What should my Parrot be Eating?

A healthy and balanced diet is the key to better quality of life for parrots of all species. Your parrot will be a member of your family for decades, so it is important to know the keys to a quality diet to maximize your parrot’s lifespan.

There is debate in the scientific community about parrot diets, since it is difficult to fully assess what parrots in the wild eat. While they cannot agree on exactly what makes the perfect parrot diet, they all recommend that parrots are fed more than just seeds. While a parrot can live on a seed diet, it is lacking in Vitamin A and Calcium and is often too high in fat. Some birds, like budgies and cockatiels, who are natural seed eaters, can handle about 25% seed as their diets.

Just remember… parrots must eat a variety of foods to be healthy and should only get about 10% seeds.

Parrot pellet foods contain grains, seeds, fruits, and vegetables as well as vitamins and minerals. They provide 100% nutrition on their own but your parrot will grow bored of them if that’s all he gets to eat. Feed your parrot between 50-60% pellet food and give him a variety of other foods to keep meal time exciting and new.

Fresh vegetables and fruits are a parrot’s dream! You can chop them finely by hand or in a food processor or give large parrots a chunk of produce to gnaw on. Some owners even tie chunks of produce to the sides of the cage so the bird can climb and eat. See what is in season or on sale at your supermarket and bring home a variety of fun foods for your feathery friend, including: carrots, eggplant, sweet potatoes, green beans, bell peppers, corn, kiwi, melon, papaya, pineapple, bananas, grapes, cherries, and oranges.

• Be sure to remove pits and seeds from fruits, as some are toxic to birds.
• Never feed your parrot alcohol, caffeine, cocoa, chocolate, avocado (guacamole), or mushrooms as these are poisonous to them.
• Parrots should also never eat foods containing large quantities of sugar, salt, fat, preservatives, or additives like food coloring.

Parrots also enjoy cooked grains such as oats, barley, brown rice, wheat and pasta. If you don’t have time to cook up food for your parrot, look for whole wheat bread or unsweetened whole wheat cereals at your local supermarket to provide these nutrients to your parrot.

Most parrot health issues stem from poor nutrition. If you are a responsible bird owner, you will be sure your parrot’s diet includes parrot pellets, a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, and some whole grains. Meeting your parrot’s nutritional needs ensures that you will have your talkative friend for years to come.