What Do Pet Birds Eat?

Do you wish you had a pet bird but don’t know what you’d feed them? Or perhaps you have a pet bird and want to know what food suit your bird. Here’s what pet birds eat, thanks to Carl McLean from Animal Mentors.

What Do Pet Birds Eat?

Some of us can’t be without the company of our beloved squawkers and chirpers, and if you are considering getting a pet bird, you’ll soon know exactly why! They’re social, engaging with those around them and inquisitive, making them ideal pets.

But by being our pets and giving so much to us, it’s only right that we do right for them by making sure we provide as much as we possibly can to make their lives comfortable and ensure they are happy and healthy.

This would include maintaining proper care of our birds by keeping their enclosures clean, providing them with plenty of space to stretch their wings and treating them like one of the family. But most of all, it means feeding them the right foodstuffs to give them a healthy, balanced and satisfying diet.

So what do pet birds eat? The obvious and most common answer you’ll hear is “bird seed”. And while partially correct, bird seed is a staple of a pet bird’s diet, it isn’t the only constituent as birds in the wild eat a high variety of different foods.

What is a Balanced Diet for a Bird?

Most people stick to feeding their birds a plain diet of bird seed, which usually consists of sesame seeds and millet or parrot pellets. These mixes are formulated to give the bird the bare essentials but lack the variety the bird needs for optimal nourishment.

A bird needs a balanced diet for healthy feather production, to keep their beak and claws in shape and most importantly to bolster their immune system. They are much more likely to live longer, healthier and happier lives if they are fed the foods which are akin to what they would eat in the wild.

And one thing is for sure, they wouldn’t just stick to eating the same food source constantly, they would change their food supply depending on what’s available in their local environment in any given season. This includes fruit, nuts, flowers, insects, grasses and berries, among other things.

Those who own social birds, such as parrots and cockatiels which engage with us much more intimately and seem to have a connection with us, will vouch that their dear pets are intelligent animals! Would an intelligent animal be happy with eating the same bland and boring food every day without any variety?

I would argue no, and for this reason, adding some colourful and flavorsome snacks to the diet would also benefit their mental health by stimulating their senses and broadening their experiences.

However, with speculation aside, it still does well to keep their physical health in check by giving them the vital mineral and vitamin supply obtained from a diverse choice of foods. So let’s begin to take a look at some foods that pet birds love!

Fresh Vegetables for Birds

Birds love the taste of some vegetables as a daily snack and their preferences can differ between species of birds and even between individuals. Your own bird might even be so picky to prefer different preparations, so if they don’t like it sliced, try diced, mashed, chopped or even whole.

Vegetables add a good balance of vitamins and minerals to your bird’s diet that they may not have access to otherwise. These are vital to your bird’s healthy growth, maintenance and immune system.

Make sure that any veggies you give to your bird are washed before they are prepared and served and are the leftovers are removed a few hours later to avoid attracting pests. Birds that eat vegetables are parrots (including budgerigars, cockatiels and cockatoos), finches and canaries.