Household Hazards for Pet Birds

Reviewed/Revised Jul 2011

    While time outside a cage can be a positive experience your bird, it can also be dangerous, especially for small birds that can be easily stepped on or injured in falls. Birds also do not understand the nature of glass windows or mirrors. Like wild birds that fly into windows from the outside, pet birds can be injured flying into these barriers. Birds outside their cages should be carefully monitored to ensure they cannot escape and to avoid accidents and injury. All windows and doors in the area should be fully closed before you release your bird from its cage.

    Common Household Poisons

    This list is not inclusive because there may be other substances toxic to birds that have not been widely documented. The bird’s environment should be limited to those items known to be safe.

    1. Acetone (nail polish remover)

    2. Ammonia

    3. Antifreeze

    4. Ant syrup or paste

    5. Avocado

    6. Bathroom bowl cleaner

    7. Bleach

    8. Boric acid

    9. Camphophenique

    10. Carbon tetrachloride

    11. Charcoal lighter

    12. Clinitest tablets

    13. Copper and brass cleaners

    14. Corn and wart remover

    15. Crayons

    16. Deodorants

    17. Detergents

    18. Disinfectants

    19. Drain cleaners

    20. Epoxy or super glue

    21. Fabric softeners

    22. Fluoropolymer fumes

    23. Galvanized materials

    1. Garden sprays

    2. Gasoline

    3. Gun cleaner

    4. Gunpowder

    5. Hair dyes

    6. Hexachlorophene (in some soaps)

    7. House plants (including calla lilies, mistletoe, poinsettia, and others)

    8. Indelible markers

    9. Insecticides

    10. Iodine

    11. Kerosene

    12. Lighter fluid

    13. Linoleum (contains lead)

    14. Matches

    15. Model glue

    16. Mothballs

    17. Muriatic acid

    18. Mushrooms (some varieties)

    19. Nail polish

    20. Oven cleaner

    21. Paint

    22. Paint remover

    23. Paint thinner

    24. Perfume

    1. Permanent wave solutions

    2. Pesticides

    3. Photographic solutions

    4. Pine oil

    5. Prescription and nonprescription drugs

    6. Red squill

    7. Rodenticides

    8. Rubbing alcohol

    9. Shaving lotion

    10. Silver polish

    11. Snail bait

    12. Spot remover

    13. Spray starch

    14. Sulphuric acid

    15. Suntan lotion

    16. Turpentine

    17. Weed killers

    18. Window cleaners

    Other hazards for birds outside their cages include access to toxic materials (including certain house plants and dangerous foods and medicines), electrical cords, stove tops, open toilets, and other seemingly innocent household objects ( see Common Household Poisons). Birds have been caught in blankets, trapped in clothes dryers, drowned in sinks and toilets and even sucked into vacuum cleaners. Be sure to monitor your bird any time it is outside its cage.

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