We have one of those long fluorescent-style light things that if you turn it on in a dark room, it is ultraviolet- so it only shows up white things in the room, and they look super bright.

 

We have never put it on when Cosmo is around for fear that we'd damage his eyes.

 

But then again, we put them in unnatural light all the time, and they see differently from us, so I have no idea about any of this stuff.

 

Just curious as to whether it would be safe to turn the ultraviolet light on with Cosmo around? I would be curious to see what he looked like in UV light but I don't think I'd actually do it unless I was dead certain it's safe to do so. I also don't know whether we would be able to see all the cool UV stuff on budgies even if we did have a UV light on them.... maybe only other budgies can see it.

Uv light is essential to birds to provide them with vitamin D, but the light you're desribing sounds like it illuminates white things like a black light? So I'd have no idea if it's safe or not

Oh yeah-- it is a black light.... no idea how I got the idea it was UV! Well, it probably wouldnt' work on Cosmo then, because he doesn't have any white bits and his yellow is too dark to show up.

 

Silly me

I saw once on bourked backyard that budgies of yellow and green are meant to show flourescent in the night if they've stored up some kind of energy in their feathers? Lord knows if it's true or not though hehe

The Blacklight does emit UV light.

Oh.. well I was right after all then haha

I have been told that Ultraviolet light as in a Black light causes infertility.

There is different types of UV. UVb is what is needed to produce vitamin D3. It comes from a full spectrum tubes not Ultraviolet (black light) tubes.

Budgies heads and face glow under a black light. They can actually see UV light. David Attenborough had a segment about this topic on "The Life of Birds" documentaries - very interesting and they look sooooooo cool when lit up under the UV. Under the UV is actually how they see each other all the time - they see quite differently to us. I would not use the UV light on him often, but here and there would be okay.

Edited April 13, 200916 yr by **Liv**

I have been told that Ultraviolet light as in a Black light causes infertility.

There is different types of UV. UVb is what is needed to produce vitamin D3. It comes from a full spectrum tubes not Ultraviolet (black light) tubes.

 

Does the sun give off the uvb light to produce the vitamin D3?

Do you have to have a uv light Daz or is the sun good enough?

Does the sun give off the uvb light to produce the vitamin D3?

 

Yes, UVb light is the violet and the one that is the hardest to produce. Any kind of filtration such as glass, plastic, shade cloth etc will stop this vital radiation coming though. I keep my windows bare (no glass etc) during the day so they get PURE sun for a few hours each day.

 

The board spectrum UV lights that contain UVb light only last a few months as the UVb spectrum is the first to be lost.

Edited April 14, 200916 yr by **Liv**

Does the sun have to be directly shining on each bird or if it lights up the aviary is that good enough?

Does the sun have to be directly shining on each bird or if it lights up the aviary is that good enough?

 

direct sun is best. .

Some natural light is good, but direct sun is best. its also a natural anti bacterial and anit viral, so natural sun helps kill baterial infections, fungal infections, viral infection and even FM.

my breeding room has one full side wire. The sun does not directly shine in their but it is light all day. I wonder how I can get direct sunlight in their.

my breeding room has one full side wire. The sun does not directly shine in their but it is light all day. I wonder how I can get direct sunlight in their.

 

Its done by puting mesh windows on the right side of your breeding room to let in morning sun.

If you don't want to test it out on your own budgie, someone has already done it for you! Check this out:

 

Edited April 14, 200916 yr by CaspersRose

Thankyou Liv.

Aww cool

Hi,

 

I don't know what you mean by "cool" but as some contributors to this thread have pointed out, UV produces vitamin D in the skin. Prolonged UVB is dangerous and affects the eyes - direct sunlight should be avoided. There's enough UVB coming from the rest of the sky to satisfy this - atmospheric dust scatters it. Indoors you need an artificial source. I use a PHILIPS face tanning lamp bounced off a warderobe mirror which is on 6 hours a day. (the glass attenuates the dangerous short wavelenghs). It also sterilises the air. I used to breed budgies in an attic and had a lot of sickness. Since using this lamp I've had none. The lamp emits UVA and I have found this to be safe and effective. Any artificial source which emits strong UVB should be avoided.

 

BYTEMAN

 

http://www.avian-world.net/

By cool I just meant that I appreciated seeing on that video which parts of the budgie shone under UV light. I haven't done it to my budgie yet- I don't think I will, as I'm still not convinced that it's harmless. I'm a bit confused- are you saying that it might actually be good for my budgie to have it since he's kept indoors? We do live in the sunny state of QLD but he doesn't get direct sunlight very often, as I have noticed that even when I have given him the option he prefers to move himself into the shadows.