Survival Guide to a Picky Parrot

Does it seem like your parrot rejects every healthy thing you try to feed them?


Do you know what the key is to a picky parrot? PERSISTENCE!

Did you know that parrots can distinguish sweet, sour, bitter and salt, much like we can. However they have about 350 taste buds, whereas humans have about 9000. Since they have a poor sense of taste (they're known to prefer bitter foods after all) , it is thought that parrots select foods to eat based on their texture and how they look. So, varying the WAYS we present foods to them can be just as important as varying the TYPES of foods we present.
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We have one not-so-picky bird in the house and two VERY picky ones. Here are some of the things we've done to get our picky parrot to accept different fresh foods.

1. Be persistent. Don't give up! Keep trying! I think you get the point. :)
2. Serve foods in all different textures. One of my birds likes cooked veggies and grains that are cut up very small. The other likes large raw chunks. So try serving foods all different ways. Chopped, Sliced, Shredded, Mashed, big pieces, small pieces, or even a combination of some of the above.
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3. Serve foods cooked to different degrees...from raw, to steamed, cooked and even dried.
4. Add his usual food, or something you know he loves, on top of the new food (this worked for our picky/raw eater, Baby). We sprinkle a bit of seed mix on top of the veggies and she has started to eat raw carrots and broccoli!
5. Eat it yourself (or pretend to), in front of your bird. Make sure to act like it's amazing and keep saying "yum" out loud. Just be sure not to feed your bird food you've actually eaten off of because the bacteria in our mouths can make them sick. You can also make him part of your "flock" by arranging for him to eat at the same time you and your family do. Be sure your bird can see you at the table. You can also bring him to the table and have a few pieces of parrot-friendly food on it. He may think he's being all sneaky trying to get something he's not supposed to have.
6. Try feeding at different times of the day. Parrots are usually hungriest in the AM, so start there and then try a little later in the day.
7. Have one of your healthy eaters be in view of your picky eater when they eat.
8. Entice them with a hint of sweet! Add a little fruit mash throughout the dish (wet ones like oranges and apples work, or ones that mush well like banana). Or you can add a bit of low-sugar juice (orange, grape or apple) to their food.
9. Bake grains and chopped up veggies into a Birdy Bread.
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10. Change-up the delivery method. For example you could:
a. Hang individual foods around the cage, like full leaves of lettuce or kale.
b. Use a bowl or a low dish
c. Use a treat cage
d. Feed by hand
e. Serve it on, or in, a favorite toy.
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11. Try sprouts! Works well with seed eaters because the sprouts still look very much like seeds.
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12. Serve a variety of foods.
a. Look at the colors and textures of what you're serving.
b. Serve food with skin and without, with seeds and without.
c. Serve foods warm (not hot!)
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Even though it can be discouraging to find wasted food in the bowl or at the bottom of the cage, try to expect it. Think of it like an enrichment toy that gets shredded. They still got some value out of it.

And remember, keep trying!
Your birds health depends on it.

 

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Comments

13 comments

Susanne

Susanne

I pretty much tried everything you mentioned here. He just wont eat greens. No herbs. He pushes stuff away he doesn’t like. The last thing I tried was cooking sweet potato and mix it with the chop. Very little. I made new chop today and cooked quinoa extra and cooked lentils, rice and barley and buckwheat separate. I will put it on top of the chop. He LOVES quinoa and he loves pasta (made with brown rice and quinoa). I did not have the bird his first 2 years. I am trying for 10 months. I made veggie grain bake he ate for a while. He loves my pumpkin cookies. I even made Bird Street Bistro. He is a “cookie” monster. Thanks for your tips.

Debi

Debi

Thanks

Susan U

Susan U

Bought a tiny cuisinart to make small batches of chop. Easy to clean.
Mix in pellets to soften them in veggies fruit chop. Not as much soupy water after that. :)

Leyla

Leyla

This is one of the best videos/posts I have seen on this topic. I appreciate you showing that results are not instant or perfect. It helps us persist if we don’t see just birds diving into healthy exotic food plates, but see resistance, food alternatives, and the steps in between. It’s also easy to blame yourself and what you’re doing, but it helps to see ways to help those who aren’t easy to convert and come with a lifetime of not seeing veggies and fruits as food at all. We have two birds who love their fresh foods and two who would rather fall off their perch than touch a vegetable. We are persisting and videos like this really help. Thank you.

Carole

Carole

Very picky African Gray. Must eat with him but felines fruit or vegetables. Will eat pellets from Harrison’s but only with a little peanut butter on it.

Ashley Costa

Ashley Costa

We rescued a Quaker parrot … he does eat anything but seeds. I’ve tried carrots, broccoli, lettuce
Apples banana strawberry crackers even. He did try and drink my soup one night and i didn’t let him. I want his diet to be good since i don’t know how old he is or even if it’s a he. He loves his seeds tho. Please any advice will help.

Marci

Marci

I’m trying to get my 10-year-old Alex to eat fresh fruits and vegetables. He hates everything! This article was very helpful, thank you!

Shona Riordan

Shona Riordan

Such wonderful information on this group covering nutrition!

Macey

Macey

My cockatiel likes his vegetables frozen.

NoRiffRaff24

NoRiffRaff24

Ricers might be fun. I remember seeing
sweet potatoes that went through one.
Looked like thin yarn. Wouldn’t work for
a lot of food but it would make some
interesting.

Susan Stacko

Susan Stacko

The hand feeding option has worked with my picky macaw it’s been about 3 years and his diet is finally improving. He will even ocassionally eat a few fresh foods from his bowl. Baby steps but it’s worth it. He is 24 and I adopted him 38 months ago. My 36 year old Amazon has always enjoyed certain fresh foods but also needs some seeds. I wish I had all this info 40 years ago

Martha

Martha

Have an African grey needing variety

T Vance

T Vance

This was really helpful! I recently took in a 5 y/o male Cockatiel who has only ever eaten pellets. I’ll admit I’m struggling to get him interested in ANYTHING else, and because of his apparent lack of interest, I’m wasting a large amount of food. However, I know I must be persistent, and I hope he eventually tries…moreover, ENJOYS other food as time goes on.

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