Parrots have sensitive respiratory systems - we've heard it time and time again. Hopefully, we're taking steps to ensure that our bird is breathing in clean air free from dangerous substances that can harm them. Air purifiers are one way that we can keep the air in our homes healthier for our birds and us as well. Let's learn a little about them and how air pollutants can be harmful to our birds so that you can decide if you want an air purifier in your home.

How does a Human’s Respiratory System Differ from a Parrot’s?

When we breathe in, we’re taking in more than just oxygen. When a human breathes in, we have ways of naturally protecting ourselves from things that don’t need to be in our lungs through various stages in our respiratory system. So, we have a built-in filtration system that is capable of protecting us from larger dust and particles. Think of our lungs like a balloon that inflates and deflates. Because we breathe air in and out, our respiratory systems aren’t as efficient as a bird’s. But this also means that we have better defenses against inhaled particles before they get to the deepest parts of our lungs.

However, parrots have unique respiratory systems that allow them to efficiently take in oxygen in order to support their metabolism and support flight. Instead of breathing in and out the way that humans do, birds have what is called unidirectional airflow. This means that when they breathe, the air that they inhale moves through their lungs in one direction. So, even when a bird is breathing air out, they are also taking in new air. Newly inhaled air will continue to move through their lungs during the two parts of their breathing cycle. They also have a thinner blood-gas barrier and a larger respiratory surface area than we do. All of this means that they are extremely efficient at taking in oxygen in order to support flight. It also means that they are susceptible to airborne pollutants. 

In the wild under natural circumstances, birds are in the open with a larger volume of air which dilutes much of what they shouldn’t be breathing in. This reduces their exposure to harmful pollutants. However, our homes create an enclosed space which traps things such as mold, smoke from wildfires or kitchens, dust, and other contaminants in the air that accumulate in those enclosed spaces that can be dangerous for our birds to breathe in. Keeping our homes clean, being careful about what products and appliances we use, and providing fresh air helps, but we can also make use of an air purifier which can filter out some of those harmful contaminants.

How Air Purifiers Work

Air purifiers can improve indoor air quality by filtering out some of the air pollutants in our home. Some of these pollutants come from outside, and some from within our house from our appliances, cleaning products, cooking, etc. Of course, we should never use products that create dangerous breathing conditions for our birds at all, but even the most careful parrot owner needs to take precautions to keep their air safe. Air pollutants that are found indoors can be particles or gasses, and this includes volatile organic compounds, or VOCs.

The most common particulates in our air are measured as PM2.5 (fine) and PM10 (coarse). PM stands for particulate matter. These are the tiny particles and droplets that are floating around in our air. PM10 refers to those particles that are 10 micrometers or smaller. These particles are larger and some examples are dust, pollen, skin flakes, and smoke. PM2.5 describes smaller particles being 2.5 micrometers or smaller. These include things like oil droplets from cooking, microscopic debris, and fine pollution from vehicle exhaust and distant wildfires. A human hair is about 50–100 micrometers wide. So, a PM2.5 particle is much smaller than the width of our human hair. Finer particulate matter can reach sensitive areas of the lungs.

Air purifiers should work to remove both PM10 and PM2.5 from the air. An air purifier with a True HEPA filter can remove particle pollutants from the air such as pollen, mold, and dust. An air purifier with a charcoal based activated carbon filter can help remove some harmful chemical contaminants from the air like those from cleaning products and off-gassing. However, they can’t remove every type of gas and aren’t guaranteed to remove all of what they can. That’s why air filtration systems aren’t going to completely prevent harm to our birds if we are still using harmful products, etc. around them. When it comes to choosing which kind of system they buy, it is ultimately up to a person if they feel they also need that charcoal based activated carbon filter as well as a True HEPA filter.

Do Not Use Air Purifiers with an Ozone/Ionizer Feature 

When choosing an air purifier to use around your birds, be sure not to get one that emits ozone or has an ionizer feature. The ozone feature releases ozone gas into the air, claiming to neutralize odors and remove some pollutants. An ionizer releases electrically charged ions which cause particles to become attracted to one another and stick to surfaces. Ionizers can also create ozone as a by-product, which we know is dangerous for our birds to breathe in. So, we should choose an air purifier that contains a true HEPA filter and optionally a charcoal based activated carbon filter if we feel it is necessary.

As always, before you buy anything, make sure it is safe for your bird by carefully reading what kind of materials it is made from and what features it has. This should be clearly labeled on the packaging or website, and if it isn’t, you can contact a manufacturers customer service department to clear up any confusion. It's up to us to be our parrot's advocate and keep them happy and healthy!

References:

Garcia Dominguez, S., Jönsson, L., Nord, A., Preger, C., Messing, M. E., Isaksson, C., & Rissler,parrot safety J. (2026). Ultrafine airborne particle deposition and clearance in an avian lung under ecologically relevant conditions. Environmental Science & Technology, 60(35), 24591–24603.

Enhancing indoor air quality: The Air Filter Advantage. (2016). Lung India, 33(6), 705–705. https://doi.org/10.4103/0970-2113.192883