There are always so many questions about the foods which are, or are not, appropriate in a parrot’s diet. I apologize for repeating this so many times in my posts, but I firmly believe that diet is the most important part of our parrot’s daily care. Everything else you try to accomplish for your bird is lost on an energy-less, ill-feeling bird if you fail in this one area. Without good health, a parrot’s life is, at best, not all it can be, and at worst, a tragedy waiting to happen.
The list of should/can feed items is very long. Fresh fruits and veggies should be the biggest part of the daily diet. Grains (cooked and raw) and legumes (only cooked or sprouted), pastas, nuts and pellets should also be worked into the diet regularly.
More important is the list of foods that are dangerous. It is a short list, but it is imperative that we be aware of those things which are hazardous to our birds.
It is incorrect to assume that parrots innately know which foods are dangerous for them. In fact, a parrot learns these things from their parents and flock mates in the wild. Most of our birds have not had that advantage. Even our wild caught birds are being fed a captive bird diet and the foods that we give them are not the same as those they would have been exposed to in their native lands. So any of their acquired wild knowledge, should they retain it, is irrelevant.
To keep things simple, I will address only the foods that are known to be toxic, foods to be avoided (even though many of these are debated), and the parts of acceptable foods that should be removed when you serve them.
Following is the list of foods you must NEVER let your bird eat or drink:
- Avocado – The pit and skin are the most toxic parts of the avocado, but even the flesh can kill a bird within minutes. I know of a few instances where this happened to birds after being fed guacamole by their unaware owners.
- Chocolate – Contains the compound theobromine, which speeds up the metabolism. The darker chocolates containing a higher percentage of cacao, which are also the more pricey chocolates, are the most dangerous. Chocolate toxicity can be fatal.
- Caffeine – This speeds up the metabolism in an animal with already high metabolic rates. It can bring on cardiac distress and death.
- Alcohol – Alcohol depresses the organ system and can be fatal, even in small amounts.
- Salt/Sugar – Sodium (salt) is a necessity in all living creatures. However, too much salt can bring on dehydration and kidney dysfunction. The different foods we eat contains both salts and sugars naturally. It is unnecessary and unsafe to add these ingredients to our bird’s foods.
- Raw honey – This contains fairly high levels of botulism and should not be fed to birds or infants. Used pasteurized honey instead.
5/19/11
**Note regarding pasteurized honey: One of our readers brought forth a very good point and one that I hadn’t considered. For honey to truly be pasteurized, it would have to be heated to temperatures that would change the consistency, caramelizing it into a near solid instead of the syrup we are familiar with. Therefore, it is not possible that it is pasteurized. She stated that in Canada, labeling may not use the word “pasteurized” for this reason. There isn’t a lot of reason for us to be using honey with our birds, I had been using it in tea that I sometimes share with them, but that all honey may still contain botulism spores is a concern to me. If you find the need for a sweetener, use agave nectar.
The following is a list of those foods which are considered questionable, and, as I mentioned above, many are debated. I, personally, choose to include some of these foods in my own bird’s diets because I have always offered them and have had no problems with them. I will give you the pros and cons of each, and let you make your choice:
- Dairy products – Birds are lactose intolerant. This is fact. However, birds do love cheese, and when given in small amounts infrequently, most do not have a problem digesting it. My cockatiels have played “bobbing for Cheerios” in my cereal bowl since I’ve had them.
- Peanuts/peanut butter – Peanuts can contain aflotoxins, a carcinogenic substance, as can tree nuts, grains, cereals and corn. Peanut shells can also harbor fungus, I am more concerned about this factor, so I buy raw peanuts and bake them myself. Commercial peanut butters have a lower contamination of aflotoxins than do the more natural brands. This is one of the few instances where over-processing is a good thing. I should also point out that there are rare occasions of peanut allergies in birds. Just like similar allergies in humans, this is only discovered once it has been eaten.
- Onion – Onions can bring on digestive discomforts in both birds and humans, especially when eaten raw. Excessive amounts can also cause anemia.
- Garlic – Over indulgence in garlic can cause anemia.
- Mushrooms – Mushrooms are a fungus. Some species have toxicity, some more than others. While birds do seem to enjoy the texture, they are worthless nutritionally. I don’t feed them to my birds because there are no benefits to balance out any potential risks.
- Fruit seeds and pits – The seeds and pits from certain fruits: apples, pears, peaches, cherries, apricots, nectarines and plums contain low levels of a cyanide-like compound and if eaten in quantity can be fatal to your bird. Your bird should never have access to these seeds or pits. However, the seeds from the following are safe: grapes, citrus fruits, squashes, pumpkins, tomatoes, melons, pomegranate, mango and berry seeds.
- Cabbage – Cabbage and leafy greens contain oxalic acids which interferes with calcium absorption in the meals that follow. However, kale, for instance, is one of the most nutrient rich foods we can offer to our birds. Unless your bird is producing eggs or molting, both of which require a strong calcium supply in the body, or has a known calcium deficiency for other reasons, these foods should be a big part of the diet. Why some people single out cabbage as an unsuitable food is beyond me.
- Rhubarb – Raw rhubarb has very high levels of oxalic acid, especially in the leaves. It is said that once cooked, it drops to an acceptable level making it a safe food. Other sources say that the levels do not drop acceptably. Because rhubarb is in such debate, and I do not feel I can make an informed decision, I have dropped it off of my “safe” list.
- Asparagus – Asparagus has been said to cause severe digestive upsets in some birds and humans. I have never seen this in my own birds, a couple of whom just love it. Because the word severe unnerves me, I now only feed it 2 or 3 times a year, still, though, without any problems.
- Eggplant – It is also said that eggplant, due to the solanin it contains, can cause stomach upsets, although I am unaware of any instances of this happening. Most sites have eggplant on the safe list. My birds aren’t crazy about it, cooked or raw, and get it occasionally in my effort to vary their diets.
This list will be ever changing as we learn more about our avian companions, and it will never be complete as new considerations come to light. Most owners fall into two categories: those who will serve certain foods because their experience is that their birds have shown tolerance, and those who refuse because they don’t wish to take the risk. Of the foods listed above, I have never known, or heard of, any bird suffering more than mild stomach upset following consumption. It is up to the individual to determine how well their bird’s tolerate certain aspects of their diet. However, I suspect that a bird would simply, in the future, refuse a food that caused distress.
Moderation is the best way to avoid diet problems. We should do our best to vary our bird’s diets. In doing this, not only do we make eating a more enriching experience for them, but it helps us see that they are getting all that their bodies require nutritionally. In a widely varied diet, all of the foods you offer are given in moderation automatically because there is so much to choose from.
Author Patty Jourgensen specializes in avian health, behavior and nutrition and has been working with and caring for rescue birds since 1987.
45 comments
I feed Cassie my Blue Quaker, Hagan Tropimix and Hagan granules. She loves them both. We pull out the papaya and give it to her as her “treat”. She also likes peanutbutter on wheat bread, no crust.
Many parrots die to early because they don’t get good food. So thank you for sharing all information about wich is good or wrong food for the birds. @Michaun Smallwood : (hard) cheese mostly gives no problem with lactose intolerantie. Greetings Geer and Greetje, the Netherlands.
I’ve been feeding Sydney, my Sulpher Crested Cockatoo, Lafeber’s Premium Daily Diet Pellets for Macaws/Cockatoos for the past 6 years as nearly his sole diet, having switched off the seed diet he was on when we got him. He gets nuts (cashews being his favorite) and homemade vegetable soup on occasion. He dislikes cold food, including fruits and vegetables. In spite of this regimine, his health remains excellent (his feathering is perfect and beautiful!). He has been fully flight feathered for over the past couple of years and takes ‘laps around the pool’ screen area almost daily. I don’t stress over his diet of pellets alone, as it’s obviously not been detrimental for him after all these years.
My parrot willnot eat nuts……has anyone had that problem?
I have a 11 year old unbrella cockatoo, she loves peanut butter. I put a little in her bowl everyday and she eats it off and on all day when she wants it. I do not think she really consumes a lot of it. Is it ok to keep her on that? She is a very picky eater. I feed her everyday the no salt veggies in the can, which she has to have them warmed up for her. And I feed her seed, and green seedless grapes.
Hi Pamela, I wish I had thought to mention soy in my post because it is another highly debated food. It is claimed that soy and soy milk can cause thyroid problems, cause allergies and nasal congestion, effect the absorption of certain vitamins and minerals, causes upset stomachs, among other things. Some people feed their birds soy nuts with no problems at all. Almond milk has been said to be the cause thyroid problems in some birds and is high in sugar. My feeling is that if your bird has been tolerating them for some time with no problems, and you feed them with moderation and caution, you can continue. Just be aware that there might be potential risks. The same goes for peanuts. Patty
Hi Mike, I am aware that kale has a low oxalic acid content, but the avian community is issuing warning about anything with oxalic acids period. The leafy greens seem to get picked on all the time. Of those, I find kale to be the most valuable to the diet, which is why I singled it out in my post. I don’t want people to go away from it because they are scared. Thank you for bringing the subject up! Patty
a couple of thoughts … and questions. the Kaytee birdfood I buy for my conure has peanuts (in the shell) in the mix. Is that okay? And I know she eats WAY too much cheese so I’ll watch that; it’s here favorite ‘people’ food. She also LOVES soy and almond milk; are those okay for birds? These posts are wonderful. I constantly question what I am doing – and often these posts/blogs show me the way … thanks! and any response to my above questions would be very helpful!!!!
Pattie, firstly thanks for all the useful info….. My girl Taki, a 3 yr old Alexandrine, loves roasted peanuts. So far, she’s had no problems…. I’m now wondering whether I should stop giving them to her just to be on the safe side…..
Patty, I think you’re mistaken about kale and oxalic acid. According to the USDA it has one of the lowest amounts of oxalic acid among veggies (http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/Data/Other/oxalic.html)
Thanks again for the vary important information. But i have a question ? That I haven`t yet found an answer ? what about Olives Green or Black Fresh or preseved ? I think preserved is not advisable , since the preserviving is bone on abase of salt? I can get all forms very abundantly here and I`m afraid to give
Hi Geer and Greetje, Very true! The hard cheeses contain very little or no lactose and are the best choices for our birds! Patty
Hi Virginia and Eddy, Just FYI, birds ARE lactose intolerant. Some simply handle the intolerance better than others. I would be lying if I said I never gave ice cream to my birds, but it is done infrequently. In answer to you question: “Are we slowly killing our baby by giving in to his desires?”, you are more likely to face behavioral problems doing that. Health-wise, try to lessen the amount you give him at very least. Patty
I think that the following website is great for understanding oxalic acid content. Kale doesn’t contain a high content of oxalic acid where as Chard can. It would be worth reading and looking at… http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/Data/Other/oxalic.html
Do you have to bake the raw peanuts? Can they be fed raw if you only give them 2 per day?
I just read the post about soy. Just seems like everything I feed Charlie turns out to be the wrong thing. I feed him raw soy beans in the shell everyday. Thought it was not only a natural vegi, but gave him the opportunity to tear it apart to get the beans. Of course, because it’s something he probably shouldn’t have, it’s the 1st thing he snags from his fresh dish every morning.
Hi Patty, how about seeds in bananas? Safe? Was also wondering if I can give my love birds cornflakes? You know the plain types. They went crazy for chips once but I have not given them any since. Btw, remember I told you they are on a mixture of cooked veggies(broccoli, carrots, corn, green beans, barley, sweet potatoes) mixed with their usual seed mix. Ratio of 1:1. Do i have to omit out the seed mix soon? They are eating but the seeds are the first they go for I think. Am also not sure if they are really eating the veggies as I mixed them into the sweet potatoes paste which is sweet. So I see a lot of chewing & licking and they flinged the food all over the place. Btw I freezed the cooked veggies in sachets like what you did for your raw veggies, its fine right? Was wondering if you can do a post on the cleaning agents that we can use at home or any natural cleaning agent safe for birds.. the most effective way to clean their poop and cages.. the safe detergent to wash their soft toys and blankets(ok I am crazy).. Have been washing their stuff with water as I am unsure of the chemical stuff like detergent, bleaches, Mr Muscle, Clorox even washing liquids… Thank you so much. Today I am trying out radish, celery, cauliflower and capsicum together with their usual. keeping fingers crossed.
Is Zupreem Fruit Blend a good quality pellet for my conures? Thanks!
Soy beans are one of my Amazon’s favorite filler greens. I limit them and simmer them for 4-5 min. which I read is supposed to neutralize the problem. Any info. on this?? Her 2 favorite things are scrambled eggs and (small pieces of) cheese. I fix her eggs and soy beans and freeze them then thaw a little in hot water for a quick treat. She keeps track of what’s going on in the kitchen and gets her way by saying “Hi? Hi?” until I get her goodies. When I have coffee (half decaf, Folgers, which is supposed to not have chemicals that are in other decafs) and Agave, Frankie pushes me out of the way so she can get a sip or 2 when it’s cool enough. Does anyone know if I have to deprive her of her morning coffee a few times per week?? How about the Agave?? It’s plant based and low on the glycemic index. We have it in our oatmeal with blueberries and blackberries…another favorite.
i would like to add after having breed various species of parrots for several years; just because you call it a parrot does not mean it has the same diet requirements as Joe’s parrot down the street! Please read as much as you can BEFORE you get your parrot. What is ok for one “Parrot” is not ok for another. Example sunflower seed are ok for a sun conure, but not really good for a rosebreasted, because “Rosies” have a tendency to develop fatty tumors on a high fat/oil diet. African grey need extra calcium and it goes on. There are some awesome books out there written by some very good experts, but as the original article in this thread said we are constantly learning………… So please READ READ READ before you feed something new………….dont just look up ok for parrots look up your species of parrot and their diet needs!
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