Fresh food for birds
Pet birds, especially parrots, love to share a meal with us. For the most part, this is a positive thing – you are part of your bird’s flock, and it is natural for flock members to eat together. To keep your bird healthy, make sure that the food you share is good for you both. Seed-only diets are particularly lacking in Vitamin A, foods which are high in this essential vitamin are highlighted bold.
Foods to share
Fresh vegetables – broccoli (stalk as well as head), green beans, peas, sweetcorn (on the cob, not tinned), carrot, sweet potato, butternut squash, kale, sweet peppers (red, orange, yellow, green), courgettes (including flowers), fennel, spinach / chard.
Fresh fruit, especially tropical fruits and those high in antioxidants – mango, passionfruit, papaya, pomegranate, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, grapes, apples, pears. Do be aware that the high water content of some fruits may product wet droppings.
Note: The seeds of many fruits are considered unsafe for birds as they contain amygdalin (which can be broken down during digestion to product cyanide), though research suggests that an African Grey would have to eat perhaps 250 seeds in one sitting to become ill.[1]
Foods to keep to yourself
Chocolate and avocado are both toxic to birds.
Sweets, crisps, fried foods, bread, and indeed anything that is high in salt, fat or sugar. A good rule of thumb is that if its bad for us, then its usually bad for birds too.
Alcohol, which hopefully goes without saying, should never be offered to birds – even if it means sitting the whole evening with your hand over your glass of wine! Similarly, drinks containing caffeine should not be shared with your bird – so no tea, coffee, carbonated drinks.
Additional food ideas for birds
Soaked and sprouted seeds – mung beans sprout particularly well. A balanced sprouting blend is a great base diet for most birds.
Nuts – in moderation only due to their fat content. All nuts are not created equal – walnuts are one of the best as they contain high levels of Omega-3 fatty acids.
Fresh herbs – dill, coriander, mint, parsley, oregano and pretty much any other you can find are great treats for birds of all sizes. They can be chopped and added to other foods, or offered as a bunch, hung in their cage.
If you are a keen gardener, you might also consider growing some fresh food for your pet. Make sure you grow without pesticides though. Nasturtium flowers, flowering herbs, buddleia, willow branches with leaves still on,
Although the foods listed are safe for most birds, there are differences between species and individual birds may have allergies or intolerances to some foods. We always advise doing your own research before feeding any new items to your pet.
[1] For further reading, see http://scas.org.au/html/apple_seed_cyanide_myth.html.
Outside, inside, wild or domesticated.
There’s something about birds that makes the world seem more alive and makes my life richer.
The past
It began with bird-watching trips with my parents from the age of 4 and continued throughout my childhood with trips to zoos and nature reserves both at home and abroad. I could name over fifty species of exotic waterfowl while I was still at primary school (cinnamon teal anyone?) and my fascination never waned.
Despite the plethora of other pets at home (cat, stick insects, hissing cockroaches, gerbil, dwarf hamsters), birds never featured in the line-up. Perhaps partly because my Dad accidentally trod on his own pet budgie at the age of 11?
The present
My first pet birds were chickens. A wedding present from friends, we were given three beautiful blue-laced bantam Wyandotte pullets. These were soon followed by three friendly-but-dim light Sussex bantam pullets and two buff rock bantam pullets. Hens have been a permanent feature in our garden ever since.
My husband and I purchased our first parrot in 2011 – Jo, our blue-fronted Amazon. By this point we had established our own bird supplies shop in Boldon http://www.gardenfeathers.co.uk, so we knew she could be with us 24/7.
The flock soon expanded to include a rescue cockatiel (Paul), a yellow-thighed caique (Skippy), a donated African Grey (Jimmy), two rainbow lorikeets brothers (Bert and Ernie), several pairs of Celestial Parrotlets and most recently a pair of black-headed caiques.
The future
I don’t know where life will take me, but if there’s one thing I’m certain of, it’s that birds will always be a part of my past, present and future.
Catalina Tate
- WWT Washington Wetland Centre - 03/04/2022
- Paperwork for African Grey Parrots - 03/02/2020
- CITES Article 10 Certificates - 03/02/2020
