Feeding Your Bird

Making the decision to adopt or purchase a bird can be an overwhelming and exciting decision. And one of the first things you should consider is what to feed your bird.

As a veterinary practice, we witness many health problems in birds that could be avoided if they only had a proper diet. In fact, malnutrition is one of the most common problems we witness in birds. We educate our clients on a daily basis about the importance of a proper diet. Your bird may enjoy table food, and you may get satisfaction from this, but in the long run you are creating future health issues for your feathered friend.

Birds in the wild eat a high caloric diet that includes food such as fruit, nuts and seeds, but they also burn thousands of calories a day flying. On the other hand, birds in captivity spend a majority of their time in their cages and rarely fly. They require a diet that is lower in fat and gives the proper amount of calories.  Additionally, it is nearly impossible to mimic the native diet using the foods available to us.

Birds don't instinctively know what to eat in order to have good nutrition. Most birds, given the choice will not pick a good diet. They usually eat what tastes best, which typically ends up being something high in fat and bad for their health. They're similar to humans; we often will choose a donut over carrots to get immediate satisfaction. You must train your bird to eat a healthful diet.

We witness many clients with new birds that are on a strictly seed diet. This is something we discourage. We highly recommend feeding birds a diet that consists of mainly pellets, and then a smaller percentage of grains, fruits, and veggies.

Here is a breakdown:

Smaller birds--cockatiels, love birds, parrotlets, parakeets, budgies, etc.
50% of diet should be pellets
30-40% of diet should be grains
10% of diet should be fruits and veggies

Larger birds--macaws, cockatoos, amazons, etc.
50-75% of diet should be pellets
10-20% of diet should be grains
20-30% of diet should be fruits and veggies

Dr. Folland's Double yellow-headed Amazon eats a diet of Lafeber Nutri-Berries and Harrison's bird pellets.

Good foods for birds:

Grains--spelt, oat groats, barley, steel cut oats, wheatberry, buckwheat, millet, flax seed, chia seed, hemp seed

Veggies--jalepeno peppers, bell peppers, banana peppers, Serrano peppers, yams, sweet potatoes, broccoli, squash, zucchini, cucumber, pumpkin, bean sprouts, snow peas, snap peas, kale, collard or mustard greens, turnip greens, chard, endive, dill parsley, basil, chives, cilantro.

Fruits--blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, figs, kiwi, pomegranate, persimmons, mango, lychee, cactus fruit, passion fruit

Foods NOT recommended for birds:

• Flour based foods (bread, tortillas, cookies, crackers, etc.)
• Fried foods, animal meats, chicken bones, dairy products
• Foods sweetened with natural or artificial sweeteners
• Dried fruits, fruit juice, grapes, bananas, citrus fruits
• Nuts, raw beans, and any type of spinach

Foraging is very important for a bird's behavioral and physical health. Whenever possible, find creative ways to help your bird forage. There are foraging kits available to aid in hiding food from your bird.

Tips for switching from seeds to pellets (and other healthful foods)

*We recommend when changing your bird's diet that you consult with one of our avian veterinarians prior to making the change. An abrupt change in diet can lead to emaciation in death in some birds. Be sure to monitor droppings and weigh your bird frequently.*

• Eat healthful foods in front of your bird and then offer the food as you eat. Start adding new foods to the old diet
• Diminish old diet by giving 50% old diet and 50% new diet; then reduce
• Use hunt and peck method by placing new food on a hard surface and picking it up and dropping it, so that your bird will start investigating
• Use bounce, hunt, and peck method by placing food on a hard surface and tap the surface so that food bounces up and down. The "peck drive" helps them try out the new food. 

We want both you and your bird to be happy and healthy! And a good diet is the perfect place to start. Feeding your bird the best diet possible is what we strive for!

For more extensive information about your bird's well-being and diet, schedule a visit with one of our avian veterinarians.