Encourage your picky bird to eat a nutritious diet with these tips

By Susan Chamberlain
Bird Channel




Picky Bird Tip 1 – Polly See, Polly Do
If you have more than one bird, a finicky eater will often mimic a bird that eats a broad-based diet. Place your picky bird next to the bird that eats everything.
Picky Bird Tip 2 – Will Work For Food
Birds “work” for their food in the wild. String chunks of firm produce onto a skewer-style rod feeder (use an ice pick to make holes in chunks of corn, peppers, apples, etc.), hang it from cage bars and watch your pet investigate this new way of dining. Small birds (budgies (parakeets), parrotlets, lovebirds, etc.) that neglect fresh offerings from a dish may gnaw enthusiastically on firm produce clipped to cage bars.
Picky Bird Tip 3 – Heat It Up
If your picky bird refuses raw vegetables, try cooked versions. Bogart, my red-lored Amazon parrot, refuses raw carrots but loves cooked ones. Most birds eat to live; Bogart lives to eat. I rarely have a problem coaxing him to eat anything! None of my birds like raw cauliflower, but they do enjoy it steamed. Conversely, they turn up their beaks at steamed broccoli, but relish it in its raw state!
Picky Bird Tip 4 – Change Shape
Cut vegetables into different shapes. Bert, my African grey parrot, refuses carrots cut into chunks but enjoys nibbling away on carrot sticks. My bird sitter says I spoil my birds by cutting their grapes in half.
Picky Bird Tip 5 – Leave The Skin
Resist the urge to peel everything. In an example of the avian work ethic, my Amazon parrots like to peel their produce themselves. Peas in the pod, apples with the skin left on, orange chunks with the rind, banana rounds with skin, cooked potatoes with skin and similar foods entice my parrots regularly. (Wash all produce thoroughly before offering it to your pets.)
Picky Bird Tip 6 – Mix In Some Color
Check out your local supermarket’s frozen food department. My birds enjoy colorful vegetable mixtures that may include lima beans, peas, corn, carrots, red peppers, celery and string beans. Cubed squash, sweet potatoes, bean mixtures and other nutritious foods also are available frozen. Cook and cool a portion for your birds to eat.
Picky Bird Tip 7 – Hide And Eat
You can fool some of the picky birds some of the time. I regularly get some additional nutrition into my picky birds by cooking finely chopped broccoli florets and grated carrots into scrambled eggs (an occasional treat — limit your bird’s cholesterol intake!) or muffins.
Picky Bird Tip 8 – Use Your Noodles
Does your bird love pasta? I make “Parrot Primavera” for my birds by adding steamed beans, peas, zucchini, broccoli, peppers and other vegetables to angel hair pasta. A sprinkle of hot pepper flakes spices the dish up enough to please their South American palates.
Picky Bird Tip 9 – It’s Nice To Share
My birds love to eat when I do. I make a special dish just for them (don’t feed your bird off your plate!) and dole out portions to all as I sit down to eat. When my dinner is not suitable for birds (salty, has mayonnaise, etc.), I treat them to some pasta with veggies or ready-to-cook bird food.

How hard is it to cut a grape in half!!!???? Thanks! Those are good tips!

Does anyone know if Budgies like spicy foods? My guys seem to like the sauces I make. Laker kind of licks the noodles.

Great tips - I made a copy in my bird files.

Budgies like a bit of hot stuff, but they not crazy to have it like the suns enjoy whole dried chillies.

This is great info, thanks!! :-)

Very good info!