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Question:

While on the topic of birdie baths, my baby Spike _really_ made my day today. His taking me to shower with him, has become a ritual now! However, while resting on my arm and enjoying an indirect spray of water off my shoulder today, like always, Spike decided to bless me with the prettiest of ‘rain dances’. Wings and tail spread, head bobbing, swaying from one side to the other, nuzzling against my arm, … Boy! what a site it was… I wish I had a camcorder handy. Stayed in the shower till the hot water ran out! The little joys of life… — //Anurag Mehta             //To err is human.

Response:

> A month ago I bought a Pionus Parrot.   (sentences deleted) > Then I got the idea of taking the bird into the shower with me. > We had both gotten used to having him ride my shoulder, so I took > the bird into the shower.  I washed myself first (not easy with birdie > trying to balance itself) and then v e r y  c a r e f u l l y, used       > my hand to direct an indirect spray at the bird.  Boo Boo seemed           > to REALLY enjoy it!  He spread his wings ( I don’t know why ‘zactly, > maybe to get the underside of the feathers and the rest of his body > wet).

I think you’re right about him REALLY enjoying it!  The wing spreading, hanging upside down, etc. would indicate that.  When my birds don’t especially "want" a shower, they just sit there tolerating the whole experience till it’s over. Two of our birds take showers with us by sitting on the bar across the inside of the sliding shower door.  If we didn’t have that bar, I’d rig up some type of rope perch or, if I had a fiberglass shower enclosure (ours in ceramic tile), I’d buy one of those PVC shower perches you see advertised in BT.   I just let him air-dry afterwards, seems to take a couple hours. > I am careful about the temperature of the water and the temperature of the > living room when he’s drying off.

During fall-winter-spring, I help them dry off by using the hair-blow-dryer on them — holding it about 16-18" from them.   > Till he’s completely dry, he seems really pissed off, or defensive or > frightened, lunges and bites if I get too close. > Mad as a wet hen Syndrome? > Once dry, buddies again.

My guess on this is that he wants to be left alone to preen himself.   Oscar, our Mous.P’keet, acts this way, too.   > Anybody else bathe their bird this way?

This is one of our birds’ favorite things to do (usually).  They also LOVE to be sprayed with warm water from a water bottle (I don’t use a water squirt bottle to "discipline" them), and Lory likes to bathe in a bowl in his cage. Jill Minehart

Response:

I definitely agree with "SINGING IN THE RAIN" Pionus style. Godfrey O’Byrd, our white capped, loves showers with me complete with the "Pionus Pant" as he also raves over the spray bottle while I’m vacuuming, a must in his book!  Yet, MacGyver The AFC, wants a sink full of water, since the spray bottle is for "sissies", as he puts it & the shower is definately OUT! Brenda

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: What pionus species is Boo Boo ?  We have a White Capped Pionus named Boo Boo is a White Cap also.  White cap on head, blue & green over body, little red on tail. : BTW Pionus Parrots have a slight odor naturally.  It doesn’t mean they need a : bath but if Hobie is typical, they love baths. I noticed a little birdie smell with Boo Boo. Not offensive, and I’m not real sensitive t to  smell anyway. : Also you may have noticed the "Pionus Pant"  (the weezing sort of sound) they : make when they are excited.  Also quite normal. Sometimes when Boo Boo is on my shoulder, and ESPECIALLY when my girlfriend is around, Boo Boo goes into what you call that Pionus Pant. Thought he wuz having asthma or some birdie equivalent, but seemed fine when the "danger" departed.

Response:

A month ago I bought a Pionus Parrot. I’ve been around parakeets and such before, and a Mynah when I was very young, but haven’t had such a complex beastie as an adult… Of course the bird spends a lot of its time grooming and preening itself but I wondered about giving it a bath.  I first tried putting an old cereal bowl with lukewarm water on top of its cage.  Boo Boo loved playing with the bowl, sipped a little water, that’s all. Then I got the idea of taking the bird into the shower with me. We had both gotten used to having him ride my shoulder, so I took the bird into the shower.  I washed myself first (not easy with birdie trying to balance itself) and then v e r y  c a r e f u l l y, used       my hand to direct an indirect spray at the bird.  Boo Boo seemed           to REALLY enjoy it!  He spread his wings ( I don’t know why ‘zactly, maybe to get the underside of the feathers and the rest of his body wet). I just let him air-dry afterwards, seems to take a couple hours. I am careful about the temperature of the water and the temperature of the living room when he’s drying off. Till he’s completely dry, he seems really pissed off, or defensive or frightened, lunges and bites if I get too close. Mad as a wet hen Syndrome? Once dry, buddies again. Anybody else bathe their bird this way?

Response:

>trying to balance itself) and then v e r y  c a r e f u l l y, used       >my hand to direct an indirect spray at the bird.  Boo Boo seemed           >to REALLY enjoy it!  He spread his wings ( I don’t know why ‘zactly,

I don’t know why they do it either.  I think it may have something to do with the way wild birds outside sort of use their wings to shovel water from puddles onto their backs. >wet). I just let him air-dry afterwards, seems to take a couple hours.

I don’t know where you are from, but it’s winter where we are.  After a shower, our birds get blowdried to >90% dry, including under their wings, between their legs, etc..  In the summer we’d be more lax, drying them to maybe around 75% dry…. >Till he’s completely dry, he seems really pissed off, or defensive or >frightened, lunges and bites if I get too close.

One of our birds is a feather plucker, and really goes into a plucking rampage when his feathers aren’t just right, like if they’re wet or there’s a piece of food stuck to them.  We always blowdry this bird quite well, but we don’t let either of them sit around wet unless we plan to go out in the sun or something. >Anybody else bathe their bird this way?

Sure!  It alleviates the stickiness you get with birds that eat grapes. We bring our birds into the bathroom when we shower, leaving the exhaust fan OFF to let it steam up while we shower.  When we’re done, then it’s the birds’ turn.  We turn the exhaust fan on during blowdrying.  Our vet told us the steam is good for the birds to inhale.  Oh, and REAL MEN shower with two parrots at a time, including one wild-caught!  :) — Kevin Chu, an OS/2 user.

Response:

: Then I got the idea of taking the bird into the shower with me. : Till he’s completely dry, he seems really pissed off, or defensive or : frightened, lunges and bites if I get too close. : Mad as a wet hen Syndrome? : Once dry, buddies again. : Anybody else bathe their bird this way? I have a peach face lovebird, Pippy, who is a bit small for the shower thing.  He used to bathe in a small dish of water, and still does sometimes, but he doesn’t get his back very wet that way.  So now we use the vegetable sprayer attached to our sink.  It’s the perfect small-bird shower.  (I don’t know how expensive they are, but for small birds that really like water it’s well worth it!) Pippy is also very neurotic when he is wet; I think it is because birds’ flight is poorer when their feathers are wet, and as a result, they feel vulnerable.  Pippy now sits to dry himself at the highest point in the room, away from us and the cats. Sarah

Response:

> I don’t know where you are from, but it’s winter where we are.  After > a shower, our birds get blowdried to >90% dry, including under their > wings, between their legs, etc..  In the summer we’d be more lax, > drying them to maybe around 75% dry….

Yep, same thing here.  Only a week or so ago, I was noticing how warm it was getting only to see that the thermometer had climbed to 15 (Farenheit). Marley (my wife’s sun conure) LOVES flapping under a full steam bathtub spigot when the mood hits him (not a shower head – the spigot!).  However, sometimes, I think he is more interested in the blowdrying afterwards.  We start with him on a finger and use low heat.  He eventually climbs up to the shoulder fluffing and flapping all the way.  When he’s had enough (usually around 50-80% dry), he climbs behind my or my wifes neck to get out of the air flow. If we can’t take time to blow dry him, he is quite happy to climb down someones nice warm T-shirt and cuddle till dry – nothing like a cold birdie down the shirt in the early AM to wake you up Company Disclaimer:  "Art Who?"

Response:

: A month ago I bought a Pionus Parrot. I’ve been around parakeets and such : before, and a Mynah when I was very young, but haven’t had such a complex : beastie as an adult… What pionus species is Boo Boo ?  We have a White Capped Pionus named Hobie.  Hobie loves the shower.  I usually take him in the shower with me. I let him perch on the shower curtain rod until I’m done cleaning up and all the soap/shampoo is completly gone.  Then I reach up and  offer Hobie a finger to climb onto.  I lower my hand to about chest lever and with my other hand re-direct the spray to give him a lower intensity soaking.  I rotate and move the hand he is perched on to get him completely soaked.  He also seems to enjoy it and raises his wings and once in a while lets out one of those Pionus megaphone "beeps".   : Of course the bird spends a lot of its time grooming and preening itself : but I wondered about giving it a bath.  I first tried putting an old : cereal bowl with lukewarm water on top of its cage.  Boo Boo loved playing : with the bowl, sipped a little water, that’s all. : Then I got the idea of taking the bird into the shower with me. : BTW Pionus Parrots have a slight odor naturally.  It doesn’t mean they need a bath but if Hobie is typical, they love baths. : wet). I just let him air-dry afterwards, seems to take a couple hours. : I am careful about the temperature of the water and the temperature of the : living room when he’s drying off Unless its really hot and nice outside I blow dry Hobie.  If it’s sunny, I go outside and let him sit on me and dry in the sun. (BTW his wings are clipped and he goes many places outside with us, shopping, our kids school, cub scout outings, for drives in the car and more).   Also you may have noticed the "Pionus Pant"  (the weezing sort of sound) they make when they are excited.  Also quite normal.

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