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Does anyone use full spectrum 'bird' bulbs?
I saw a website www.spectrabird.com that looked interesting. I know full spectrum lighting is good for birds but the logistics of "how do I hang or where do I put the lighting or how do I set it up" overwhelmed me and I just gave up on the idea. This website of lighting fixtures sort of answered my problems.
Any thoughts on the subject?

A friend of mine uses one for her Cockatoo and he just loves it! I think she puts it in a normal fixture???

Please note that by some accounts, too much UV light can be harmful to birds, just as it can to humans. A poster on another forum (the parrot_lovers community on LiveJournal) has a UV fixture for her caiques' cage, but though she was initially happy, the birds developed skin irritation. She reported improvements after reducing exposure time from "all the time" to "a couple of hours at a time, a couple of times per day" (sorry I have no more specifics at hand!), and getting a larger cage that allowed the birds to move out of the exposed area when they so desired.

Edit/addenda: Note also that "UV" may refer to UVA, UVB, or the entire ultraviolet range of light; I think that you would probably want something that spans the whole UV spectrum. (Whether something that's marketed as "full-spectrum" or not does cover this entire range is something you should look up. Whether I am right is also something you should verify. ) Finally, be aware that UV light is filtered out by glass -- this is, after all, why your birds don't get all the light they need through ordinary windows! -- so make sure that whatever fixture you get doesn't cover your expensive UV tube with an effective filter.

A UV light for birds burned the eyes of two cockatiels. Thankfully it was caught in time and they are currently getting eye treatments and doing much better!

Alright, so my boyfriend noticed that my female albino cockatiels eye was closed today.. which it wasnt when I woke them up. Im having a hard time trying to find out what might be causing this. And I just noticed that the other cockatiel's eyes are doing the same thing. I recently just bought a UVB and UVA light to put in the room for them, since they dont get much sun.. and im afraid that this is the cause of them not being able to keep their eyes open. I really hope someone can help me out. I've been crying all day.

SOMEONE HELP PLEASE!!

When I shut the light off, nothing happens. They just sit there with their eyes closed. The light is designed to be used with birds, maybe they arent used to it? Im not sure. But im taking them to the vet today. Thank you SO much!

THANK GOD!!!

Alright, so I just got back from the Avian Vet. It was a burn from the light. On both of their eyes. They gave them both a shot and I have to put drops in their eyes twice a day everyday for a week. I am SO glad I got them in today and didnt wait another day.. they both could have went blind. And Nala, being a Lutino Cockatiel, got it worse. :[

I just thank God that they are going to be okay!

Oh my goodness. Sorry I havent replied or anything. I've been super busy. My tiels are doing SO good! Their eyes are open and they can see again! They are still a little red, but nothing like they were a couple of days ago. Im still giving them medicine, and I have to take them back to the avian vet on Friday for a check up. I am NOT using that light anymore. Im just gonna start pulling the shades up. I dont want to go through that anymore. When I was younger I had tiels, and I NEVER had to take them to the vet. And I told my boyfriend that last week, and BAM, next day I had to take my babies in. :[ Worst thing ever. I read in one of the magazines about tiels that the light I bought them, WAS for tiels... The name of it is Zoo Med AvianSun 5.0 UVB. It has a picture of a bird on the bulb, so I know its for them.. I just dont understand why it did that to him... It might have been that it was to close to the cage. I dont know, and I dont care. Im not using it anymore. They are healthy and can see!!! Thanks for everything guys!

As good as these bulbs are, they can also pose a health hazard. It would be good to use them wisely.

Yikes!
I guess it is not worth doing....I'll just put the birds on the playstand near the screen door in the summer for their sunlight.....

As with most things in life, there are pros and cons and you have to weigh them carefully. UV light isn't a bad example even with humans -- too much exposure and you get burns and risk developing cancer. Too little exposure and you produce insufficient amounts of vitamin D. (This is a particular problem for black people, well protected by melanin, who emigrate to places like Scandinavia, with dramatically less sunlight in the winter.)

Full spectrum lights aren't evil or anything -- even the person I mentioned earlier, whose caiques suffered ill effects from too much exposure, did keep the full-spectrum lights around, just with reduced periods of exposure and an arrangement that allowed the birds to get out of the way.

Unfortunately, there don't seem to be enough data to make a very good guess about where the right balance lies between "no exposure, health hazards from lack of light" and "a lot of exposure, health hazards from UV damage". It's probably an area that needs more research (and more rigorous research). My 'advice', as a non-biologist, non-physicist, and not-yet-bird-owner, would be to get the light but limit periods of exposure (set the light on a timer) and arrange the fixture so that the birds can get out of the way if they need to.