the way across the house and have no contact with them whatsoever. Plus, it's part of our winter routine to move the birds away from the cold and into the warmest room anyway.

There's a reason we do a live tree. When we take our tree down, we put it outside and decorate it with popcorn and peanut butter ornaments for the wild birds

 

[lotus15]

There's a reason we do a live tree. When we take our tree down, we put it outside and decorate it with popcorn and peanut butter ornaments for the wild birds

What a great idea!!!

 

[Archiesmom]

I've always had a real Christmas tree in my home growing up. Our friend owns a tree farm, and we pick one out from him every year. We also support his "For every 1 tree cut, I plant 2 more" philosophy. I think that with careful moderation (IE- don't allow your bird to be in the tree unmonitored or even for a length of time--you know how curious they can be!), a real tree is safe. However, this year we have opted not to get -any- tree, because currently Akira is out in the main area of the living room which is where we would have it. She can be pretty crafty and finds ways out of her cage too easily for me to feel comfortable having it at this point and time.

I'm hoping next year to be more settled into this place, and have located a safer spot for the tree

 

[FidFlock]

What a great idea!!!

Yeah, we call it our '2nd Christmas'. It's a way to give back to the forest and our wild friends

 

[Clueless]

Real tree here . . . but my two Amazons aren't allowed in it.