Nutritious Foods for Your Pet Bird

Like any other pet, a healthy bird requires a diet rich in essential vitamins, minerals, and macronutrients. While the conventional approach is a seed diet, this feeding approach can provide too much fat and lack adequate calcium, amino acids, iodine, and Vitamins A and B. To ensure that pet birds receive the nutrition they need, an avian pelleted diet and supplemental fruits, vegetables, and seeds is the best route.

How to Transition to Avian Food Pellets

Avian food pellets are specifically crafted to provide all of the nutrition that a pet bird requires. They should comprise between 60 - 80% of your bird’s total diet, and brands such as Kaytee, Harrison’s, and Zupreem are trusted sources for these food pellets. If a bird is used to a primarily seed diet, it can take some time to transition them into a pellet-primary diet. Despite the initial hesitation and reluctance, the long-term health benefits will make it worth the time and energy. One of the best ways to help with the transition is by feeding the pellets when they awaken in the morning. They are hungriest at that time, making them more open to eating what’s in front of them.

Fruits, Vegetables, and Seeds

Fresh foods are also important for birds, and various fruits and vegetables are great choices for your bird to eat. Fruits like melon, apples, apricots, citrus, grapes, and bananas are all good for your bird to consume, and veggies such as spinach, Swiss chard, collard greens, beet greens, watercress, lima beans, broccoli, and green beans are all excellent options. Seeds can be used sparingly, mostly as occasional treats. However, if you do feed your birds seeds, make sure to avoid any wild bird seed. Additional protein from legumes, eggs, and even tofu can also round things out.