This article is not about parrots. It's about a study done on geese that shows that they lower their metabolic rate during winter in order to survive the cold temperatures [they use the phrase 'profound seasonal changes'!]. But I am posting it here because I have read many times in forums people saying that parrots can be 'acclimated' to withstand our winter temperatures if it's done slowly. This is NOT true. Nature evolved each species so it would thrive in its natural habitat. It did not give cold climate birds a cooling mechanism [as the toucan has, for example] or tropical and semi-tropical birds a mechanism to cope with low temperatures. Ergo, exposing a parrot to temperatures lower than the ones in its natural habitat puts an ENORMOUS stress on its body. The bird is not going to drop dead in a matter of minutes but its immune system will get a huge hit and its internal organs will suffer - do it often enough and you will end up shortening its lifespan considerably. I remember years ago there was this guy from Germany who used to post videos of his amazon being free-flown in the middle of the winter with snow all over [he was one that asserted that if you do it gradually, they get used to it] but, one day, the bird did not come and was never found again.
By the way, the article and the study are VERY interesting!
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2 ... 085803.htm