Scented candles

Unless it's scented with herbs and flowers I'd stay away. The chemicals and smut in candles make it dangerous, so many opt for soy candles with a cotton wick, or candle warmers. The ingredient 'fragrance' can be anything, and probably toxic.
 
Anything that could irritate your lungs if you breathed a lot of it could be a lot more harmful to birds. They are just that more sensitive.

I do not believe (at least I haven't seen) that there are any studies that really pinpoint what in a scented candle might be more harmful than other things. I think it is a mistake to assume that "natural" means "ok" -- pine-based cleaning solutions and amonia are both pretty harsh and they are naturally derived. I use scented candles in parts of the house where the birds aren't present and where the scent is not likely to travel to where they are. I tend to use relatively mild scents. To some extent, I suppose we are taking a risk with any scented product, but I think the risk can be pretty minimal depending on what, where and how it is used. Ventilation is pretty important. If you live in a ten acre mansion that's going to be a very different scenario than a studio apartment... where the dividing line is, is hard to say with certainty.

I use the rule of avoiding directly exposing my birds to any strongly scented product, but I will use them in parts of the house remote from the birds with good ventilation (use of vent fans) and semi-isolation (closing the door to their room and openin a window if the weather permits).
 

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