My Ringneck is terrified of my pedestal fan

[Eralus]

I recently got a pedestal fan for my room, because obviously, I can't have the ceiling fan running with a flighted bird in the room. But he is absolutely terrified of the thing, to the point where he is unwilling to enter my room because he knows the fan is in there. And will fly around the room to the point of exhaustion if he gets near the fan.

I have tried giving treats and favorite foods nearby the fan, hanging toys and things he liked off it, and just simply having it in the room while he sits and plays, but nothing seems to be working. Does anyone know how I can show him that there's nothing to fear from this fan?

 

[noodles123]

Do you have to have a fan?
Many birds dislike the feather-ruffling sensation, and they are very sensitive to blowing air (due to temperature regulation issues).

 

[Eralus]

Do you have to have a fan?
Many birds dislike the feather-ruffling sensation, and they are very sensitive to blowing air (due to temperature regulation issues).

Yes, I need a fan. I live in Australia and summer is just around the corner. It's way too hot to not have some kind of fan running, and I won't use the ceiling fan when he's out because I'm scared of him flying into it.

He seems scared of it whether it's on or not. When I brought it home and realized he was afraid of it, I left it unplugged in the corner of the room in an attempt to get him used to the sight of it without it being in his space. I didn't get a different reaction when I eventually turned it on, just the same aversion to the sight of it.

 

[noodles123]

Smart to avoid ceiling fan (500%).
It could honestly take weeks for your bird to adjust (to the fan off, and/or moving)-- they can be super weird about stuff (especially in a new environment when they don't already have an established "flock"/person). Is it possible to do an AC window unit further from the bird?

 

[Eralus]

Smart to avoid ceiling fan (500%).
It could honestly take weeks for your bird to adjust (to the fan off, and/or moving)-- they can be super weird about stuff (especially in a new environment when they don't already have an established "flock"/person). Is it possible to do an AC window unit further from the bird?

Definitely possible, but an AC unit is a little out of my price range at the moment. All I really have for temp control is a fan...Would it be a bad idea to leave the fan in the same room as his cage? He might get used to the sight of it that way, but I don't want him to be afraid of his "safe space". As it is, as soon as I start walking down the hallway towards my room he gets flighty. I've moved the fan out of my room for the moment so hopefully, he realizes the scary thing isn't in here anymore. But I will need it eventually...

 

[noodles123]

You really don't want to have air hitting them for long periods. If it's 90 F, a spray bottle and some air can save a bird's life if they are used to cooler conditions, but long-term, you don't want a lot of blowing air on the bird.

 

[Eralus]

You really don't want to have air hitting them for long periods. If it's 90 F, a spray bottle and some air can save a bird's life if they are used to cooler conditions, but long-term, you don't want a lot of blowing air on the bird.

I don't mean to leave it on, just have it in the room.

 

[noodles123]

I am the last person to suggest anything smart-phone related (despite the fact that I am in my 30s....I just got rid of my flip phone.......)

BUT, if you could get some sort of Nest temperature monitor or something, maybe then you could better track their conditions in real-time? I know that gets expensive, but I was just thinking you could set alerts for high and low temperatures (in theory).

 

[Scott]

Many birds are justifiably afraid of bladed fans. If possible, might consider a "tower" fan that has no visible rotating objects. I don't own any but have seen them on display.

Representative pic of a variety of tower fans:

 

[Eralus]

Many birds are justifiably afraid of bladed fans. If possible, might consider a "tower" fan that has no visible rotating objects. I don't own any but have seen them on display.

Representative pic of a variety of tower fans:

I'll give them a go if I can find a reasonably priced one. I've started to wonder if it's the color. He seems to have a fear of my laundry basket too, though he hasn't had an issue with it until recently. The fan is a typical white fan, and the basket is the same