FAQ: Treats for birds

Some keepers give eggshell that has been heated and finely crushed, as raw shell can carry bacteria. It is simpler and safer to use a cuttlebone or mineral block made for birds.

The colour and scent usually come from added colourings, flavourings or herbs meant to make the block more appealing. The bird does not need them, so if you want a simpler product, choose one without colourings.

Cuttlebones sold for birds are usually already cleaned and ready to use. One found on a beach needs a long soak in fresh water, changing the water to remove the salt, then boiling and thorough drying.

Cockatiels do well with medium-seed sticks, spray millet, vegetables and small pieces of fruit. As cockatiels tend to put on weight, fatty treats such as sunflower seeds are best given sparingly.

Canaries enjoy greens, sprouted seeds, egg food and small-seed sticks. Before breeding and during the moult they are often offered extra egg food.

Zebra finches like spray millet, sprouted seeds, greens and egg food. Treats for them should contain very small seeds that a tiny beak can husk.

Lovebirds do well with medium-seed sticks, spray millet, pieces of fruit and vegetables, and chewable treats. They are active and love to take things apart, so treats they have to husk or pull out keep them busy.

Large parrots do well with nuts in the shell, sticks of big seeds or fruit, vegetables and fruit, and treats they have to take apart. The treat should be big and sturdy enough that the parrot cannot finish it in a few seconds.

Partly — both eat small seeds, greens and spray millet. But budgie treats more often contain oats and larger seeds, while canary treats contain rapeseed, canary grass seed and other small seeds, so it is worth choosing by species.

Pigeons are usually given peas, maize, grain mix additions or special pigeon treats, along with mineral mixes and grit. Because pigeons swallow seeds whole, their treats differ from those made for parrots.

When feeding tits or sparrows in winter, wild bird food, unsalted bacon fat, sunflower seeds or fat balls work well. Sweet treats for pet birds are not needed for wild birds, and bread and salty food should not be given to them.

They are balls of suet or other fat mixed with seeds, hung in feeders in winter for tits and other birds. If they come in a net, it is worth removing it, as birds can get their feet caught.

In Lithuania wild birds are mostly fed during the cold season, when there is less food in nature. Once you start, keep feeding regularly and keep the feeder clean so the birds do not spread disease.

Medium parrots such as rosellas or cockatiels will eat small-seed treats, but often prefer bigger seeds and sturdier treats. Choose a product whose pack names your bird's species or size.

Lories feed mainly on nectar, pollen and fruit, so ordinary seed treats do not suit them. There are special nectar mixes and soft fruit treats made for them.

Choose a treat that suits the smallest bird and watch that a larger or dominant bird does not take it all. It is often easier to hang several treats in different parts of the cage.

Training works best with a small, much-loved treat, such as a few millet seeds or a sunflower seed, given right after the wanted behaviour. Keep sessions short and save that treat for training only so it stays valuable.

A small, quickly eaten and much-loved morsel works, so the parrot is not distracted and does not fill up after a few repetitions. For most small parrots that means millet seeds, for larger ones a sunflower seed or a bit of nut.

Hold the treat so the bird has to come closer and step onto your finger or hand to reach it. Start with short attempts at the cage door, take your time and never corner the bird, so it does not get frightened.

Yes, many owners give a favourite treat, such as spray millet, only inside the cage when the bird returns after flying around the room. Going back into the cage then becomes something pleasant.