Hot, humid days are particularly dangerous, as heat loss is reduced in high humidity.

Most birds have a body temperature of about 40 degrees Celsius, which is higher than that of mammals.

They also have a higher metabolic rate; eat more than we do for their body size and have an energetic lifestyle - all of which generate further body heat.

Although they have no sweat glands, birds are great at regulating their body temperature in other ways.

They cool themselves by having bare areas of skin on the feet, legs and face, and also through their behaviour.

If given the opportunity, they will bathe in water, seek shade or soar at high altitudes to cool off.

If your pet bird is too hot, you might see rapid breathing, spreading of its feathers or sitting on the bottom of the cage looking listless and weak.

Birds have featherless areas underneath their wings, so they dissipate heat by holding their wings away from their body when they are too hot, allowing air to circulate around this bare skin.

If you see these behaviours, it may mean your bird is overheating and possibly suffering from dehydration.

What can you do?

If your bird is displaying signs of heat stress, then you should seek help from your vet.

Birds can deteriorate quickly, and by the time they show signs of distress they are already ill.

In the meantime, there are several things you can do to reduce the temperature for them.

As we all know, prevention is better than cure.

Remember, if you are feeling the heat then that means your bird will be too, so do all you can to make summer an enjoyable time for them.