Just like human beings, birds need sleep to rest and regain the energy lost during the day. Getting enough good sleep is essential, and there should be few to no disturbances during the night. Most people keep their birdcages in the living room, where there is a lot of human activity.
So, can birds sleep with the TV on? Most birds prefer to sleep in total darkness; therefore, the TV’s light will keep them awake. The noise will also keep them up because birds like to sleep in a quiet environment. Thus, when you watch TV late into the night, you might be affecting your bird’s sleep. In the wild, most birds sleep at sundown and wake up at sunrise. In captivity, you have to develop a daylight cycle for your bird. The light coming from the TV might disrupt the daylight cycle and keep your bird awake for more hours.
When taking care of your bird, you have to ensure that your bird gets enough sleep. Without enough sleep, your bird will be grumpy and exhausted. Read on to find out if birds can see TV screens, if the TV is bad for birds, and if birds can sleep with lights on.
Can Birds See TV Screens?
Most people keep the cages of their birds in the living room where their TV is. When watching your favorite TV show, you might notice your birds keenly staring at the TV screen.
Birds can see the images on your TV and can identify what they are. Birds have better eyesight than human beings, and they can see more colors than us. Therefore, when your bird is staring at the TV screen, they see more than you see. They could be fascinated by the images projected on the TV screen.
Your bird could be staring at the TV, but you might be wondering if they are enjoying the show. You can tell your bird enjoys watching the TV if it is pinned on it for a long time. Pinning is common in birds such as parrots.
Pinning can mean a lot of things. It could mean that your bird is angry, frightened, or happy. If your bird is pinned on the TV for a long time, it could mean they are happy watching the images move on the screen.
Another sign that your bird is enjoying watching TV is talking or chirping along with the TV. Birds that can mimic human voices will try to talk with the TV, and if they do so, they are probably enjoying watching TV. Some will even learn new words from the TV. Also, if birds are uncomfortable, they will make a lot of noise and move around a lot. Therefore, if your bird is relaxed while staring at the TV, they are enjoying it.
Most social birds will watch TV with you because they want to spend time with you. If your bird is awake when you start watching TV, it will sit close to you and watch too. If your bird enjoys TV, you can live it on when you leave for work or school. Keep in mind that intelligent birds like parrots will learn from TV shows and will repeat some of the words they hear. You do not want your birds saying curse words when you have guests at your house.
Birds can also benefit from watching TV, especially if the show is about other birds. Researchers conducted an experiment that showed most birds would learn valuable lessons when watching other birds.
The researchers showed Blue Tit birds, a television show about other Blue Tit birds disgusted after eating toxic foods. The birds watching the other birds on TV learned that the foods on the TV were toxic and avoided them. If you pick the correct program, maybe your bird may learn something valuable.
Here is a table of birds that shows birds that enjoy watching television and those that do not:
| BIRD | POSSIBILITY OF WATCHING TV |
| Finch | Yes |
| African Grey | Yes |
| Parrot | Yes |
| Parakeet | Yes |
| Cockatiel | Yes |
| Canary | No |
| Budgie | Yes |
| Conure | Yes |
| Dove | No |
Is TV Bad for Birds?
There are many fun activities you can do with your bird and watching TV may be one of them. As you spend time with your bird watching TV, you might wonder if the television might be bad for your bird.
Television is not bad for birds. TV can be used as a source of entertainment and education for your bird. However, not all birds enjoy watching TV, and some will become cranky whenever you switch on your television. Some birds are cranky when the television is on, and It could be the numerous colors that they can see. Birds have better eyesight than human beings. When watching TV, you might be seeing one color, but your birds might be seeing several colors. The moving images with numerous colors might make your bird uncomfortable.
Just like human beings, some birds can learn bad behaviors from television. Some intelligent birds such as parrots and parakeets can learn new words from television. Many television shows have foul language, and if you let your parrot or parakeet watch those programs, your bird might start saying bad words. Make sure you select family-friendly programs for your bird to watch.
Since birds can recognize the images on your TV, you also have to select programs without violence or predators. Suppose you are showing your bird a TV show with birds on it. All you need to do is ensure that there is no violence against the birds. Your bird might also become scared if they see a predator on TV, such as a snake. Birds cannot tell that the snake is not real. They think that the snake is in the room with them and will start to make noise.
You should also avoid watching TV late into the night. Most birds like to sleep in dark and quiet places, and your TV light and noise will keep them awake. Unlike human beings, birds sleep for long hours and need up to 12 hours of sleep, less sleep, and your bird will get stress. If you must watch television late at night, take your bird’s cage to another dark and quiet room.
Can Birds Sleep with Lights On?
Like human beings, birds need sleep to recover energy lost during the day and repair damaged tissues. To get good sleep, you have to provide your bird with the best environment. Many outside factors can affect the sleeping habits of your bird.
Birds prefer to sleep in dark and quiet areas. Keeping the lights on might affect your bird’s sleeping habits causing health complications. All pet birds should have a day and light cycle, where you turn on the lights during the day and turn off the lights during the night. Make sure you turn off all the light sources near your bird’s enclosure. Your bird might appear resting, but actually, it has not fallen into a deep sleep because it is still aware of its surroundings.
When the lights stay on, your bird will have a disrupted sleeping pattern, which will lead to stress. A sleep-deprived bird will be cranky, aggressive, loud, and will start picking its feathers. Sleep deprivation can also lead to health complications because of a weakened immune system. Your bird will become lethargic and will start to lose weight. Eventually, it will stop eating, and if you do not take measures to correct the sleep problem, your bird could die.
In the wild, sunset signals time to sleep, and most birds will fly to their nest to rest. In captivity, the bird might change its daylight cycle because of the lights in its room. To maintain a 12-hour daylight cycle, you should turn off the lights at 6PM.
Since most people keep their birds in the living room, you cannot turn off your lights early in the evening. You can use a cage cover to darken your bird’s enclosure. Some birds like budgies become anxious if you put the cover too fast, do it gradually to simulate their natural environment.
Light also plays a huge role during the breeding season of many birds. Increased exposure to light might signal some birds to lay eggs. You have to control the light in your bird’s enclosure, or it will keep laying many eggs, most of which will be unfertilized.
Final Thoughts
TV screens are common in most houses, and most people watch their favorite shows with their pets. Some birds enjoy watching TV, and you can leave your TV for your bird to watch when you are not around. Just like a child, you have to be careful when selecting the programs your bird should watch.
To judge if the TV is bad for your bird, watch how it behaves when you turn it on. If your bird is calm and exhibits happy signs, then TV is not bad for it. If your bird is uneasy and cranky, maybe you should watch the TV in another room or consider putting the bird in your home office.
Also, birds like to sleep in the dark. Therefore, you should buy a cage cover for your bird to make sure your bird sticks to its daylight cycle.
