Bird · Guide

How do I choose food for my bird?

Choose a formulated pellet sized for your species as the base of the diet, then add fresh vegetables daily. Seed mixes should be treats rather than the staple — selective eating from seed mixes is the leading cause of nutritional disease in pet birds.

Size and species matter

Pellets come in sizes matched to bird size — a budgie cannot manage a pellet formulated for a macaw. Choose by species where the manufacturer offers it.

Avoid brightly coloured pellets where you have the choice; artificial colouring adds nothing nutritionally and makes it harder to assess droppings, which are an important health signal.

Why seed mixes fail in practice

Given a mix, birds select their favourites and ignore the rest. Those favourites tend to be the fattiest, lowest-nutrient components. So even a mix that is balanced in the bag becomes unbalanced in the bird.

The resulting deficiencies build slowly — poor feather quality, vitamin A deficiency, fatty liver disease — which is why owners rarely link them to diet.

What else belongs in the bowl

Fresh vegetables daily: leafy greens, capsicum, carrot, broccoli. Introduce gradually since birds are naturally suspicious of new food.

A cuttlebone or mineral block for calcium — one of the few genuinely worthwhile routine additions for birds.

Never: avocado, chocolate, caffeine, alcohol, or salted foods. Several are toxic to birds at small doses.

Check your own pet — freeSnap a few photos, get a wellness score in minutes

A wellness check, not a diagnosis — and never a replacement for your vet. If something seems wrong with your animal, see a veterinarian.

Common questions

Are pellets better than seed for birds?

Yes for most pet birds. Seed mixes allow selective eating, which produces nutritional gaps even when the mix is balanced in the bag.

What vegetables can birds eat daily?

Leafy greens, capsicum, carrot and broccoli are commonly suitable. Introduce new foods gradually.

What foods are toxic to birds?

Avocado, chocolate, caffeine, alcohol and salted foods. Non-stick cookware fumes are also lethal to birds.