Benefits of Full Spectrum Lighting

[Wolf]

I am a member of several different parrot forums as I am sure that some of you are as well. I see that full spectrum bulbs are recommended for parrot owners on many of them and I have read the studies concerning them just as I am sure that many of you have, but what I am looking for at this point is comments from actual parrot people who use these bulbs as I want to get a picture of the pros as well as the cons concerning the use of them.
I have received off and on requests for this type of information and don't have it to give, all I have is studies, testimonials from manufacturers and my own opinion. I really want more so I am asking for your input.

[Michael]

Practical experience has led me to believe that they are all talk and no do. It's easy to BS around about stuff there are no visible benefits. Or at least they aren't directly measurable. The theory works but the reality doesn't seem to be the same. We know that parrots need natural sunlight and this is definitely true. The question is whether or not the full spectrum bulbs can match that. I don't think so and here's why.

The first 2 years I had my Senegal, I wasn't taking her outside but had full spectrum bulbs indoors (albeit cheaper ones). Her eyes stayed a dull color and did not turn yellow until I began taking her outside. Within a few months of going outdoors the color changed. During long winters when I don't take her outside for months at a time, the eyes begin to dull again but revive in the summer when we go out. Ginger had half a dozen+ Senegals all with expensive full spectrum systems over their cages. All of them had dull eyes like indoor Senegals. Meanwhile other Sennies of her friends that get out are bright yellow. I can't be convinced that these lights deliver what they promise if the eyes don't look like the ones on outdoor birds. If natural sunlight vs bulbs is enough to make a difference in eye color, imagine all the health things that we can't see so easily that it can affect as well?

So do yourself a favor and don't waste money on those mystery bulbs and buy a harness instead or a travel cage. Take your bird out at least once a week for 15+ minutes of direct natural sunlight and you will do it far more good. This is the real sun and we know it works. Also here's my article about taking parrots out in winter for sunlight the best I can.

[Pajarita]

Well, there are two main benefits to it:

1) Birds are the most vision-oriented species of all the vertebrates. Touch, taste and smell are very limited senses for them and hearing is not impaired by been indoors so vision becomes all-important. They not only see colors we don't, they have four different specialized color receptor cells (humans and other mammals don't) and these cells are not the same for every species as the differences are specific to their needs (birds of prey diurnal have different eyes than the nocturnal, birds that feed on fruit see differently than birds that feed on insects, etc), they see better in every sense and that means accuracy, distance AND comprehension because what takes our eyes a split second and passing our eyes over the 'picture' a bit for our brain to fully 'understand' what we are seeing, birds can do it instantly because the 'path' that the picture takes from the eyes to the brain is completely different (theirs has a shortcut - this is needed for flight). And, it stands to reason that vision = light so the better the light, the better the vision, the more comfortable the bird will be in its surroundings.

2) This is directly related to number one but important enough to get a point of its own: UV light - which they see and we don't. Regular artificial light doesn't produce it and the glass in our windows has UV blockers so, for all purposes, when a bird is indoor (which is most of the time if not always) and has only 'regular' artificial light to see by, it's been deprived of an entire range of colors they need to identify things and other parrots. It's like if we lived under a light that did not allow us to see any red, for example, so an apple would look grey to us (and completely unappetizing, I might add) and all other red shades (orange, purple, etc) would just be different kinds of grey. The other important thing about UV and birds is that plumages that look all made out of a single color, actually show spots and patterns under UV light and that's what helps them differentiate and recognize other individuals. Ergo, UV light helps them see things as they are supposed to be seen by them, both in terms of food or differences in other birds.

3) Birds endocrine system is completely and 100% regulated by light, not only quantity but also quality. Light regulates not only the production of sexual hormones but also the production of all other hormones, including serotonin (happy hormone) and dopamine (reward hormone). There is a reason why birds have more light receptor cells places than we do and a reason why they are more sensitive to it than we are.

In conclusion and extrapolating from what we do know, a bird under a good full spectrum light will see better, be more comfortable with its surroundings, have no flying accidents, less stress, eat better and be in a much better mood.

[Wolf]

Thank you both for your replies they are both valuable to me and while for my purposes I will not give an opinion in either direction at this time I would dearly love to hear from more of our member as their input is every bit as important to me and I hope to hear from more of them soon.

[marie83]

Sorry wolf, I know very very little on the subject.

What I do know is that I suffer from SAD and artificial "sun" helps me so why shouldn't it help my birds?

They have arcadia lamp, I couldn't say if it was the best available or not though as I'm concentrating on diet atm.

Nothing beats natural light imo but I live in a flat, Ollie isn't harness trained and harlies to scaredy to go out. I do try to get Ollie out in his travel cage when I can but that means me having to sit out there with him I don't tend to get the time or nice enough weather to do that as often as I would like. Would love an aviary in a private garden for them.

[Pajarita]

In truth, it doesn't even matter if you take them outside because, for birds, light is a nutrient as it acts the way a hormone would in their body so, although direct sunlight is hugely beneficial and I highly recommend it, unless the bird lives in an outdoor aviary, he still needs good indoor light. My point been: why give them great natural light for 2 hours a day and real crappy artificial light the rest of the day when you can give them 2 hours of great natural light and good artificial light the rest of the day? I don't see this as been an 'either/or' type of situation, I see it as an 'in addition to' one.

[Wolf]

Pajarita, I hear what you are saying and can't disagree with you on that. Good lighting always helps me with everything I need to do.
I was hoping to hear more from some of our other members, especially those that use the full spectrum lights, but I guess that they aren't reading this as much as I hoped they were. At this time I have just over 50 view for this posting, so perhaps the problem is not that they aren't reading, but that there is a lack of interest, either way I find that to be disheartening.

[liz]

My kids are in a sun room. I thought that was enough for them. On gloomy day I turn the overhead light on. Why not use the full spectrum.
Has anyone located where I can order one?

[Pajarita]

I get them from Amazon. I have 'Amazon prime' and get everything delivered in less than two days and the shipping is free - plus, the prices are always better than at the stores (no overhead).

[liz]

Thank you all. I will get on it.