Bird Safety Essentials: How to Keep Your Bird Alive

by Christina Gravalis, Executive Director/

Cascadia Pigeon Rescue

• Do not race them.

• Do not free fly them.

• Do not put them in a house with predators (cats, dogs, ferrets, etc.) or with parrots or birds that are larger than them. If you already have predator animals AND birds, do NOT have them out around the same time, and make sure bird cages are covered on all sides in 0.5” hardware cloth to prevent cats or rats from getting into them or sticking a paw in and harming the birds.

• Do not keep doves with pigeons; pigeons can kill them.

• Make sure aviaries are truly predator proof. For guidance, refer to Palomacy’s aviary safety standards:

https://www.pigeonrescue.org/birds/creating-an-aviary/

• Wash hands before handling them.

• Do not kiss them. Human saliva contains bacteria—especially gram-negative bacteria—that birds have no immunity to and can cause severe or fatal infections.

• Do not cook while birds are loose in the room; many birds have been burned, boiled, or killed by fumes.

• Keep toxic foods and plants away from them.

• Sanitize hands before touching birds.

• Make sure drugs, medicines, lotions, soaps, sunscreens, and chemicals are completely washed off your hands before handling birds. What goes on their feathers goes in their mouths, and they are extremely sensitive.

• Don’t let them hang out in unclean places like bathtubs, toilets, sinks, or anywhere contaminated.

• Don’t let them touch anything that raw meat or eggs have touched.

• Never use Teflon / PTFE / PFOA / PFAS cookware or appliances near birds; the fumes can kill them instantly and silently.

• Avoid scented products such as candles, wax warmers, plug-ins, incense, essential oils, perfumes, aerosols, and fabric softeners. They can be deadly to birds and cause serious respiratory problems.

• Do not smoke or vape around birds, and avoid exposing them to smoke-saturated clothing or hair. Do not handle your birds after smoking or vaping—wash hands thoroughly first.

• Never run ceiling fans when birds are out. They regularly kill and maim birds.

• Make windows and mirrors visible so birds do not crash into them (put stickers all over them, pull venetian blinds down and leave them open, etc just make sure the bird can see the window).

• Ensure all doors are secure before letting birds out; many escapes occur this way.

• Never leave birds unsupervised around open water (toilets, sinks, buckets, aquariums, mop buckets). They drown quickly and silently. Besides the drowning risk, some of these containers of water are filthy and the germs will absolutely kill the bird.

• Check blankets, laundry, couches, recliners, drawers, and cushions before sitting or closing anything; birds hide and can be crushed.

• Keep electrical cords covered or out of reach to prevent electrocution. This is a huge risk with parrots, who chew on cords (and everything else), and it is worth considering with any type of bird that might chew on things. You will not catch a pigeon or dove chewing on a cord.

• Avoid storing heavy objects above the bird’s play or rest areas, as birds get crushed sometimes. Don’t inadvertently set booby traps for your pets.

• Do not wear shoes indoors in a house with birds. Shoes track in bacteria, mold spores, pesticides, herbicides, rodenticide granules, automotive chemicals, fecal matter from sidewalks, urine, parasites, antifreeze, and countless environmental toxins. Birds walk, sit, and forage on floors, and then preen their feet and feathers—meaning anything on your shoes will end up in their mouths. Even extremely small amounts of these substances can sicken or kill them.

• Never use pesticides, rodenticides, or insect sprays near birds. They can be tracked into the house on your feet and even small amounts can kill birds or make them sick. Do not wear shoes in a house with birds, please!

• Avoid strong cleaning fumes; ventilate the area and wash hands before returning to them.

• Bleach should never be used in a house with birds because it is extremely dangerous to their respiratory and digestive systems. When bleach is used, it releases strong fumes that are highly irritating and corrosive to avian lungs; birds breathe far more efficiently than mammals, so even a short exposure can cause respiratory burns, chemical pneumonia, or death. Bleach also does not simply evaporate and disappear—when it dries, it leaves behind microscopic salt crystals and chemical residue on any surface it touched. Birds walk through these invisible crystals and then preen their feet, which means they ingest the bleach residue. Even very small amounts can damage the mouth, crop, esophagus, or gastrointestinal tract. Bleach also reacts with organic matter such as dirt, droppings, or food residue and produces chloramines, which are even more toxic and can kill a bird in seconds. If bleach comes into contact with ammonia—including the ammonia naturally present in urine—it forms chlorine gas, which is immediately lethal to birds. The residue can linger on flooring, cage bars, bowls, fabric, and other surfaces long after cleaning, and the fumes continue off-gassing in the air. Because of these risks, bleach is never safe to use anywhere that birds live, breathe, or walk.

• Check toys for loose threads, unsafe openings, or metals that could contain zinc or lead.

• Never give birds access to unknown metal items—many contain toxic heavy metals.

• Avoid fabric toys or cage liners with long fibers; these can cause crop impaction if swallowed.

• Provide varied, safe perches to protect foot health.

• Keep the home at a stable, safe temperature; birds chill or overheat easily, especially if sick or stressed.

• Do not use any air fresheners, including those that claim to be “bird-safe”; most are not actually safe.

• Do not house birds in kitchens, garages, or laundry rooms, unless pains are taken to make sure the entire space is specifically safe for birds. The same rules apply here as everywhere else (zero toxic chemicals or cookware are used, temperature stays within a safe range, and birds are contained in a space separate from machinery, spilled gas, chemicals, and sharp tools, etc). I have rehabbed many stringfoot pigeons in my garage, but my garage is temperature-controlled and no vehicles go in and out of it (so no harmful fumes or exhaust or chemicals). The birds were kept in a predator proof enclosure enveloped in all sides in 0.5” hardware cloth and it was a safe, quiet space for them to recover.

• Keep all medications, supplements, and human foods stored securely out of reach.

• Do not let parrots or other chewing birds chew unknown wood; many woods and paints are toxic. You do not need to worry about this with pigeons and doves—you will not catch a pigeon or dove chewing wood.

• Make sure all household plants are verified bird safe.

• Avoid scented laundry products on any fabric the bird will sit or sleep on.

• Use safe heating sources only; avoid unsafe heat lamps. I will make a post about safe vs unsafe heat sources along with a list of links to buy heaters and heating pads that are bird-safe.

• Bug zappers should never be used near birds because they pose both a direct physical danger. Bug zappers can directly injure or kill birds if they fly into or land on the device. The electrical grids are powerful enough to cause severe burns, cardiac arrest, nerve damage, or immediate death, and birds can also become physically trapped in the mesh, resulting in fractures, torn skin, or ripped feathers. Even the loud popping noises from zapping insects can startle birds into dangerous flight. For these reasons, bug zappers should never be used in or near any space where birds live.

• Quarantine new birds for at least 30 days to avoid getting your flock sick by introducing new pathogens.

• Always supervise interactions between birds, even within the same species, when you are first introducing them. I have 8 birds currently and they share a room all day long and sleep in mated pairs in their cages at night. My aviary is peaceful and there are scuffles when the boys play fight from time to time but no real fights or bullying or injuries. They play very nicely together. Yours may not, so be sure that’s all worked out before you close a door on them and leave them alone together! Having more space dedicated to your birds might make them relax a little and get along better, they can get more territorial when space and food are scarce.

• Never allow outdoor time without a predator-proof aviary. Please see Palomacy’s link to how to build an aviary above, it goes over how to predator-proof them.

• Never take them outside without a harness and leash or a secure carrier. Even calm, bonded birds can spook or get lifted by wind and disappear instantly.

• Check aviaries daily for holes, rust, digging, and weak points.

• Use double-door systems whenever possible to prevent escapes.

• Keep birds away from blind cords and thread loops of any kind; these cause strangulation, entanglement, circulation loss, and amputations.

• Wash hands between birds, especially if one is sick or newly rescued.

• Clean bowls and feeding tools daily. Not doing so can make your birds sick.

• Do not rapidly change diets; transitions must be gradual.

• Do not overuse supplements like calcium; overdoses can be dangerous and overdoing calcium over time can lead to kidney stones and other issues.

• Be extremely careful with heat lamps—burns and fires are common.

• Learn basic emergency care (warmth, safe handling, fluids when appropriate).

• Establish a relationship with an excellent avian vet BEFORE emergencies occur.

• Avoid dangerous home remedies or unverified online advice. I have seen people maim or kill their birds time and time again following advice from randoms, or even advice from a non-avian vet. Please get you medical advice from a qualified wildlife rehabber with a lot of pigeon expertise or a highly qualified avian veterinarian or you risk injuring/killing your bird or making it sicker.

• If a bird stops eating or drinking, treat it as an emergency.

• If a bird is struggling to breathe, clicking, tail-bobbing, or open-mouth breathing, it is an emergency.

• If a bird has neurological symptoms—stargazing, spinning, falling, circling, or inability to stand—treat it as an emergency.

• Prepare for disasters with carriers, extra food, and safe heat sources. ESPECIALLY if you have many birds, have detailed plans for fires and any other natural disasters that are possible in your area and do drills at least once a year. Make sure any other adults or teenagers that live in the home are aware of these plans and can execute them in case of an emergency.

• Leave nothing around birds that is small enough to eat if you don’t want them eating it. If medications or supplements spill, or if small screws, metal nuts, beads, earrings, buttons, plastic pieces, or any tiny object is within reach, birds may eat it. Foreign-object ingestion can be fatal, and at minimum will require emergency x-rays and possibly surgery. You must be extremely vigilant and aware of what is accessible to them at all times.