Fruits and veggies you can feed your birds

Different birds will favor different items, but in general here’s a list that is safe to feed your birds.


Apples. Birds love these sweet and simple fruits. Scrub well or remove the skin before feeding them. And the seeds are thought to be toxic, so remove the core and seeds.

Sweet potatoes. My birds love these. Scrub thoroughly or peel before giving them to your birds. You can give them to your birds cooked or raw.

Citrus fruit. You can give them oranges, tangerines and grapefruit. I remove any seeds, just to be safe.

Pumpkin. My birds love fresh cooked pumpkin. They really like Halloween, lol.

Brussels sprouts. Can be served cooked or raw. Great to string up with other fruits and veggies to make a kabob for your bird.

Broccoli and cauliflower. More favorites from my house.

Corn on the cob. Bigger birds love these, cooked of course.

If your bird isn’t interested or throws to fresh food out of the dish, try hanging it kabob style or fastening it to the bars of the cage. This will sometimes peak their interest.

Try a variety of different foods. Sometimes your bird won’t like broccoli but will love oranges, it’s a bit of trial and error.

And be warned, birds can sometimes make a mess while eating their fresh foods.



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What diet should your bird be on?

Different species of birds require a little bit different diets than others. Some species require a little more of things than others for optimum health. Here’s a few suggestion to keep you bird healthy.

Most modern pelleted diets are made with specific species of birds in mine. Sometimes those are just not quite enough. In an effort to give you bird the best diet possible, sometimes you have to supplement.

African Grey parrots can develop a calcium deficiency. Your avian vet can run tests to check for the deficiency. The use of calcium supplements can cause your bird to get too much. Balance is key. Giving you African Grey almonds and broccoli can help prevent a lack of calcium. These birds enjoy raw, unprocessed almonds in the shell. It gives them a game to play, crack off the shell and get the almond inside as a reward.

Amazon, caiques and Pionus parrots can become overweight causing fatty liver disease. These birds need to get plenty of exercise and be kept away from too many treats. You can provide with a play gym or a huge variety of toys to play with. My White Capped Pionus like to be swung around so she can flap her wings, it’s great bonding time and exercise for her. These birds should also be offered a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Cockatiels can develop vitamin-A deficiencies. You should integrate lots of vitamin-A rich fruits and vegetables into their diets. Things like kale, broccoli, carrots, sweet potatoes and mangoes.

Macaws can sometimes be picky eaters. They are attracted to colors, so fruits and veggies of varying shapes, sizes and colors are best to peak their interest. I have found that oranges cut in half will get their attention. They also love almonds in the shell, green beans and even yams.

I’ve only covered a few of the more popular birds that people own. If you own one not listed here, feel free to email me with any questions. Or just let me know what kind of bird you have and I’ll try to include it in future posts.


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