Last Updated on by Mitch Rezman
Birds get in an enormous amount of information from light.
Light tells birds when to sleep, wake up, breed, molt and if appropriate when they migrate
The single most important accessory for your bird is to add a full spectrum light bowl no more than 6 inches of the cage.
The bulb should be put on a timer providing 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness.
This helps them by providing an equatorial light cycle that they have come to expect instinctually after 99 million years.
Rick C. asks
I was comparing your Full Spectrum 25 Watt Daylight Cage Bulb to the Avian Sun full spectrum 26-watt bulbs sold by zoo-med. What is the UVB wattage (UBA + UBV+ Visable+TRUE full spectrum per ZOO MED)?
Thank you for your inquiry.
We don’t carry the ZooMed bulb but we do carry a 25 Watt Full Spectrum Spiral Compact Fluorescent Bulb which sells for $12.95 and has many of the same qualities – but will not fit Zoo Med Lamp fixtures
The difference in bulbs is the metal coatings on the inside of the glass tubes. As the light from the bulb passes through the coated glass, UBA + UVB light waves are added and project from the bulb.
UVB lets birds synthesize Vitamin D3. This process allows for calcium to metabolize. Calcium is important for the strength of bones and the production of eggs.
UVA is visible to birds. It helps them seek mates & tell different species apart.
Both bulbs because of the “full-spectrum” properties will make your bird feel better and do a remarkable job of brightening feather colors.
The other difference is the price. You get what you pay for and the UVB/UBA metal coatings are expensive making the bulb twice the price of many Full Spectrum 25 Watt Daylight Bird Cage Bulb.
If we drill deeper, we know that there are millions of caged birds around the world who are very healthy due today’s modern bird but do not have full-spectrum lighting near their cage.
Most of these birds will not be seeking mates nor having to discern other bird species. That said, our $12.95 bulb is a “feel good” bulb. Birds like sunlight and enjoy the quality light from a “full-spectrum” bulb.
Our Indian Ringneck did not visit the Playtop portion of his cage for years until we introduced a full spectrum cage light. From the day the light was installed, he would climb to the top of his birdcage to bask under the new lamp.
UBA + UVB is also supposed to reduce plucking.
Sunshine was a plucker in the last years of his life he continued to pluck regardless of the bulbs we introduced to his cages.
Our feeling is if you are concerned about D3 synthesis and are into breeding AND can afford the $28.00 a UBA + UBV style full spectrum bulb would be the choice.
If you’re on a tight budget and would like your bird to simply feel and look good especially in winter, save your money and buy our Full Spectrum 25 Watt Daylight Cage Bulb