The importance of UVA-lighting to birds

John Courtney-Smith, a parrot and reptile enthusiast, has developed a great interest in specialist UV-lighting and the science behind the systems, working and advising at Arcadia, the lighting professionals. Here he offers us the benefit of his knowledge in this the first part of a three-part series.

Vitamin D3

This is the ability of animals, including humans, to produce and utilise vitamin D3 in the skin after exposure to unfiltered, natural sunlight. Vitamin D3, among many other uses allows the assimilation of calcium.

Benefits of Lighting

Birds use the suns energy for warmth, to view the world in colour and to be able to make their own essential Vitamin D3.

Tetrachromacy

John Courtney-Smith, a parrot and reptile enthusiast, has developed a great interest in specialist UV-lighting and the science behind the systems, working and advising at Arcadia, the lighting professionals. Here he offers us the benefit of his knowledge in this the first part of a three-part series.

Fluorescent Lamps versus LED’s

Unlike LED systems made for birds and reptiles, Arcadia Bird Full-Spectrum+UV-B lamps produce both UV-A and UV-B.

Sensible Perch Placement

Perching fitted inside of bird cages is often overlooked. Birds should be able to both move around the cage freely and of course exercise their wings.

Cage Placement

In almost all cases placing your birds cage next to a closed window does not provide the bird with any UV-B.

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Feather Plucking and Bad Behaviour

John Courtney-Smith, a parrot and reptile enthusiast, has developed a great interest in specialist UV-lighting and the science behind the systems, working and advising at Arcadia. In the first part of this series John looked at the importance of UVA-light, in part II he discusses UVB and how its use can halt feather plucking and bad behaviour.

Suspect Lamps

A UV lighting is at present an unregulated industry and incidences like this are becoming all too much common and very worrying, as using a lamp like this for a bird is potentially lethal.

Keep it Natural

John Courtney-Smith, a parrot and reptile enthusiast, has developed a great interest in specialist UV-lighting and the science behind the systems, working and advising at Arcadia.

Managing Exposure

John Courtney-Smith, a parrot and reptile enthusiast, has developed a great interest in specialist UV-lighting and the science behind the systems, working and advising at Arcadia. In the first part of this series John looked at the importance of UVA-light, in part II he discusses UVB and how its use can halt feather plucking and bad behaviour.

Green Foods

We take an independent look at some of the common greenfoods that we offer our birds and tests their reputation as ‘must-feed’ elements of diet.

Tetrachromacy a powerful tool

Many references are made towards the positive, and indeed life-giving, properties of the wavelengths of light known as UVB.