In Australia there is a vet who discusses light and birds extensively, especially how florescent lighting is harmful to birds and similar to giving them a seizure. It explains why birds react so poorly to lighting in certain rooms (like the vet). I'm glad yours are LED, obviously you are extremely knowledgable and consumers benefit by watching this video. Sadly, we have to be smart enough to think critically and know to look for it in the first place. We live in a society where we can never trust what we are told and need to do as much research as possible, which is time consuming, but the only option if you're going to take animals from the wild and domesticate them.
Thanks for the very informative video Mark - I was going to purchase an Arcadia light kit for one of my parrots and stumbled on your video just before I hit the buy button! - I'm so glad I did watch your video from start to finish, as you have proved to me there is no health benefit for my parrot, other than he develops cataracts from sitting under UV- being he already has health problems I will now steer clear of a UV lamp as I don't want to be adding to his ailments. Thanks again, Chris.
So I saw this a few weeks ago and decided to find out more. This is what I was told by an Avian Veterinarian with 25+ years of experience. First they said that often people who are against the UVA lights are typically not Avian Veterinarians and don't understand the feedback loop it triggers within the bird to have just a small little bit of UV light compared to none at all. I directly mentioned you using a meter to determine the light emitted. This was what i was told. There is gland just above the base of the birds tail that secrets oil that contains vitamin D pre-cursors. When the bird grooms it will spread that oil around on them and then ingest that oil. They said the amount of UV light needed to trigger the synthesis is very tiny. In fact a bird only needs to be in the real sun 3 hours an entire week to trigger enough synthesis to give them enough vitamin D. 60 hours a week under a UVA bulb may still not be as good as the sun but the veterinarians were very clear that in their practice and research it makes a big difference for birds. Particularly African Greys with suspected calcium deficiencies. They did say it was very bird breed specific and some birds (like Greys) will benefit greatly whereas others may not. They said it has to do with their natural habitat. In addition, the birds are also reacting to that tiny bit of light by spreading oil around more, and engaging behavior that keeps the synthesis going. The vet I spoke longest commented that the bulbs are so effective that sometimes birds will become hormonal and see a big change in behavior if they are new to the UV light. That is supported by many people on forums that say their birds become hormonal under the lights. I was also told that the birds pick up the UV in their eyes and that triggers behaviors critical to the synthesis. They said even at 5 feet away a bird will get a very tiny but noticeable benefit if they are in those lights all through the day every day. Turn them on when the sun goes up and then when the sun goes down. I would advise everyone to talk to a certified Avian Veterinarian who has experience in these areas. I'm sure some would directly contradict what mine said because even scientists disagree on so many things. One thing is for sure, they don't make money selling supplies or products of any kind so they have no ulterior motives to suggest to you where you should be spending your money. They also deal with hundreds of birds each year in a clinical setting where they run tests and lab work and have real data to support their conclusions. I don't want to sound harsh but my veterinarian literally scoffed at using a UV meter to reach a conclusion on the efficiency of the bulbs. They said it would be like using a floor scale to weigh your bird to see if it is under weight. It's just not calibrated to a degree where you can make a determination of effectiveness. The meter is not a bird and part of what these bulbs are doing is tricking the birds physiology into thinking the sun is there. I'm not saying you are wrong. I'm just saying I trust my veterinarians as they are some of the most knowledgeable in the country. I appreciate your efforts in trying to get to the truth.
To all my bird friends who are reading this. Please do not use any light with UVB on your birds unless you REALLY know what you are doing. Many studies have shown that species of parrots that we keep as pets eye are sensitive to UVB and overexposure will cause problems. Here is a published, peer reviewed study on the subject. If artificial UVB was healthy for pet birds my light would have it. royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rspb.2010.1100
There’s enough evidence to show that these lights are beneficial for some birds. To tell everyone absolutely do not buy them as someone that is not qualified to do so is irresponsible and possibly harmful. Trust your vets and the most up to date research. Not someone on UA-cam with a device they bought on the internet.
This is exactly what I was looking for and more! I was searching the internet to figure out the value of UVA/UVB lighting for birds, but could only find personal testimonials. I love how you presented the data, and structured the video. It was very clear and easy to understand. Thanks Mark!
Really interesting video but you haven't suggested any alternatives based on your own experiences. My take home from your video is don't purchase bulbs from companies that say they have full spectrum light, because it's false, but then should we be putting our pet birds next to a window throughout the day or is regular (non 'full-spectrum') lighting fine? What lighting set up do you use? Do you use regular bulbs or do you make your own set up like you did with your UVA LED experimental set up? It would be great to finish an informative video (or make notes in the description) with some alternatives that a concerned bird owner could consider.
Rachel Miller good idea. I actually manufacture such a light and other than mentioning my company name I did not make a pitch for it. I have been told that marketing rule #1 is don’t sell your product by running the competition down. But I’m just an engineer so....
I have one of these lights and my bird cage has a cover on the back to give my bird shade from the light if that is what it needs. Also, the cover is not directed at the full cage.
“If it keeps your bird healthy then it’s worth it” exactly what I was thinking whilst looking at sun lamp reviews, glad I saw this, just saved me nearly £100. Thank you 🙏
Ok, so I'm either misunderstanding when you're saying that it is impossible to produce UV light through electricity, or you contradicted yourself at 5:59, when you say you made a strip with UV lights. So I'm not convinced at this point.
ewink2 Edith Winkler: Musician, Composer, Mom, There are ways to produce artificial UV waves both in the A and B spectrums but It’s impossible to simulate natural sunlight which is much more complex. 1. Natural sunlight contains more EM wavelengths than artificial light plus the color spectrum of natural sunlight continuously changes throughout the day. 2. The amount of UV wavelengths in nature vary TREMENDOUSLY depending on the season, the clouds, the time of day and geographic location.
It's not impossible, that claim is false. That's why halogen bulbs need a filter over them, to block out the harmful UV they produce. Xenon, HPS, MH, and other arc lamps all produce UV. (using electricity) They also make UV LEDs in different wavelengths.
Hi Mark! I thought I'd 'try' to watch your video, even though I happen to love my bird's lamp and feel 100% secure in its use. Then early in, it seemed you were against what I'm using, so I was about to stop the video... then saw a familiar link & followed it, to find YOU are who I buy my lamps from LOL!!! M&M is fantastic. I was afraid you were going to give THEM a bad review; so glad I watched and want to thank you!!!
I was wondering why none of the reputable bird channels were talking about UV Full Spectrum lighting. But some of the lame ones were going “You HAVE to get UV full spectrum lighting!” So now I’m thinking it’s kind of another scam, kind of like pellets. Now bird owners are doing all of this stuff, repeating the same nonsense, and actually harming their birds. It’s sad we can’t really trust vets either. But I worked at a (regular/human) hospital in health care for almost a decade, so I’m fully aware that you can’t trust the medical profession, they’re all getting their info from the same publications funded by the companies selling these products
i have never used any lighting for my green cheek conure and she is 10 years old only been in normal room light shes as healhy as the day i got her and never had any issues so far. i believe most or all of whats best for them is a varied diet. i do have a bearded dragon that everyone knows requires the uva uvb lighting too supposidly since these bulbs dont hardly have any real output i wonder if its doing more harm than good to his eyes as well....
Very Informative, thanks for posting this. My ringneck dove likes to walk into the sun, sit for hours and STARE directly into the sun. Complete trance state. She is an old indoor bird though, so maybe she needs more sun.
My general stand is that you are better off staying away from it. UVA does no harm to a bird. Birds actually can see UVA making their world more colorful. Weather or not this affects their mental of physical health has not been studied vey much. UVB is a very long subject with many differing beliefs. There was a study done on African grays that showed an increase is vitamin D and calcium but the biologists were not able to repeat the results on other species. (Vitamin D and calcium can be obtained through diet) We do know without doubt that birds eyes are sensitive to UVB and overexposure causes cataracts and blindness
thanks for the research. there is so much confusing "debates" about this topic. I decided on that a 5000K bulb with a 98 CRI was the best for my birds. BUT STILL NOT SURE!! lol.
Very interesting,,tell me about your lights,can you dim them..are u aware how many I can run on the tc420 dimmer..and how long do yours last ,,do they haveuva ,uvb or just full spectrum
To protect myself from liability I will not answer yes or no To determine if it is I will say that it has been scientifically proven that a birds eyes are sensitive to UVB royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rspb.2010.1100 and can lead to cataracts or blindness. Also, if you have a parrot it WILL chew on the light’s power cord. If the light is powered by full line voltage (115VAC in North America and 230VAC everywhere else) it will kill the bird. To read more. www.breedingcage.com/pages/education
Wait, now I'm catching on - I missed it at first, the guy is selling bulbs and fixtures. Why would anyone subject a bird to UVB rays for the length of a day? Birds are subject to the full sun for up to 16 hours in some regions. One thing I think would help - at the start of the video you said "I will provide the data" or something like that. It would be helpful if you did that - simple links in the description, etc. or even just post the references in the video and we'll go look it up ourselves. I heard a lot of what sound like sophistries - plausible sounding but fallacious reasoning, and a promise of data unfullfilled. It leaves more questions than it answers really?
Not unless you spent a lot of time close up to it. UV is the reason we wear sunscreen and UV blocking sunglasses. Now, if one were to break, the powdery stuff on the inside is a mixture of phosphor and it is toxic. If one would break over your bird cage there is not a lot of hope for the bird.
Ive got a uvb light on my macaws even if it dosent produce UV I'm gonna leave it they're for some light anyway, but it's a bulb meant for reptiles with 5 uvb and some people tell me they shouldn't have reptile bulbs, is this true
Yes, one of the bulbs I tested in the video produced UV. They are repackaged reptile bulbs. These build when used improperly cause cataracts and blindness in birds. royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rspb.2010.1100
Great video and the fact that the marketing companies saying that uvb is harmfull thats irritating since the uvb is responsible for vitamin d production in our bodies. That being said We need Light bulbs with full spectrum and with uv as well since that Will help with s.a.d disorder as well. But do you know where could We find such bulbs? Thanks
Ronni Zag. Thank you for the comments Ronni. Unfortunately there are no lamps that simulate natural sunlight, the point of the video was to show that’s it is beyond the laws of physics for artificial light to simulate natural sunlight. So then how have humans been keeping captive birds for centuries? Well obviously the claims that birds can’t survive without it are made by people who want to sell $2 lamps for $30
Thank you for making this video because we were always weary about this light stuff in cages. We were going to get a light for our Conure Parrot's cage because everyone said it's the right thing to do. After seeing this video, now we are wondering if it's a good thing to have in the cage with our bearded dragon. What's your though on that? What would you do if you had a bearded dragon? Thank you again for filling people like me in on this light business.
I wish I had seen this a couple of months ago. The rescue I got my bird from insisted that I get a full spectrum light, even though I have a large sunny window in the room the birds are in. Well I bought one of these and it finally came in the mail. I set it up. Guess what? It’s SUPER blindingly bright, and I’m like, wow, this is crazy! My birds are blinking and trying to get away from it. It so bright. But, like you said, “If it keeps my bird healthy”, right? Now my parrotlet is screaming and super hormonal. This fricken light is coming down. Stupid people at this rescue gave me so much bad information and INSISTED I do all of these things, I really thought they knew what they see talking about. They’re just getting their info from the Internet too. Anyway, you’re right, don’t waste your time and money. Birds just need regular sunlight!
Thankio so much Mike for all info u posted about lighting , I personally having a prb to choose a right bulb but now i think i just gonna get the $2 from HD
Near the 6:20 mark of your video where you show that your UV meter works by placing it under the LED UV strip you made, the meter's display isn't visible. I've played that portion back several times and can't see it.
Great video, thank you. Maybe I missed something, but what about the lights you sell, don't they hurt the bird eye, kept that clos in the cage. I have also understood, that birds see the pulses of the led lights unless the frequency is high enough. Is that nonsence, too? My third question is, do birds suffer in an enclousure that has a multilayer thermo glass roof (insulation) during the winter times, do you know? These are questions I have been looking answers for a year without finding any😅. Thanks! Oh, and do you ship up to Finland?
It’s only UVB that bird’s eyes are sensitive to and my lights do not contain UVB. If you think it might be too bright that is the advantage of LED’s, the light is generated by over 100 diodes each at 1/100th of the intensity of conventional bulbs. I have heard about the flickering theory about LED’s. The only way that I can imaging LED’s flickering is the AC (alternating current) ones that may flicked every time the current alternates (50 or 60 times per second) but every light does that. If you look at a city at night from a long ways away you can see the flicker. My LED’s are DC (direct current) so I can’t imagine what would cause a solid state diode to flicker. I can’t imagine how thermo glass would harm a bird. If you are thinking that it will filter out the UVB all glass filters UVB. Also, there is little or no UVB in winter.
@@markschack5668 Thank you for your reply! Ok, I missed the point of the UVB - part.. I find it a bit weird the fact that if you think about the incidences of skin cancer and the truk drivers. They say their left arms are one part of the body which is exposed to sunlight through the left side windows while they are driving, and since the glass shield is filtering the uvb but uva goes through, they are more prone to get the skin cancer. Then the fact, that the sun creams filter the uva but not the uvb. Also what about if both uv rays from the sun are needed to generate vit d, then how do these things fit in the picture? What is your opinion? I haven't yet looked up any studies about these matters, but this is how I have gathered things. Yes, the thing about the flicking light makes sense. If there is a converter, it might slow down the emission rate so, that it is like a nonstop strobo/disco for the poor animals. I think it was studied with parakeets that about 900 flicks per second was the frequency where they no longer could see the flicking. I m not sure if I remember correctly, though.
I find scientists (actually we’re all scientists) very attractive, it’s just observation and measuring results. As you can tell, I keep posting as thigggts pop into my head. I just saw a uva uvb meter reader on amazon for $161, then there’s a more expensive one. I am trying to learn the difference and am hoping you can teach on this in another video
Isn’t uvb light helps with production of vit d and synthesis of calcium. I mean I wouldn’t compare a parrot to a human as they do need different stuff in order to be healthy, not forgetting the fact skin and feathers are completely different thing. I do agree with people misusing the lamps as those should not be one for a whole day it’s like sitting on a direct sun everyday which is not healthy to a human what to say to any animal…
There was one study on African Grey parrots that showed a production of vitamin D using UVB but the author was not able to reproduce the results in Amazon parrots. There is more than one study however that shows parrots eyes are sensitive to UVB to the point of causing damage. Vitamin D can be given through diet. www.breedingcage.com/blogs/news/uv-and-its-affects-on-caged-birds www.breedingcage.com/blogs/news/cautions-about-uvb-and-birds
Brilliant video. I've been looking to get a 'health lamp' for my parrot. Having seen your video, I don't think I'm going to bother. You've saved me £100 :)
Since I work R&D in an optical company, I feel I have to weigh in here. To be precise, it isn't "physically impossible" to generate simulated sunlight from electricity. However, it is in fact "technically impossible" with the technology available to humankind in the year 2022 to do so in the context of anything that would even come close to being reasonable for a home appliance with regards to size and cost. And this isn't likely to change in the next couple of decades. So I would say you are correct in terms of the conclusions you draw, but not quite correct in the semantics you use.
its very interesting and this clearly not a boring experiment with a bald man. ^.^ Actually i have been tried to collect information about Full Spectrum for my Plants, Some Expert recommended it to me.
Rachel Walker it is true that plants require EM wavelengths in the orange/red spectrum to perform photosynthesis but a light for a plant does not have to emit only those wavelengths. Those reddish type of grow lights are for plant nurseries and marijuana growers who are concerned with rapid growth. I (and a lot of my customers) use my light for plants) but to be 100% honest there are better. www.amazon.com/SANSI-Houseplants-Commercial-Hydroponic-Horticulture/dp/B07KXBY2YH/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?keywords=SANSI+15W+LED+Grow+Light+Bulb&qid=1576148261&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFGSzdIMlA5OEQ2TUgmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTA5Mzg4MTYyR0M4V0JEUlMyNlREJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA0MTY5NTUzSDUyRVRXREY1UThLJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfcGhvbmVfc2VhcmNoX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=
@@markschack5668 Thanks for the reply... I really enjoyed your video but still felt confused about whether or not to purchase full spectrum light bulbs for my plants. For my case, I recently moved to a new apartment that's in a basement and my house plants are suffering. I dont need lights for "rapid growth" but simply to just maintain their health. I tried using a red/blue plant light but its bothering me and turns the whole room purple. I was hoping with full spectrum, my plants could still get the red/blue without changing the overall color of the room. From your video, I understand that full spectrum bulbs are definitely not "full" literally... but still they do have red/blue and green also right?
@@markschack5668 Maybe u can test them and compare them, they should be without any UVB or UVA but the Websites tells you can produce VItaminD, which SHOULD for safety not produce any UV
I must be a rare gal, i’ve watched 10 hour videos on y t specifically, “tricksofthestrades” channel. My attention span is gigantic if i’m watching something newsworthy like you young bald handsome man 😂
You state at the beginning that it is impossible to convert electricity to UV yet we convert electricity to many other electromagnetic spectra. Then you detect UV however faint from the bulbs. You also state that birds get cataracts from UV which I know from personal experience (my own eyes) can happen but how can it happen if the bulbs don't emit UV light?
I said it’s impossible to turn electricity into “natural sunlight” not UV. Throughout the rest of the video I define the presence of UV in nature compared to bulbs that contain UV. Researchers have proven that birds eyes are sensitive to UV royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2010.1100
Thank God I live in Arizona where we have sun everyday and now I can save myself some money. The sad thing is, we believe our vets and how can you trust them again. The problem I have is, and I do understand the science, but what does your lights do for our feathered friends. That's the science I want to know. You didn't really help.
yes, well youtube viewers may have small attention spans, but is that really the issue? Or is it possible that youtube creators, instinctively think that their video will be the centre of the viewer's universe? For me, personally, I skip a lot of videos because I am after a specific piece of information. If the information is NOT flowing thick and fast I will often skip through or just go to the next video in the list of search results. Modern youtube videos should be created with special attention to keeping A moderately fast rhythm. While creating a video, one should try to give it a rhythm that does not change too much or get too slow. I'm not talking about a musical or audio, but rather the pace of information contained in such videos. I'm not criticising this video, I've not even finished watching the video. I also suffer from similar flaws in my own videos. For e.g. a creator will often take a minute or so to explain 'why' he or she even made the video. Most people, even if it's their first time on youtube, don't care about 'why' the video was made, only 'whats' in the video. It's really not so unreasonable to feel the urge to skip when faced with such videos. I'm not so sure that component of behaviour actually suggest that youtube viewers have an attention span one way or another. I think that youtube is still juvenile. It has moved beyond infancy and is now a teenager learning how to position its self in the world. Eventually, both creators and viewers will find equilibrium. I hope!
All true, but I’m an engineer therefore there is little hope for a fast moving exciting video from me 😀 I’m just geeky me in all my videos and always will be.
Thanks for the chuckle testtrack, I actually found this this very amusing and the answer is no 😀 I know I do it...I try to stop it...but I can’t and I’m too old to change 😀 Interesting story, I recently was editing a vide for Instagram and couldn’t get it under a minute so I tried speeding it up 2x. When I saw the result I said, “holy &@&$!!!! I actually sound normal!!!!”
I feel so sorry for those poor little little birdies that don't have any toys, or anything, in their cages. Mark, I hope you don't keep them in the cages all the time like that. Do you let them out to fly and play? Birds need so much more than food, drink and proper lighting. They need entertainment, and socializing with other birds and / or people.
Roxy M, the birds behind me are canaries. Canaries don’t play with toys and are not tame so it would be harmful for the bird to let them out. They have been kept as pets for centuries and are quite happy to just eat and sing.
I have a ringneck dove, my dove will live up to 20 years with me than out in the wild. Some bird's life span is so short out in the wild then kept in a home environment. When growing up we had canaries and they sang and loved to see the comings and goings in the house. Also they lived very long
Thank you for this video i have two birds that reside in my bathroom no windows.. I have been researching bulbs this video saved me a lot of money and a waste of time. And ps i watched the whole video ;)
So awful, to keep beautiful little birds in a hideous bathroom with no window, bo natural light, no ability to even look out the windows at the sky, the trees, the flowers and other birdlife outside. How cruel is this!
The only humane way to have specifically parrots is to allow them to be out of cages for significant part of the day. What you said about bathroom is terrible. Also, if there is any possibility, it is good to expose birds to natural sunlight. Maybe to periodically move cages outside when it's warm enough or to have a screened shed outside when birds can fly and be exposed to a fresh air too.
Brilliant video. I've been looking to get a 'health lamp' for my parrot. Having seen your video, I don't think I'm going to bother. You've saved me £100 :)
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In Australia there is a vet who discusses light and birds extensively, especially how florescent lighting is harmful to birds and similar to giving them a seizure. It explains why birds react so poorly to lighting in certain rooms (like the vet). I'm glad yours are LED, obviously you are extremely knowledgable and consumers benefit by watching this video. Sadly, we have to be smart enough to think critically and know to look for it in the first place. We live in a society where we can never trust what we are told and need to do as much research as possible, which is time consuming, but the only option if you're going to take animals from the wild and domesticate them.
Thanks for the very informative video Mark - I was going to purchase an Arcadia light kit for one of my parrots and stumbled on your video just before I hit the buy button! - I'm so glad I did watch your video from start to finish, as you have proved to me there is no health benefit for my parrot, other than he develops cataracts from sitting under UV- being he already has health problems I will now steer clear of a UV lamp as I don't want to be adding to his ailments. Thanks again, Chris.
So I saw this a few weeks ago and decided to find out more. This is what I was told by an Avian Veterinarian with 25+ years of experience. First they said that often people who are against the UVA lights are typically not Avian Veterinarians and don't understand the feedback loop it triggers within the bird to have just a small little bit of UV light compared to none at all. I directly mentioned you using a meter to determine the light emitted. This was what i was told.
There is gland just above the base of the birds tail that secrets oil that contains vitamin D pre-cursors. When the bird grooms it will spread that oil around on them and then ingest that oil. They said the amount of UV light needed to trigger the synthesis is very tiny. In fact a bird only needs to be in the real sun 3 hours an entire week to trigger enough synthesis to give them enough vitamin D. 60 hours a week under a UVA bulb may still not be as good as the sun but the veterinarians were very clear that in their practice and research it makes a big difference for birds. Particularly African Greys with suspected calcium deficiencies. They did say it was very bird breed specific and some birds (like Greys) will benefit greatly whereas others may not. They said it has to do with their natural habitat.
In addition, the birds are also reacting to that tiny bit of light by spreading oil around more, and engaging behavior that keeps the synthesis going. The vet I spoke longest commented that the bulbs are so effective that sometimes birds will become hormonal and see a big change in behavior if they are new to the UV light. That is supported by many people on forums that say their birds become hormonal under the lights. I was also told that the birds pick up the UV in their eyes and that triggers behaviors critical to the synthesis. They said even at 5 feet away a bird will get a very tiny but noticeable benefit if they are in those lights all through the day every day. Turn them on when the sun goes up and then when the sun goes down.
I would advise everyone to talk to a certified Avian Veterinarian who has experience in these areas. I'm sure some would directly contradict what mine said because even scientists disagree on so many things. One thing is for sure, they don't make money selling supplies or products of any kind so they have no ulterior motives to suggest to you where you should be spending your money. They also deal with hundreds of birds each year in a clinical setting where they run tests and lab work and have real data to support their conclusions. I don't want to sound harsh but my veterinarian literally scoffed at using a UV meter to reach a conclusion on the efficiency of the bulbs. They said it would be like using a floor scale to weigh your bird to see if it is under weight. It's just not calibrated to a degree where you can make a determination of effectiveness. The meter is not a bird and part of what these bulbs are doing is tricking the birds physiology into thinking the sun is there. I'm not saying you are wrong. I'm just saying I trust my veterinarians as they are some of the most knowledgeable in the country. I appreciate your efforts in trying to get to the truth.
To all my bird friends who are reading this. Please do not use any light with UVB on your birds unless you REALLY know what you are doing. Many studies have shown that species of parrots that we keep as pets eye are sensitive to UVB and overexposure will cause problems. Here is a published, peer reviewed study on the subject. If artificial UVB was healthy for pet birds my light would have it.
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rspb.2010.1100
There’s enough evidence to show that these lights are beneficial for some birds. To tell everyone absolutely do not buy them as someone that is not qualified to do so is irresponsible and possibly harmful. Trust your vets and the most up to date research. Not someone on UA-cam with a device they bought on the internet.
I see now, you sell an alternative. How convenient
This is exactly what I was looking for and more! I was searching the internet to figure out the value of UVA/UVB lighting for birds, but could only find personal testimonials. I love how you presented the data, and structured the video. It was very clear and easy to understand. Thanks Mark!
Really interesting video but you haven't suggested any alternatives based on your own experiences. My take home from your video is don't purchase bulbs from companies that say they have full spectrum light, because it's false, but then should we be putting our pet birds next to a window throughout the day or is regular (non 'full-spectrum') lighting fine? What lighting set up do you use? Do you use regular bulbs or do you make your own set up like you did with your UVA LED experimental set up? It would be great to finish an informative video (or make notes in the description) with some alternatives that a concerned bird owner could consider.
Rachel Miller good idea. I actually manufacture such a light and other than mentioning my company name I did not make a pitch for it. I have been told that marketing rule #1 is don’t sell your product by running the competition down. But I’m just an engineer so....
Mark Schack what's the link to your product?
www.breedingcage.com
windows wont work, it blocks full spectrum, so no benefit
Thanks Mark for the information because I was getting ready to purchase a so called "Full spectrum light" from an On-Line Website!
Great Video Mark & thanks for your findings. What was the result of your 2 year experiment with the UV LEDs ?
I always wanted to know how long it takes for a bald man to screw in a light bulb.😂 thanks for the video
I have one of these lights and my bird cage has a cover on the back to give my bird shade from the light if that is what it needs. Also, the cover is not directed at the full cage.
“If it keeps your bird healthy then it’s worth it” exactly what I was thinking whilst looking at sun lamp reviews, glad I saw this, just saved me nearly £100. Thank you 🙏
Get a tube reptile light. 5.0 uvb. It mimics sun and production of vitamin d for parrots. Put about 10inches above cage
Pro trick: watch movies on KaldroStream. I've been using them for watching loads of movies during the lockdown.
@Malachi Gus Definitely, have been watching on KaldroStream for since december myself :D
Ok, so I'm either misunderstanding when you're saying that it is impossible to produce UV light through electricity, or you contradicted yourself at 5:59, when you say you made a strip with UV lights. So I'm not convinced at this point.
ewink2 Edith Winkler: Musician, Composer, Mom, There are ways to produce artificial UV waves both in the A and B spectrums but It’s impossible to simulate natural sunlight which is much more complex.
1. Natural sunlight contains more EM wavelengths than artificial light plus the color spectrum of natural sunlight continuously changes throughout the day.
2. The amount of UV wavelengths in nature vary TREMENDOUSLY depending on the season, the clouds, the time of day and geographic location.
It's not impossible, that claim is false. That's why halogen bulbs need a filter over them, to block out the harmful UV they produce.
Xenon, HPS, MH, and other arc lamps all produce UV. (using electricity)
They also make UV LEDs in different wavelengths.
Hi Mark! I thought I'd 'try' to watch your video, even though I happen to love my bird's lamp and feel 100% secure in its use. Then early in, it seemed you were against what I'm using, so I was about to stop the video... then saw a familiar link & followed it, to find YOU are who I buy my lamps from LOL!!! M&M is fantastic. I was afraid you were going to give THEM a bad review; so glad I watched and want to thank you!!!
I was wondering why none of the reputable bird channels were talking about UV Full Spectrum lighting. But some of the lame ones were going “You HAVE to get UV full spectrum lighting!” So now I’m thinking it’s kind of another scam, kind of like pellets. Now bird owners are doing all of this stuff, repeating the same nonsense, and actually harming their birds. It’s sad we can’t really trust vets either. But I worked at a (regular/human) hospital in health care for almost a decade, so I’m fully aware that you can’t trust the medical profession, they’re all getting their info from the same publications funded by the companies selling these products
Could you elaborate on "pellet scam"?
i have never used any lighting for my green cheek conure and she is 10 years old only been in normal room light shes as healhy as the day i got her and never had any issues so far. i believe most or all of whats best for them is a varied diet. i do have a bearded dragon that everyone knows requires the uva uvb lighting too supposidly since these bulbs dont hardly have any real output i wonder if its doing more harm than good to his eyes as well....
Wish I had seen this before purchasing!!!!! I'm sure bird tricks trainers were recently saying the same thi my recently!!
Very Informative, thanks for posting this. My ringneck dove likes to walk into the sun, sit for hours and STARE directly into the sun. Complete trance state. She is an old indoor bird though, so maybe she needs more sun.
Shannon Wing they absorb vitamin D with their eyes, google it :)
I am watching this because i want to get a uvb light for my ringnecked dove! Hes not eating so it was suggested he get uvb light
I'm looking for an alternative lot source to treat the winter Blues any suggestions would be great thank you so much for this thorough video
I find you’re teaching video extremely important valuable and intelligent because i like facts and evidence. You are very amazing
Mark, can you clarify if UV light in general is basically useless for birds?
My general stand is that you are better off staying away from it.
UVA does no harm to a bird. Birds actually can see UVA making their world more colorful. Weather or not this affects their mental of physical health has not been studied vey much.
UVB is a very long subject with many differing beliefs. There was a study done on African grays that showed an increase is vitamin D and calcium but the biologists were not able to repeat the results on other species. (Vitamin D and calcium can be obtained through diet)
We do know without doubt that birds eyes are sensitive to UVB and overexposure causes cataracts and blindness
thanks for the research. there is so much confusing "debates" about this topic. I decided on that a 5000K bulb with a 98 CRI was the best for my birds. BUT STILL NOT SURE!! lol.
Thank you for caring, educating in a world with too much fraud ignorant followers
Can you post the link to the proper lights that you get
www.breedingcage.com
Thank you Mark!
Found that very interesting Mark, i watched the whole thing, i will not get my birds a bulb :)
Very interesting,,tell me about your lights,can you dim them..are u aware how many I can run on the tc420 dimmer..and how long do yours last ,,do they haveuva ,uvb or just full spectrum
This is super helpful. Thank u for making and sharing this.
I got the Arcadia puresun contact kit from my cocktails. Is that safe to use?
To protect myself from liability I will not answer yes or no
To determine if it is I will say that it has been scientifically proven that a birds eyes are sensitive to UVB royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rspb.2010.1100 and can lead to cataracts or blindness.
Also, if you have a parrot it WILL chew on the light’s power cord. If the light is powered by full line voltage (115VAC in North America and 230VAC everywhere else) it will kill the bird.
To read more. www.breedingcage.com/pages/education
what lights would you suggest inplace ?
www.breedingcage.com
excellent video, this should have way more views and be shared amonst bird owners.
LEP are spot on in spectrum.
Thank you for your invention!
What was the brand and model of the home depot light?
Phillips was the brand. Not sure what the model was. If I remember correctly from 3 years ago it was cool white or around 6000K
@@markschack5668 Thanks
Thank you, sir, for this accurate analysis and also for saving my hard earn money because I was about to buy those stuff.
Wait, now I'm catching on - I missed it at first, the guy is selling bulbs and fixtures. Why would anyone subject a bird to UVB rays for the length of a day? Birds are subject to the full sun for up to 16 hours in some regions. One thing I think would help - at the start of the video you said "I will provide the data" or something like that. It would be helpful if you did that - simple links in the description, etc. or even just post the references in the video and we'll go look it up ourselves. I heard a lot of what sound like sophistries - plausible sounding but fallacious reasoning, and a promise of data unfullfilled. It leaves more questions than it answers really?
Birds need natural sun light and darkness to sleep.
My bird is afraid of the dark .
So if we have these lights in our houses are they harmful to us as well? I had an avian bulb that broke recently and it was blinding
Not unless you spent a lot of time close up to it. UV is the reason we wear sunscreen and UV blocking sunglasses. Now, if one were to break, the powdery stuff on the inside is a mixture of phosphor and it is toxic. If one would break over your bird cage there is not a lot of hope for the bird.
Ive got a uvb light on my macaws even if it dosent produce UV I'm gonna leave it they're for some light anyway, but it's a bulb meant for reptiles with 5 uvb and some people tell me they shouldn't have reptile bulbs, is this true
Yes, it is true. Here is a link to one study.
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rspb.2010.1100
Thank you for this very accurate info I was going to buy one Thank you
Great video what lights would you all say is good for birds
www.breedingcage.com
you tested few of the bulbs but my question is...is there any bulb that really does have UVA and UVB?
Yes, one of the bulbs I tested in the video produced UV. They are repackaged reptile bulbs. These build when used improperly cause cataracts and blindness in birds. royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rspb.2010.1100
thank you Mark. Awesome work , keep it up
Thank you, I found your video to be very helpful
Thank you for showing us good sir!
Bald guy screwing bulbs in = ASMR
You're doing fine man ;)
Great video and the fact that the marketing companies saying that uvb is harmfull thats irritating since the uvb is responsible for vitamin d production in our bodies. That being said We need Light bulbs with full spectrum and with uv as well since that Will help with s.a.d disorder as well. But do you know where could We find such bulbs? Thanks
Ronni Zag. Thank you for the comments Ronni. Unfortunately there are no lamps that simulate natural sunlight, the point of the video was to show that’s it is beyond the laws of physics for artificial light to simulate natural sunlight. So then how have humans been keeping captive birds for centuries? Well obviously the claims that birds can’t survive without it are made by people who want to sell $2 lamps for $30
@@markschack5668 yeah totaly agree some things cannot be reproduced exactly as nature works because nature is perfect
amazing video thanks for all the info and research you put into this
Jack Lame thank you for the compliment Jack
Thanks for a great video. I did watch the whole video.
Thank you for making this video because we were always weary about this light stuff in cages. We were going to get a light for our Conure Parrot's cage because everyone said it's the right thing to do. After seeing this video, now we are wondering if it's a good thing to have in the cage with our bearded dragon. What's your though on that? What would you do if you had a bearded dragon?
Thank you again for filling people like me in on this light business.
I wish I had seen this a couple of months ago. The rescue I got my bird from insisted that I get a full spectrum light, even though I have a large sunny window in the room the birds are in. Well I bought one of these and it finally came in the mail. I set it up. Guess what? It’s SUPER blindingly bright, and I’m like, wow, this is crazy! My birds are blinking and trying to get away from it. It so bright. But, like you said, “If it keeps my bird healthy”, right? Now my parrotlet is screaming and super hormonal. This fricken light is coming down. Stupid people at this rescue gave me so much bad information and INSISTED I do all of these things, I really thought they knew what they see talking about. They’re just getting their info from the Internet too. Anyway, you’re right, don’t waste your time and money. Birds just need regular sunlight!
The birds themselves go directly as close as possible to these lamps and literally "sun bath" under it...
Thankio so much Mike for all info u posted about lighting , I personally having a prb to choose a right bulb but now i think i just gonna get the $2 from HD
What do you recommend to use? Is being next to a window part of the day ok?
Near the 6:20 mark of your video where you show that your UV meter works by placing it under the LED UV strip you made, the meter's display isn't visible. I've played that portion back several times and can't see it.
It's visible on my screen. It reads between 00.3 and 00.5
Great video, thank you. Maybe I missed something, but what about the lights you sell, don't they hurt the bird eye, kept that clos in the cage. I have also understood, that birds see the pulses of the led lights unless the frequency is high enough. Is that nonsence, too? My third question is, do birds suffer in an enclousure that has a multilayer thermo glass roof (insulation) during the winter times, do you know? These are questions I have been looking answers for a year without finding any😅. Thanks! Oh, and do you ship up to Finland?
It’s only UVB that bird’s eyes are sensitive to and my lights do not contain UVB. If you think it might be too bright that is the advantage of LED’s, the light is generated by over 100 diodes each at 1/100th of the intensity of conventional bulbs.
I have heard about the flickering theory about LED’s. The only way that I can imaging LED’s flickering is the AC (alternating current) ones that may flicked every time the current alternates (50 or 60 times per second) but every light does that. If you look at a city at night from a long ways away you can see the flicker. My LED’s are DC (direct current) so I can’t imagine what would cause a solid state diode to flicker.
I can’t imagine how thermo glass would harm a bird. If you are thinking that it will filter out the UVB all glass filters UVB. Also, there is little or no UVB in winter.
@@markschack5668 Thank you for your reply!
Ok, I missed the point of the UVB - part.. I find it a bit weird the fact that if you think about the incidences of skin cancer and the truk drivers. They say their left arms are one part of the body which is exposed to sunlight through the left side windows while they are driving, and since the glass shield is filtering the uvb but uva goes through, they are more prone to get the skin cancer. Then the fact, that the sun creams filter the uva but not the uvb. Also what about if both uv rays from the sun are needed to generate vit d, then how do these things fit in the picture? What is your opinion? I haven't yet looked up any studies about these matters, but this is how I have gathered things.
Yes, the thing about the flicking light makes sense. If there is a converter, it might slow down the emission rate so, that it is like a nonstop strobo/disco for the poor animals. I think it was studied with parakeets that about 900 flicks per second was the frequency where they no longer could see the flicking. I m not sure if I remember correctly, though.
Ok but what if your meter is broken?
Thanks for this video! I always do my research on products that have significant importance/consequences. You've saved me good money.
Thank you. Payday i’m buying your product
Awesome
Great video, thank you ...
Thank you🙏🏼⭐️
I find scientists (actually we’re all scientists) very attractive, it’s just observation and measuring results. As you can tell, I keep posting as thigggts pop into my head. I just saw a uva uvb meter reader on amazon for $161, then there’s a more expensive one. I am trying to learn the difference and am hoping you can teach on this in another video
Oh my God,
I didn't know all this about UV lamps,
Thank u soso much,
May God always bless U & your birds
You are good at research work
Science🏆 I will make sure to get my bird outside more🙏🏼😊 Thank you for taking the time to educate us 💎🧐🎓
Isn’t uvb light helps with production of vit d and synthesis of calcium.
I mean I wouldn’t compare a parrot to a human as they do need different stuff in order to be healthy, not forgetting the fact skin and feathers are completely different thing.
I do agree with people misusing the lamps as those should not be one for a whole day it’s like sitting on a direct sun everyday which is not healthy to a human what to say to any animal…
There was one study on African Grey parrots that showed a production of vitamin D using UVB but the author was not able to reproduce the results in Amazon parrots.
There is more than one study however that shows parrots eyes are sensitive to UVB to the point of causing damage.
Vitamin D can be given through diet.
www.breedingcage.com/blogs/news/uv-and-its-affects-on-caged-birds
www.breedingcage.com/blogs/news/cautions-about-uvb-and-birds
Brilliant video. I've been looking to get a 'health lamp' for my parrot. Having seen your video, I don't think I'm going to bother. You've saved me £100 :)
Since I work R&D in an optical company, I feel I have to weigh in here. To be precise, it isn't "physically impossible" to generate simulated sunlight from electricity. However, it is in fact "technically impossible" with the technology available to humankind in the year 2022 to do so in the context of anything that would even come close to being reasonable for a home appliance with regards to size and cost. And this isn't likely to change in the next couple of decades. So I would say you are correct in terms of the conclusions you draw, but not quite correct in the semantics you use.
😁 now I know what it’s like to talk to me 😁
I was wondering what kind of soft food you feed? Or food in general?
SadiesMer I feed Abba seed, Cede egg food, Zupreem pellets, these are available at all times. Then 3 times per week I give egg/broccoli mix.
Mark Schack thank you a bunch!!
its very interesting and this clearly not a boring experiment with a bald man. ^.^
Actually i have been tried to collect information about Full Spectrum for my Plants, Some Expert recommended it to me.
LED LIGHTS DON'T give off any UVB
direct sunlight is the way to go no lamp could replace morning sun😛
I was going to buy full spectrum light bulbs for plant growing bcz the blue/red lights hurt my eyes 🙈
Rachel Walker it is true that plants require EM wavelengths in the orange/red spectrum to perform photosynthesis but a light for a plant does not have to emit only those wavelengths. Those reddish type of grow lights are for plant nurseries and marijuana growers who are concerned with rapid growth. I (and a lot of my customers) use my light for plants) but to be 100% honest there are better. www.amazon.com/SANSI-Houseplants-Commercial-Hydroponic-Horticulture/dp/B07KXBY2YH/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?keywords=SANSI+15W+LED+Grow+Light+Bulb&qid=1576148261&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFGSzdIMlA5OEQ2TUgmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTA5Mzg4MTYyR0M4V0JEUlMyNlREJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA0MTY5NTUzSDUyRVRXREY1UThLJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfcGhvbmVfc2VhcmNoX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=
@@markschack5668 Thanks for the reply... I really enjoyed your video but still felt confused about whether or not to purchase full spectrum light bulbs for my plants. For my case, I recently moved to a new apartment that's in a basement and my house plants are suffering. I dont need lights for "rapid growth" but simply to just maintain their health. I tried using a red/blue plant light but its bothering me and turns the whole room purple. I was hoping with full spectrum, my plants could still get the red/blue without changing the overall color of the room. From your video, I understand that full spectrum bulbs are definitely not "full" literally... but still they do have red/blue and green also right?
Rachel Walker look at the link I sent you. It’s an example of a more natural light that has needed spectrum for plant growth.
@@markschack5668 thanks
thank you,top man!
Tube lights for reptile are best for parrots at the safe distance. If your looking for sun alternatives
nice man :D straight to the point
Wtf why gets my question deleted all the time?!?
I don’t delete any questions.
@@markschack5668 i was telling about a brand from germany which shows LED-Lightbulbs with over 160hz with a Warranty of 8 Years
@@markschack5668 Maybe u can test them and compare them, they should be without any UVB or UVA but the Websites tells you can produce VItaminD, which SHOULD for safety not produce any UV
I just started selling in Germany. I would love to get one of them to test.
@@markschack5668 sadly everytime i put the name on youtube deletes it (tageslichtlampen24........)
I must be a rare gal, i’ve watched 10 hour videos on y t specifically, “tricksofthestrades” channel. My attention span is gigantic if i’m watching something newsworthy like you young bald handsome man 😂
❤️ my new best friend ❤️
Interesting... Nice vid
nice video
You state at the beginning that it is impossible to convert electricity to UV yet we convert electricity to many other electromagnetic spectra. Then you detect UV however faint from the bulbs. You also state that birds get cataracts from UV which I know from personal experience (my own eyes) can happen but how can it happen if the bulbs don't emit UV light?
I said it’s impossible to turn electricity into “natural sunlight” not UV. Throughout the rest of the video I define the presence of UV in nature compared to bulbs that contain UV. Researchers have proven that birds eyes are sensitive to UV royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2010.1100
Thank God I live in Arizona where we have sun everyday and now I can save myself some money. The sad thing is, we believe our vets and how can you trust them again. The problem I have is, and I do understand the science, but what does your lights do for our feathered friends. That's the science I want to know. You didn't really help.
www.breedingcage.com
I can not get into your store brings me to another place to put in your store address than my email and say not recognized
yes, well youtube viewers may have small attention spans, but is that really the issue? Or is it possible that youtube creators, instinctively think that their video will be the centre of the viewer's universe?
For me, personally, I skip a lot of videos because I am after a specific piece of information. If the information is NOT flowing thick and fast I will often skip through or just go to the next video in the list of search results.
Modern youtube videos should be created with special attention to keeping A moderately fast rhythm. While creating a video, one should try to give it a rhythm that does not change too much or get too slow. I'm not talking about a musical or audio, but rather the pace of information contained in such videos.
I'm not criticising this video, I've not even finished watching the video.
I also suffer from similar flaws in my own videos. For e.g. a creator will often take a minute or so to explain 'why' he or she even made the video. Most people, even if it's their first time on youtube, don't care about 'why' the video was made, only 'whats' in the video. It's really not so unreasonable to feel the urge to skip when faced with such videos. I'm not so sure that component of behaviour actually suggest that youtube viewers have an attention span one way or another.
I think that youtube is still juvenile. It has moved beyond infancy and is now a teenager learning how to position its self in the world. Eventually, both creators and viewers will find equilibrium. I hope!
All true, but I’m an engineer therefore there is little hope for a fast moving exciting video from me 😀 I’m just geeky me in all my videos and always will be.
His main priority is that everyone can properly understand it and I really appreciate that :)
He was pretty boring... was a pretty painful watch, stuck around for the info tho
You just want people to buy the products you provide. Shame on you
Could... you.... speak........ any..........slower
Thanks for the chuckle testtrack, I actually found this this very amusing and the answer is no 😀 I know I do it...I try to stop it...but I can’t and I’m too old to change 😀 Interesting story, I recently was editing a vide for Instagram and couldn’t get it under a minute so I tried speeding it up 2x. When I saw the result I said, “holy &@&$!!!! I actually sound normal!!!!”
I feel so sorry for those poor little little birdies that don't have any toys, or anything, in their cages. Mark, I hope you don't keep them in the cages all the time like that. Do you let them out to fly and play? Birds need so much more than food, drink and proper lighting. They need entertainment, and socializing with other birds and / or people.
Roxy M, the birds behind me are canaries. Canaries don’t play with toys and are not tame so it would be harmful for the bird to let them out. They have been kept as pets for centuries and are quite happy to just eat and sing.
I have a ringneck dove, my dove will live up to 20 years with me than out in the wild. Some bird's life span is so short out in the wild then kept in a home environment. When growing up we had canaries and they sang and loved to see the comings and goings in the house. Also they lived very long
@@mmcagecompanyllc908 no creature should spend their lives within a cage. Birds aren't ornaments
Thank you for this video i have two birds that reside in my bathroom no windows.. I have been researching bulbs this video saved me a lot of money and a waste of time. And ps i watched the whole video ;)
Always LuvLee. Thank you for the nice comments. Did you really say bathroom? What do you do about bird poop on the toilet seat? And tooth brush?
That sounds like a really F-ed up way to keep birds.
That's not cool. They're never exposed to daylight? They must be so depressed😥💔
So awful, to keep beautiful little birds in a hideous bathroom with no window, bo natural light, no ability to even look out the windows at the sky, the trees, the flowers and other birdlife outside. How cruel is this!
The only humane way to have specifically parrots is to allow them to be out of cages for significant part of the day. What you said about bathroom is terrible.
Also, if there is any possibility, it is good to expose birds to natural sunlight. Maybe to periodically move cages outside when it's warm enough or to have a screened shed outside when birds can fly and be exposed to a fresh air too.
Brilliant video. I've been looking to get a 'health lamp' for my parrot. Having seen your video, I don't think I'm going to bother. You've saved me £100 :)
Check this article out for why a bird needs artificial light. www.breedingcage.com/blogs/news/benefits-of-artificial-lighting