Fruits and vegetables safe for birds: the complete list
Fruits and vegetables that are safe for birds include carrot, courgette, broccoli, endive, bell pepper, apple (without the pips), pear, berries and melon. On the other hand, avocado, chocolate, onion, garlic, and fruit stones and pips are toxic, sometimes fatally so. Fresh produce should make up 20 to 40% of the daily ration.
Which vegetables can be offered every day?
Vegetables come before fruit, being lower in sugar and richer in vitamin A:
- No restrictions: carrot (grated or in chunks), courgette, broccoli, bell pepper, endive, fennel, fresh corn.
- In moderation: spinach and chard (oxalates), and only fully ripe tomato, with no leaves or stem.
- Safe fruits: cored apple and pear, strawberry, raspberry, blueberry, melon, banana, kiwi, mango.
- Useful herbs: parsley in small amounts, basil, dill, untreated dandelion.
Budget 2 to 5 € per week for a pair of budgies; well-washed vegetables from your own kitchen are all you need.
Which foods are strictly forbidden?
Avocado is the most dangerous: the persin it contains can kill a bird within hours. Also banned: chocolate, coffee, alcohol, onion, garlic, raw leek, rhubarb, raw potatoes, mushrooms, fruit stones and pips (cyanide), and salty or sugary dishes. If you suspect your bird has eaten any of these, contact an avian vet or an animal poison centre immediately: for a 40 g bird, every hour counts.
How do you get a reluctant bird to accept vegetables?
Many seed-raised birds snub fresh food. Vary the presentation: clip an endive leaf to the bars with a 3-6 € clip, grate carrot over the seeds, offer vegetable skewers or tuck pieces into a foraging toy. Persistence pays: it can take ten offerings before the first bite. These fresh foods round out the base ration described in our budgie and canary diet guide.
Should you go organic for birds?
It is preferable for foods eaten with the skin on (apple, courgette). Otherwise, wash thoroughly and peel. Remove partly eaten fruit after 3 to 4 hours to prevent fermentation, and adjust quantities: one sweet fruit per day at most for a budgie. All our nutrition guides are gathered in the bird food category.
Frequently asked questions
Is lettuce dangerous?
No, but iceberg lettuce provides almost nothing and can loosen the droppings. Prefer endive, lamb's lettuce or romaine, in small amounts.
Can I give citrus fruit?
Yes, orange and clementine in small occasional pieces. Their acidity calls for moderation, once or twice a week.
My bird ate an apple pip — should I worry?
A single pip in a large parrot is rarely serious, but watch its behaviour and call an avian vet at the first sign of lethargy.
This guide is part of Planète Pets’s Birds universe. Our advice is general in nature: for any health concern, your veterinarian remains the only reference.