Heat lamp

[LJ4RockPebbler]

Infrared heat....

[Wolf]

That is the information that I gave you as those were the bulbs that I thought you were referring to. They must have a CRI of 94+, a K Temp of between 5000and 5500 and a UV rating of 2. Any other Specifications than these and the bulb can blind your bird or it can burn him to death, It is a nasty way to die and quite painful as it is the same as dying from sunburn only you don't live long enough to get out of the sun, so the sunburn keeps getting worse and deeper.
Because of the dangers of these bulbs I don't use them to convert the precursor into vitamin D-3, there are safer ways of getting them this vitamin. I do use the bulb for the purpose of providing the parrot with the proper lighting to see by. Parrots see into the ultraviolet spectrum, which is invisible to us, and because of this ability they see far more colors than we do and next to what they see with the proper lighting we are color blind in comparison. It would be like either seeing the world like the old black and white TV's or seeing the world through the hi definition color TV's of today, or something very similar.
When using the full spectrum lights for vision enhancement like I do the bulb is never closer than 3 feet from the bird. To use it for converting the vitamin d-3 precursor into vitamin d-3, the bulb must be about 12 inches from the bird. To me the risks involved in using the bulb in this manner are just too great, and there are in most cases some other much safer ways of accomplishing this.

[Wolf]

We were posting at the same time. If you will post links to the product that you are considering I will let you know my thoughts about it.

[LJ4RockPebbler]

15 Watt Full-Spectrum Bulb by FeatherBrite. 15w, 5500k, 91 cri, UVA 4 %, UVB .05%.

[LJ4RockPebbler]

Can this full spectrum light affect his eyes as well? I don't have the specifications for his heat light.

[Pajarita]

91 CRI is too low, you need 94 or more. It's not that you cannot use it but it won't provide as good a light as the one with the higher one. Full spectrum lights should not be relied upon for vitamin D3 production, you either expose the bird to direct sunlight 20 minutes a day (but always early in the am or in the evening) and/or supplement.

Infrared is not only light, it is actually the wavelength that travels through tissue the fastest.

[LJ4RockPebbler]

I can't seem to find a full spectrum light online with a cri over 94. Now with the infrared lights, you're saying it's a good or bad idea? The lowest wattage I found online was a 60 watt bulb.

[Pajarita]

I don't use ANY lights as source of heat for my birds, they are all risky because you need to put them close PLUS the heat does not diffuse evenly. I use the heating pad or an electric space heater.

[Wolf]

The right bulbs can be found on line and yes they are difficult to find, or at least that has been my experience with them. The problem appears to be that most of the full spectrum bulbs are designed with human artists in mind or they are manufactured for use with reptiles. Full spectrum lights for birds is still a new concept as is most other facets of avian care. Parrots as pets and companions goes back in history a very long time, as far back as the 7 and 800's in New Mexico at Chaco Canyon where there were the remains of 30 or 40 Scarlet Macaws found, but as an industry in modern time there was very little research or anything else until about 20 to 25 years ago when the keeping of Parrots as companion animals first started gaining in popularity.
To tell the truth, I don't know much concerning the use of infrared with parrots as I haven't done any research into this topic, but it appears that it is time for that to change. I will start researching this today, but it will take me a few days to do the research and I will get back to you when I know more about this.

[Pajarita]

To start you off, Wolf, it's the increase in infrared and the decrease in ultraviolet that happens at twilight that sets the internal clock.