PARROT BEHAVIOUR CONSULTANT

WE ARE WHAT WE EAT.

THEY ARE WHAT WE FEED THEM!

Today there are many choices for feeding your companion birds.

Personally I agree with organic food, mixed with an excellent quality seed mix. Sadly because I run a sanctuary with so many birds and not many donations, we can only afford to feed a non organic, but nonetheless good quality fresh food and seed mix.

The seed mix I use is Tidy-mix.The ingredients are all fit for human consumption. My birds also enjoy plenty of fresh fruit and veg and also clean non chlorinated water.

When researching what type of diets are available for feeding your companion bird you will find constant inconsistencies. DO Feed seed Do NOT feed seed.

It can leave your brain fried. I am constantly surprised at how many times I have read articles telling you that something is toxic to your bird, then the next article I read tells me that it is good for your bird. An example of this is garlic.

You spend weeks dredging through the parrot articles and trying to find out what is good for your bird.

You feed it to your bird thinking that you are doing the bird good,

only to read a month or two later that it is toxic. You run to your bird and check to see if you have caused irreparable harm,

does this sound familiar?

It is a mine field out there when it comes to feeding your treasure.

If you feed your bird nothing but sunflower seeds

it is the equivalent to dipping a cup in to your chip pan and putting it in your birds food dish. Would you eat that? How long would it be before you became sick? Do they eat only sunflowers in the wild?

We are what we eat

They are what we feed them.

If in doubt call your Avian vet.

How many times have you heard on the radio that eating too many potatoes is bad for you? Then the next thing you hear is that it can prevent some disorder or other. Unless we can all find a way of singing from the same hymn sheet then we run the risk of people not listening to the good information like

DO NOT FEED YOUR BIRD CHOCOLATE.

not even a small bit. It is very harmful and can cause irreparable harm. I can hear some out there saying "My bird has been eating chocolate for years and it has not harmed it!" Well maybe not yet but how long does a parrot live? and how long will your bird live?

DO NOT FEED YOUR BIRD ADVACADO

DO NOT FEED YOUR BIRD CAFFEINE.

Some known Dangerous and toxic plants( PLEASE NOTE THIS LIST IS NOT EXHAUSTIVE

If your bird has eaten any of these plants please get him to an Avian vet NOW!

TOXIC PLANTS

ARUM LILY
AMARYLLIS
ARALIA
ARROWHEAD VINE
AUTUMN CROCUS
AUSTRALIAN
    FLAMETREE
AUSTRALIAN
    UMBRELLA TREE
AVOCADO
AZALEA
BANEBERRY
BEANS: (CASTOR,
   HORSE, FAVA,
   BROAD, GLORY,
   SCARLET RUNNER,
   MESCAL, NAVY,
   PREGATORY
BIRD OF PARADISE
BISHOP'S WEED
BLACK LAUREL
BLACK LOCUST
BLEEDING HEART OR
  DUTCHMAN'S
  BREECHES
BLOODROOT
BLUEBONNET
BLUEGREEN ALGAE
BOXWOOD
BRACKEN FERN
BUCKTHORN
BULB FLOWERS:
   (AMARYLLIS,
   DAFFODIL,
   NARCISSUS,
   HYACINTH &
   IRIS)
BURDOCK
BUTTERCUP
CACAO
CAMEL BUSH
CASTOR BEAN
CALADIUM
CANA LILY
CARDINAL FLOWER
CHALICE (TRUMPET
  VINE)
CHERRY TREE
CHINA BERRY TREE
CHRISTMAS CANDLE
CLEMATIS (VIRGINIA
  BOWER)
CLIVIA
COCKLEBUR
COFFEE (SENNA)
COFFEE BEAN
   (RATTLEBUSH,
   RATTLE BOX &
   COFFEEWEED
CORAL PLANT
CORIANDER
CORNCOCKLE
COYOTILLO
COWSLIP
CUTLEAF PHILODENDRON
DAFFODIL
DAPHNE
DATURA STRAMONIUM
  (ANGEL'S TRUMPET)
DEATH CAMUS
DELPHINIUM
DEVIL'S IVY
DIEFFENBACHIA
  (DUMB CANE)
ELDERBERRY
ELEPHANT EAR (TARO)
ENGLISH IVY
ERGOT
EUCALYPTUS (DRIED,
  DYED OR TREATED
  IN FLORAL
  ARRANGEMENTS)
EUONYMUS (SPINDLE
  TREE)
EUPHORBIA CACTUS
FALSE HELLEBORE
FLAME TREE
FELT PLANT
  (MATERNITY, AIR &
  PANDA PLANTS)
FIG (WEEPING)
FIRE THORN
FLAMINGO FLOWER
FOUR O'CLOCK
FOXGLOVE
GLOTTIDIUM
GOLDEN CHAIN
GRASS: (JOHNSON,
  SORGHUM, SUDAN &
  BROOM CORN)
GROUND CHERRY
HEATHS: (KALMIA,
  LEUCOTHO, PEIRES,
  RHODODENDRON, MTN.
  LAUREL, BLACK LAUREL,
  ANDROMEDA & AZALEA)
HELIOTROPE
HEMLOCK: (POISON &
  WATER)
HENBANE
HOLLY
HONEYSUCKLE
HORSE CHESTNUT
HORSE TAIL
HOYA
HYACINTH
HYDRANGEA
IRIS
IVY: (ENGLISH & OTHERS)
JACK-IN-THE-PULPIT
JASMINE (JESSAMINE)
JERUSALEM CHERRY
JIMSONWEED
JUNIPER
KY. COFFEE TREE
LANTANA (RED SAGE)
LARKSPUR
LILY OF THE VALLEY
LILY, ARUM
LOBELIA
LOCOWEED (MILK
  VETCH)
LOCUSTS, BLACK/
  HONEY
LORDS & LADIES
  (CUCKOOPINT)
LUPINE
MALANGA
MARIJUANA (HEMP)
MAYAPPLE
  (MANDRAKE)
MEXICAN BREADFRUIT
MEXICAN POPPY
MILKWEED, COTTON
  BUSH
MISTLETOE
MOCK ORANGE
MONKSHOOD
MOONSEED
MORNING GLORY
MTN. LAUREL
MUSHROOMS,
  AMANITA
MYRTLE
NARCISSUS
NETTLES
NIGHTSHADES:
  (DEADLY, BLACK,
  GARDEN, WOODY,
  BITTERSWEET,
  EGGPLANT,
  JERUSALEM CHERRY)
OAK
OLEANDER
OXALIS
PARSLEY
PEACE LILY
PERIWINKLE
PHILODENDRONS:
  (SPLIT LEAF, SWISS
  CHEESE, HEART-LEAF)
PIGWEED
POINCIANA
POINSETTIA
POISON IVY
POISON HEMLOCK
POISON OAK:
  (WESTERN & EASTERN)
POKEWEED
POTATO SHOOTS
POTHOS
PRIVET
PYRACANTHA
RAIN TREE
RANUNCULUS,
  BUTTERCUP
RAPE
RATTLEBOX,
  CROTALARIA
RED MAPLE
RED SAGE (LANTANA)
RHUBARB LEAVES
RHODODENDRONS
ROSARY PEA SEEDS
SAGO PALM
SAND BOX TREE
SCHEFFLERA
SKUNK CABBAGE
SORREL (DOCK)
SNOW DROP
SPURGES: (PENCIL
  TREE, SNOW-ON-MTN,
  CANDELABRA,
  CROWN OF THORNS)
STAR OF BETHLEHEM
SWEET PEA
SWISS CHEESE PLANT
  (MONSTERA)
TANSY RAGWORT
TOBACCO
UMBRELLA PLANT
VETCH: HAIRY/COMMON
VIRGINIA CREEPER
WATTLE
WEEPING FIG
WHITE CEDAR, CHINA
  BERRY
WISTERIA
YEWS
YELLOW JASMINE

Wild food is wonderful for parrots. You must understand plants and always be careful when collecting wild food but it is so worthwhile.

NEVER

collect wild food from a busy road, the toxins that can build up from traffic could be deadly to your bird.

If you can collect wild food from the countryside then all the better.

Walking through a woodland and collecting rosehips or flowers for your bird is a wonderful day out.

This Yellow Nape is enjoying the Autumn harvest of Rowan berries

Household Toxins

I have tried to list as many as I can but new and toxic items are added to our shops every day

All ALCOHOLIC DRINKS
AMMONIA
ANTIFREEZE
ANT SYRUP or PASTE
ARSENIC
ASBESTOS
CAR PRODUCTS
BATHROOM CLEANERS
BLEACH
BORIC ACID
CAMPHOPHENIQUE
CARBON MONOXIDE
CARPET CLEANERS
CARPET FRESHENERS
CHARCOAL FLUIDS
CHLORDANE
CHLORINE
CIGARETTE SMOKE
CLINITEST TABLETS
COPPER/BRASS CLEANER
CORN & WART REMOVER
DEODORANTS
DETERGENTS
DIAZINON
DISINFECTANTS
DRAIN CLEANERS
EPOXY GLUE
FELT TIP MARKERS
FLEA PRODUCTS
FLOOR POLISH
FORMALDEHYDE
FURNITURE POLISH
GARDEN SPRAYS
GASOLINE
GUN CLEANERS
HAIR DYES & SPRAYS
HERBICIDES
INSECTICIDES
IODINE
KEROSENE
LIGHTER FLUID
LYE
MATCHES
MELALEUCA OIL
MODEL CEMENT
MOTHBALLS
MURIATIC ACID
MUSHROOMS
NAILPOLISH/REMOVER
NITROGEN DIOXIDE
OVEN CLEANER
OVERHEATED NON-STICK
COOKWARE
PAINT & THINNER
PERFUME
PERMANENTS(HAIR)
PESTICIDES
PHOTO SOLUTIONS
PINE OIL
RX DRUGS
RODENTICIDES
RUBBING ALCOHOL
SCENTED CANDLES
SHAVING LOTION
SHELLAC
SHOE POLISH
SNAIL BAIT
SPOT REMOVERS
SPRAY STARCH
STRYCHNINE
SULFURIC ACID
SUPER GLUE
SUNTAN LOTIONS/OILS
SURGICAL ACRYLICS
TEA TREE OIL
TURPENTINE

WAX
WEED KILLERS
WINDOW CLEANERS
WOOD PRESERVATIVES

(above) Two wonderful angels

Karen (left) Harvey (right)

Toilet roll tubes

I am horrified by the amount of times I hear that people are advised to give their parrot toilet roll inners to play with.

Would you suck on them?

They have been sitting by the loo for God only knows how long. The toilet lid has been left open and the aerosol effect has sprayed them over and over again. They may also be contaminated with faecal matter.

You have done your business and then reached for the paper. How many times have you touched the cardboard inside the loo roll?

If you would not put it in your mouth then do not give them to your bird!

I do not have to list all the bacteria as it has been well documented.

Just use common sense.