Most pet sitting guides are written for dogs and cats. Your bird is neither. And the well-meaning friend who agreed to "just check on the bird" while you're away probably has no idea that a non-stick pan on the stove could kill your parrot, that a cold draft can trigger a respiratory infection, or that your cockatiel needs twelve hours of uninterrupted darkness to stay healthy.

Bird care is specific, sometimes counterintuitive, and unforgiving of mistakes. This guide covers everything your sitter needs to know — the stuff that bird owners take for granted but first-time bird sitters have no way of guessing.

Diet: Far More Than Seed

The "just give them birdseed" misconception is the most common and most dangerous mistake in bird sitting. An all-seed diet is like feeding a child nothing but potato chips — it fills them up but provides almost none of what they need.

What your sitter needs to know about your bird's diet:

• Pellets. If your bird eats a pellet-based diet (which most avian vets recommend), specify the exact brand and variety. Birds are notoriously picky and may refuse an unfamiliar pellet.
• Fresh foods. List the specific fruits and vegetables your bird eats: chopped apple, shredded carrot, steamed broccoli, leafy greens. Include how to prepare them (size, cooked vs. raw) and when to offer them.
• Seeds and nuts. If seeds and nuts are part of the diet (as treats or supplements, not the base), specify types and amounts. Sunflower seeds are high in fat — a few per day, not a bowlful.
• Toxic foods. This is critical. Avocado is lethal to birds. Chocolate, caffeine, onions, garlic, and alcohol are also toxic. Apple seeds and cherry pits contain cyanide compounds. Write these out explicitly — your sitter may not know.
• Water. Fresh water daily, changed at least once. If your bird likes to dunk food in their water (many do), it may need changing more often. Specify whether you use tap water, filtered water, or add anything to it.

Meal timing. Tell your sitter when to offer fresh food and when to remove it. Fresh fruits and vegetables spoil quickly in a warm cage — four hours is a reasonable maximum before removal.

Cage Cleaning

A clean cage isn't just about aesthetics — it's about respiratory health. Birds have incredibly sensitive respiratory systems, and ammonia buildup from droppings can cause serious illness.

Daily tasks:

• Replace cage liner (newspaper, paper towels, or cage paper — specify which you use)
• Wash food and water dishes with hot water (no soap residue)
• Remove any uneaten fresh food
• Wipe down perches that have droppings on them

If your trip is longer than a few days:

• Clean cage bars and grate with a bird-safe cleaner (specify the product and where it's kept)
• Rotate or swap perches
• Clean the tray underneath the grate

What to avoid: Never use bleach, aerosol cleaners, or scented cleaning products near the bird. Even the fumes from cleaning another room can reach the bird's cage through ventilation. Leave a bird-safe cage cleaner (like diluted white vinegar or a vet-recommended spray) next to the cage so the sitter doesn't improvise.

The Number One Rule: No Toxic Fumes

This is the section that could save your bird's life. Birds have air sacs in addition to lungs, and their respiratory system is extraordinarily efficient at absorbing airborne compounds — including toxic ones.

PTFE/Teflon. Non-stick cookware coated with PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), commonly known as Teflon, releases invisible, odorless fumes when heated that kill birds within minutes. This includes non-stick pans, baking sheets, waffle makers, air fryers, hair dryers, space heaters, and self-cleaning ovens. Tell your sitter not to use any non-stick cookware while the bird is in the house. Write this in bold. Underline it. Put it at the top of your instructions.

Other fume dangers:

• Scented candles and incense
• Air fresheners (plug-in, spray, or reed diffusers)
• Aerosol sprays of any kind (hairspray, cleaning spray, bug spray)
• Cigarette, cigar, or vape smoke
• Paint or varnish fumes
• Self-cleaning oven cycles (even without non-stick coating, the extreme heat can release toxic compounds from the oven lining)

Your sitter may think you're being dramatic. You're not. A bird that seemed perfectly healthy at breakfast can be dead by lunch from fume exposure. Include these warnings prominently in your instructions.

Light and Dark Cycles

Birds need consistent photoperiods — and they need more sleep than most people realize.

Most pet birds need 10–12 hours of uninterrupted darkness per night. This means covering the cage with a breathable cloth at the same time every evening and uncovering it at the same time every morning. Irregular light cycles cause hormonal disruption, which leads to behavioral problems (screaming, plucking, aggression) and health issues.

Tell your sitter:

• What time to cover and uncover the cage
• What cover to use (a specific cage cover, a dark sheet — specify which one and where it is)
• Whether the bird needs a night light (some birds are prone to "night frights" and benefit from a small dim light)
• Where to place the cage relative to windows (direct sunlight can overheat the cage; no natural light at all can cause vitamin D deficiency)

Temperature and Drafts

Most pet birds come from tropical or subtropical climates. They don't handle cold well.

Keep the room temperature between 65–80°F (18–27°C). Avoid placing the cage near:

• Air conditioning vents or fans that blow directly on the cage
• Windows that get drafty at night
• Exterior doors that open frequently
• Rooms that aren't climate-controlled (garages, porches, sunrooms)

A chilled bird will fluff up, tuck one foot, and seem lethargic. If your sitter notices this, the room is too cold. Move the cage or adjust the thermostat.

Socialization and Enrichment

Birds are intelligent, social animals. A bored bird is a destructive, loud, or self-harming bird.

Daily interaction. Tell your sitter how much time to spend with the bird and what that looks like. Some birds are happy with 30 minutes of talking and being near a person. Others need out-of-cage time, head scratches, or direct play.

Out-of-cage time. If your bird gets supervised free-flight or play-stand time outside the cage, explain the rules: which room, how long, how to get the bird back in (step-up command, favorite treat lure). Also warn about hazards — ceiling fans, open windows, mirrors, hot stove, open toilet, standing water.

Toys and foraging. Birds need mental stimulation. Show your sitter the toy rotation, how to set up foraging puzzles, and where spare toys are. A bird that destroys toys is a healthy, engaged bird — your sitter shouldn't worry about replacing them.

Talking and noise. If your bird talks, mimics, or screams, prepare the sitter. Cockatoos and conures can hit 120 decibels. Screaming at dawn and dusk is normal flock behavior, not distress. If the screaming is constant and the bird is also not eating, that's a different story.

Signs of Illness in Birds

Birds hide illness as a survival instinct — by the time they look sick, they may be very sick. Your sitter should watch for:

• Fluffed feathers for extended periods (not just while sleeping)
• Sitting at the bottom of the cage instead of perching
• Discharge from eyes or nostrils
• Changes in droppings — color, consistency, or frequency. Normal droppings have three parts: a solid dark portion (feces), a white portion (urates), and a liquid portion (urine). Changes in any of these can indicate illness.
• Labored breathing — tail bobbing with each breath is a red flag
• Not eating or drinking for more than 12 hours
• Sudden behavior changes — a normally vocal bird going silent, or a calm bird becoming aggressive

If your sitter notices any of these, the bird should see an avian vet — not a regular vet. Regular vets often lack bird-specific training. Include the name and number of your avian vet in the emergency contacts. For a complete guide on building that emergency contact list, see our pet emergency contact list.

Your Bird Sitter Checklist

Here's a quick-reference summary for your sitter:

Daily

• Fresh food and water (exact diet and amounts specified)
• Remove uneaten fresh food after 4 hours
• Replace cage liner
• Cover cage at [time] PM, uncover at [time] AM
• Interact with the bird for at least [duration]
• Check droppings for changes

Environment

• Room temperature 65–80°F
• No non-stick cookware while bird is home
• No candles, incense, aerosols, or air fresheners
• No drafts on the cage

Emergency

• Avian vet: [name and number]
• 24-hour emergency hospital: [name and number]
• Your number: [number]
• ASPCA Poison Control: (888) 426-4435

For a species-neutral checklist covering all the categories your sitter needs, see our complete pet sitter instructions checklist.

CareSheet Works for Birds Too

Most pet care tools are designed for dogs and cats. CareSheet isn't species-specific — your bird's feeding schedule, environment requirements, emergency contacts, and behavioral notes all have a place on a Care Sheet.

Your sitter opens one link on their phone and has everything: what to feed, what to avoid, when to cover the cage, who to call. It works offline, so even if your sitter is at your house with spotty Wi-Fi, the information is right there. See a live example to get a feel for the format.

Ready to set up your bird's Care Sheet? Create your free Care Sheet — it takes about five minutes, and your bird sitter will thank you for it.