# Cockatiel Diary- March 16 **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 16, 2010, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cockatiel-diary-march-16/532694 "2010-03-16T20:46:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![LIONsob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/76d3ee/32.png) [@LIONsob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LIONsob)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cockatiel-diary-march-16/532694/21 "2010-03-19T00:39:18Z")
> [@FloatyGimpy](#): > > :eek: so that’s what that is!! > > I assume it’s the same with budgies because sometimes when she’s sitting on my finger I just can NOT believe how hot her feet feel! Yes all parrots do that, parrots have a very high metabolisim (SP?) and a core body temp of around 120 degrees F. with the feet being their main way of shedding excess heat, they also have the ability to control the blood flow to their feet which is why their feet are not always blazing hot. ---
**Author:** ![xanthous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/53a042/32.png) [@xanthous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xanthous)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cockatiel-diary-march-16/532694/22 "2010-03-19T14:30:08Z")
> [@LIONsob](#): > > Kitchens are a bad place to keep a bird, too many toxins and cleaners plus the smoke/fumes from cooking are bad for his lung ( they only have one lung ) ditto for scented candles/incense/air fresheners/teflon cookware and smoking. Have you located an Avian vet in your area yet? If you think that your bird might be sick get him to the vet, by the time he looks sick he will be real sick and on deaths doorstep, birds hide it when they feel ill to prevent being forced out of the flock where it is safe. Yes, I know this about kitchens, the only problem being that this is where we always hang out- I think Cricket would be super lonely in another room. The kitchen is big- he’s 10 feet away from the stove, and I don’t have him out if it’s on. If I do any huge cooking projects, I’ll put him in another room. We don’t use any cleaners other than dish soap during the week, and when the cleaning lady comes, he goes upstairs in a guest room with a towel against the door until the house has aired out after she’s gone. I’ll find an avian vet ASAP. ---
**Author:** ![LIONsob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/76d3ee/32.png) [@LIONsob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LIONsob)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cockatiel-diary-march-16/532694/23 "2010-03-19T15:38:31Z")
> [@xanthous](#): > > Yes, I know this about kitchens, the only problem being that this is where we always hang out- I think Cricket would be super lonely in another room. The kitchen is big- he’s 10 feet away from the stove, and I don’t have him out if it’s on. If I do any huge cooking projects, I’ll put him in another room. We don’t use any cleaners other than dish soap during the week, and when the cleaning lady comes, he goes upstairs in a guest room with a towel against the door until the house has aired out after she’s gone. > > I’ll find an avian vet ASAP. It looks like you have a good understanding of the risks of keeping him in the kitchen and a sound plan for dealing with them. Keeping him in the room with the most activity is good for his mental heath and happiness, one of the saddest things I have ever seen was a parrot that had been stuffed in a cage and then stuck in a back room with the no social interaction except for being fed once a day. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cockatiel-diary-march-16/532694/24 "2010-03-19T15:54:00Z")
> [@LIONsob](#): > > they only have one lung While you’re right about how sensitive they are to fumes, I’m pretty sure “only one lung” is incorrect. See here: [http://people.eku.edu/ritchisong/birdrespiration.html](http://people.eku.edu/ritchisong/birdrespiration.html) for pictures of bird anatomy showing two lungs. Googling has produced many similar discussions, none of whoich so far has claimed only one lung for birds, and all of which use the word “lung **s** ” (plural) when discussing birds. _Snakes_, on the other hand, have only one functioning lung (and one vestigial lung), or so this search has informed me. :). Probably a result of their narrow body cavity putting a premium on space. But birds seem to have two lungs. ---
**Author:** ![LIONsob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/76d3ee/32.png) [@LIONsob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LIONsob)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cockatiel-diary-march-16/532694/25 "2010-03-19T16:29:19Z")
> [@Sailboat](#): > > While you’re right about how sensitive they are to fumes, I’m pretty sure “only one lung” is incorrect. > > See here: [http://people.eku.edu/ritchisong/birdrespiration.html](http://people.eku.edu/ritchisong/birdrespiration.html) for pictures of bird anatomy showing two lungs. Googling has produced many similar discussions, none of whoich so far has claimed only one lung for birds, and all of which use the word “lung **s** ” (plural) when discussing birds. > > _Snakes_, on the other hand, have only one functioning lung (and one vestigial lung), or so this search has informed me. :). Probably a result of their narrow body cavity putting a premium on space. But birds seem to have two lungs. I stand corrected, have never dissected a bird but was told that by several people who were professional breeders and read something on the web that said the same. Thanks for the correct info! ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cockatiel-diary-march-16/532694/26 "2010-03-19T16:48:57Z")
Kitchens are potentially deadly for birds, but some of us don’t have very large living spaces. Mine sleep in the kitchen (warmer, fewer drafts, less disturbance by people staying up later than the birds - my cockatiels _demand_ to go to bed a 9 pm, and will even put themselves away in their own cage). I do, however, remove them from the kitchen to the bedroom (where we spend a lot of time) when cooking, particularly when cooking something in open pots or pans. Non-stick cookware is _banned_ in my house, we just don’t have it in the place. Anything toxic to birds is kept in birdproof containers or the refrigerator. The other big problem, of course, is that birds are messy and they poop. I don’t want birds pooping on my food prep areas, or the clean dishes, or … you get the idea. It’s not impossible to keep a bird in a kitchen area, but it does require some thought and effort. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cockatiel-diary-march-16/532694.md?page=1)