Seeds of change: why your parrot's diet matters

Health is an essential part of living. Much like people, parrots also need a well-balanced diet in order to live a long life. If you ask anyone what birds typically eat, their first answer is most likely "seeds." Although birds eat seeds in the wild, store-bought seeds don't have the same nutritional value. Parrots that are fed an all-seed diet have health complications that can lead to a fatty liver or tumors.

An article from Petcha (formerly known as BirdChannel.com) outlines the nutritional value found in store-bought seed mixes. "Seeds primarily consist of carbohydrates and fat, a little fiber and protein, and a very small amount of minerals, usually phosphorous," it reads. "Most seeds are not nutrient-dense, except for calories."

All-seed diets lack nutrients that parrots need. When birds are fed only seeds, they will pick their favorites and leave out the seeds that have nutrients, according to Drs. Foster and Smith's Veterinary and Aquatic Services.

In the wild, birds will eat a variety of fruits and nuts while using one third of their day on foraging for food and seeds. Since domestic birds don't use energy to fly and forage for food, they need to eat fewer calories in order to maintain weight.

"Since our pet birds use less energy, they need to eat fewer calories or they will become overweight," the article reads. "Eating less, however, could result in vitamin, mineral, and other nutrient deficiencies."

Just because parrots eat vegetables and fruits doesn't mean we can feed them every vegetable. For example, tomatoes and onions are fine for humans, but cannot be eaten by parrots. Lafeber's has a comprehensive list of what parrots can and cannot eat here.

At Ronie's For the Love of Birds, any parrot that is rescued will typically need their diet changed. If any rescue had a poor diet, Ronie would toss their old food and start them on pellets and fresh fruits and vegetables.

Julie McOmber, an employee at Ronie's, has seen parrots come in that have been fed dairy on a regular basis. Birds cannot digest lactose and are advised not to eat it, unless it's an occasional treat, according to Christal Pollock, an avian vet.

One of McOmber's rescues, a cockatoo, used to eat cheese regularly. "When he sees us eating cheese, he will go nuts until he gets a little piece," she said. Her rescue is on a proper diet, but still likes to have the occasional piece of cheese.

Scott Chambers, curator of mammals and birds for The Living Planet Aquarium, talked about the importance of giving parrots the right diet. The three parrots (Scarlet, Mingo and Echo) who live at the aquarium have a diet outlined in a chart so the staff knows their approved fruits and vegetables list and how much each bird can eat.

For instance, Mingo and Scarlet are both macaws, but Mingo is a blue-and-gold macaw and needs 12 grams of vegetables and 10 grams of fruit. Scarlet only needs 10 grams of vegetables and 8 grams of fruits because she's a scarlet macaw, which is smaller than Mingo.

Chambers knows how diets affect birds. He has seen people feed their parrots obscure diets that are neither healthy for humans or birds.

"There was a Yellow-Naped Amazon who lived the last 35 years eating chocolate and Vienna sausage is what they fed her, that was it," Chambers said.

"And how she wasn't dead just blew my mind. She's still going, but in what world do you think chocolate and Vienna sausage are what you should feed a bird? If we eat that everyday, we get fat. What about an Amazon?"

Chambers is also surprised at how much people will put into buying a parrot, but then will neglect what diet they need.

"Some people will pay up to $40,000 for a bird, but then they won't give them fresh fruits and veggies and grains," he said.

[Photo credit: Mariana Chrisney Parrot Diet List: Scott Chambers with Living Planet Aquarium]