Heat lamp, advice please?

[apachetear]

So i'm getting my birds a heat lamp as i thought, well winter is coming and it'll come in handy while theyre ill.
So i go and search heat lamps on amazon- there are so many options!!
uva or infra red?! 80w, 100w? would a reptile one work?
so confusing, can anyone advise me as to what kind of heat lamp i need for my zebra finches?

thanks in advance

[poohbear]

Where are they kept? inside/outside? If they're inside you won't need any heat in the UK.

[apachetear]

Theyre inside but, im thinking hospital cages, alot of people seem to say put them in a cage with a heat lamp when theyre ill?

[poohbear]

Hopefully you will rarely need a hospital cage...and if you do,just get the smallest heat lamp you can get.It will be quite sufficient.
A thermometer is handy...and keep the lamp to one side of the cage so the bird can move away if it gets too warm.85/90f should be high enough.

[ac12]

I use a RED incandescent bulb from Home Depot.
I really want a RED reflector bulb but all they have is a regular light bulb. If you go to PetSmart in their reptile section they have heat lamps; incandescent reflectors and ceramic. The incandescent reflectors are about $10 for the 50w bulb and about $35 for the lowest wattage ceramic. The cost of these specialty bulbs is why I went w the red bulb from Home Depot.
No mater what people say, the birds can see the light from the red bulbs. I have watched my birds move about the cage light it was daylight. But it is less intense than a white bulb.

Ceramic does not give off visible light. But it is a lot more expensive.

Caution. If the bird splashes bath water on the hot light bulb, it "could" shatter.

For a hospital cage, I would use the lowest wattage bulb you can find. Then put the lamp next to the cage, so the bird can get up close when it want heat and move away when it wants to cool off.

[apachetear]

Thanks, i will try and buy the lowest wattage heat bulb from a local reptile shop or at Pets at home.
Thanks for the help

[ac12]

ooop
Sorry I did not notice that you are in the UK, those were US stores that I mentioned, but I see you figured that out.