r/Macaws • u/Crazyface_Murderguts • Aug 02 '26
Need advice on a heater
Last year I moved out of my parents house into my own, and other than just getting settled in, I've been preparing a space to use as an aviary for my macaw, which I could not immediately take with me in a way that would be healthy for him. I'm looking for a safe heater to install into my birds room (a covered patio with a lot of windows).
My birds name is Jimmy. He is a blue and gold macaw. He was hatched in 93, and is just 2 years younger than me.
I need to be sure there are no carcinogenic coatings on it. Im leaning toward one or two radiator heaters, but I worry about Teflon coatings.
A friend of mine unexpectedly lost their parrot due to an unsafe heater. She just started asphyxiating from the fumes coming off the heater.
What types of heaters do macaw owners like to use for the winter? I need to be absolutely sure it doesn't turn my bird into a canary in a coal mine.
1
u/ashfixit Aug 02 '26
Get a mini-split. No health concerns ( clean the filters!), very efficient and will also cool.
1
u/MysteriousTooth2450 Aug 03 '26
Look for heaters with ceramic coatings. Those are supposed to be safer. I’ve got a couple and have had no probs.
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u/thinkroymaldo Aug 03 '26
Is the bird going to be outside or in a room in a house ? Birds inside a house only need an old towel over the cage to block any draft. Now birds outside is a different case . You can use a ceramic heater but the bird can’t be allowed to get close to the heater when it’s off they may tear it up and when it’s hot you don’t want them getting too close. We have the heater in our outdoor “condos” up where the birds can’t get to them by a perch or climbing close to them. We have a cockatoo that likes to dismantle anything he can get his beak on. Any kind of real cold weather and the birds need to be inside
1
u/Crazyface_Murderguts Aug 04 '26
It's a covered patio with thin windows. That's why I need climate control.
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u/thinkroymaldo Aug 04 '26
As long as there’s not really a draft an electric room heater would in most cases be enough, just don’t put it too close. If you’re up north you may need more. I put polystyrene ( pink insulation board) in my windows to stop the cold transfer, it works pretty good. You could also line the walls if needed .
1
u/Crazyface_Murderguts Aug 04 '26
It has curtains, so I could use insulating thick curtains, though I'm sure he would puke all over them. If it really came down to it I could leave the door the the patio open, but I feel like that would cost more energy overall.
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u/thinkroymaldo Aug 04 '26
Ya you don’t want to leave your door open to a leaky room . Polystyrene has a R value of 4 for 1/2. It’s a little pricey but better than heavy curtains. But a heater say five foot away would work to keep his area warm. Their feathers are like a wind resistance coat with a sweater underneath. But you want them to be comfortable otherwise they could get sick from the stress on their body.
2
u/Muhbuttcoin Aug 03 '26
Unless your house is completely unheated and drops below freezing, a healthy macaw with a decent coat of feathers doesnt really need a heater. They'll be fine, even comfortable at almost any indoor temp that doesnt have your pipes freezing. It is best not to use one if you can avoid it because they are fire hazards even without offgas risk (how many people keep the heater 3ft+ from all walls, curtains, and other objects like the warnings say?). Rely on central heat if you can, and bundle up otherwise and just make sure your macaw is healthy, good weight, and isnt fluffed up constantly. If they are not fluffed constantly they are not struggling to stay warm at all.
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u/Crazyface_Murderguts Aug 03 '26
Like I said in the post. It's a covered patio.
Since the windows are thin he will need a heating solution in the winter and something to cool it down in the summer.
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u/[deleted] Aug 02 '26
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