Feeding your parrots and parakeets (Part 1)

By Kamara Rhynd, DVM, MSc (Wild Animal Health) of Trinity Pet Clinic. 

Parrots (e.g. macaws, Amazon, and African grey parrots) and the smaller parakeets (e.g. lovebirds, cockatiels, budgerigars, and conures) are part of the Psittacine bird family.  

In the wild, these birds forage to find a wide variety of fruit, nuts, seeds, nectar, and sometimes insects. As pets, they are dependent on their owners to provide them with an adequate diet to fulfill their nutritional needs, which is critical to maintaining adequate health.

Commercial bird food generally consists of a variety of seeds and dried fruit. Although this goes a long way in providing the fats and energy that birds need, it is important to supplement their diets to ensure a nutritional balance. 

Fruits and vegetables

 These make a great nutritious snack. You can try various fresh food to see what your birds likes. If they don’t respond at first, remember it may take a while for them to get used to something new. You can also try to present it in different ways (chopped, mashed, grated, etc.) Some of the items that can be offered:

Bananas

berries

melon

orange

pineapple

mango

broccoli

carrots

celery

leafy greens

peas

peppers

squash

yams

When feeding fresh foods, make sure they are only available for a few hours, as after a time, these foods start to sour and attract pests.

Also important is providing foods in a way that encourages foraging behaviour. Methods such as placing food items in different areas of the cage, weaving food items through the cage bars, and hiding items in PVC  piping can be used so that the bird is stimulated and has to work a bit to get its food.