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Cleaning a Dirty Parrot

If your parrot becomes muddy or stained with sticky food (such as fruit), he will be able to clean himself by preening and bathing as normal. You can assist, if the stains look stubborn, by spraying water on him with a mist sprayer.

Some other stains or feather contaminants, such as oils and paints (sometimes a hazard if the bird is free flying) are trickier. Hand-tamed birds can be gently washed with a very gentle soap. Pet suppliers often stock a bird-friendly liquid; or you can ask your local bird group or vet for advice on which ones are best for your species of parrot.


Blue-fronted Amazon tame
A bird as tame as this Blue-fronted Amazon is easier to clean

If applying the soap yourself, always avoid getting it in the bird’s eyes. It’s important that the soap you use is non-toxic, as the parrot is bound to ingest some of it during the process.If your parrot is not tame, or if the stain is something hard to remove (tar, or oil-based paints,for example), it’s best to let a vet deal with it. The parrot can then be sedated before cleaning.

A newly-cleaned bird will usually shiver and shake for a few minutes - this is normal, and does not mean he is too cold: it’s just his way of sorting out tousled feathers and generating some extra heat to aid the drying process. Never be tempted to use a hair-dryer to speed things up, and don’t towel-dry the bird, as this can easily damage feathers.

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Comments

Mohsin, 9 September 2019

My grey parrot chest swelling please suggest me what do i do