Parrot Food Ingredients to Avoid
When parrots were first kept as house pets, it was assumed they just ate nuts and seeds. Vets began to wonder why many house parrots were prone to sickness. Over time, and with observation of what parrots in the wild eat, more varied and nutritious diets for parrots have emerged. However, there are foods that parrots should never eat. Please do not use this article in the place of your vet's advice.
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Types
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Parrots should never eat chocolate, apple seeds, any part of an avocado, onions, mushrooms, the leaves that are often still attached to tomatoes, salt, caffeinated drinks and dried beans. All of these foods cause long-term damage to the parrot's health and some do short-term damage. Parrots also should be kept away from alcoholic drinks.
Function
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Many of the foods to avoid cause vomiting or diarrhea. Apple seeds, tomato leaves and avocados all contain poisons to birds. Mushrooms can cause vomiting, but even if they don't, they can cause liver damage when eaten a lot. Caffeine has been known to interfere with parrot heart rates. Traces of salt will not hurt your parrot, but a lot of salt eaten over a long time will cause health problems such as dehydration and kidney problems.
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Misconceptions
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Parrots do not instinctively know what foods are good for them and what are bad. They will eat anything. They will also eat foods that are bad for them if they like the taste of it. Make sure you supervise what your friends feed your parrot.
Warning
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Never let your parrot eat cannabis, tobacco or drink alcoholic beverages. Their bodies cannot handle these drugs. Don't even let your friends give your parrot a sip of beer as a joke. Parrots can get very sick or die from these drugs.
Prevention/Solution
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Parrots need a balanced and varied diet that about one third seeds, one third fruits and vegetables and one third grains, such as rice or cooked pasta. Cooked beans are OK only as an occasional treat. All parrots have their own food preferences, just like kids do. Some parrots will only eat seeds and ignore everything else because they prefer the taste of seeds. You can't let the bird only eat seeds. You need to take away the seeds and try new foods. There are also commercial parrot pellets that are nutritionally balanced that look and feel somewhat like seeds.
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Resources
- Photo Credit Alex the parrot image from Wikimedia Commons
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Comments
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As a certified avian expert specializing in nutrition, I'm a bit surprised at the misinformation posted here. It's very dated info, perhaps true a decade or more ago, but not today. -- The amount of seeds that are recommended for any in-home bird (from budgies to giant macaws) is ZERO. No percent. None whatsoever. -- That's just the biggest error in the article written here. The others aren't nearly as harmful as this though so I'm not going to submit a re-write. Just the advice based on today's science that indicates birds not living in their natural habitat and having the option to fly freely from dawn 'til dusk to forage and select their own foods, should have NO seeds given to them by us. -- As much as as they love them (like every kid loves candy and ice cream) and as much as the packaging insists they are vitamin fortified or whatever (there are NO laws for truth in advertising for pet foods) - it's one of the most common causes of liver disease, cardiac problems, even cancers and significantly shorter lifespans in our birds. --- Please, no seeds. --- As for beans - they are EXCELLENT sources of protein and vitamin rich. Black eyed peas, red kidney beans, black beans, pick any beans with deep, dark colors and make sure they're cooked. Your bird can eat them to its heart's content. --- There is a lot more in the way of how to best your bird at www.4AnimalCare.org. Up to date info with the top avian veterinary research in the country behind it (UC Davis and Tuft's University). Again, the info on this page may have been correct 10, 20, even 50 years ago, but it is absolutely not current science.
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Anonymous
Apr 29, 2011
My parrot eats cannabis branches. Loves them.
