FAQ: Toys for birds

Yes, budgies happily search for seed among paper strips, in paper cups or in a foraging tray on the cage floor. Very simple tasks suit them at first, and the difficulty can be increased gradually.

It is a shallow dish filled with a safe filler such as shredded paper, wooden blocks or cork pieces, with seeds hidden among them. The bird digs and searches for food as it would in nature.

Not at first, because the bird could go hungry before it learns to get the food. Always keep the usual food dish and hide only part of the food or treats; once the bird is skilled, the foraging portion can be increased.

Suitable options are part of the bird’s usual food, small treats, nuts, seeds or pieces of fruit and vegetables appropriate to your bird’s species. Count treats as part of the daily diet so the bird does not gain weight.

Yes, but fresh food spoils quickly, so remove it after a few hours and wash the toy. For shreddable paper toys, dry food is better so they do not get wet and mouldy.

It is a rod of stainless steel or another safe material onto which fruit, vegetables or foraging items are threaded and hung in the cage. The bird has to pull the food off, which keeps it busy longer and stops food falling to the floor.

The simplest way is to wrap a treat in unprinted paper, put it in a cardboard toilet roll tube or a paper cup and fold the ends closed. Use materials without glue, ink or sticky tape.

Usually the bird does not yet realise there is food in the toy, or the task is too hard. Show it how to get the treat out, make the task easier, and do not offer the toy right after it has eaten its fill.

Yes, these birds happily pick seed among twigs, from hanging millet sprays or from a shallow tray of seeds. Simple, uncomplicated tasks suit them rather than puzzles made for parrots.

A hanging millet spray encourages the bird to pick off seeds as it would in nature, so it is both a treat and an activity. Because it is fairly high in calories, it is best offered in moderation.

Single-use paper or cardboard toys are replaced after each shredding, while reusable ones are best swapped every few days or weekly so the bird does not get used to them. Wash them between uses, especially if fresh food was used.

They can help, since the bird moves more and eats more slowly, getting part of its food through activity rather than from a full bowl. Still, the right diet and exercise matter most for weight, and it is worth asking a vet about excess weight.

Chewing is a natural need for parrots: it helps maintain the beak, reduces stress and takes up time. Chew toys direct that need away from perches, furniture and other belongings.

Chew toys are usually made of wood or other harder materials, while shredding toys are made of paper, palm leaf, loofah or other soft materials that the bird picks apart into scraps. Many birds enjoy both types.

Yes, that often shows the bird liked the toy and it did its job. If toys disappear very fast, choose harder wood or larger models, and keep some cheaper shredding toys in the mix.

Some birds do not know how to chew, especially if they grew up without toys. Start with soft materials such as paper or balsa, show it what to do and tuck a treat into the toy so the bird has a reason to explore it.

Chewing helps a bird maintain the surface of its beak naturally, though a healthy beak usually wears down on its own. If the beak is overgrown, crooked or flaking, it may indicate a health problem, so the bird should see a vet.

Most parrots spit out chewed wood or paper rather than swallowing it. If you notice the bird constantly swallowing pieces of a toy, remove the toy and talk to a vet.

A parrot chews because it is a natural need, so the key is to offer plenty of chew toys and supervise it when it is out of the cage. Keep it away from furniture, painted walls, cables and other hazards, and praise appropriate chewing.

Yes, if the blocks are untreated, safe wood and a suitable size so the bird cannot swallow them. Children’s blocks are often painted or varnished, so they are not suitable.