What Should I Feed My Bird?
To keep your bird healthy and help it live longer, give it nutritious food, take it to the vet at least once a year, and keep its cage and food bowls clean. Just like people, birds can have health problems if they eat high-fat, unhealthy food.
Special bird foods are available called pellets or crumbles. They are a mix of grains, seeds, veggies, fruits, and proteins with added vitamins and minerals. With mixtures like this, the bird can't just pick out the tasty bits. Be sure to buy food that’s right for your bird's type and size.
Besides pellets, birds should be fed small amounts of fresh vegetables and fruit each day to keep them happy and provide good nutrition. Birds should have access to fresh food all day, but it should not be left too long in the cage, because fresh food can go bad. It's fine to feed a bird some seeds occasionally, but seeds shouldn’t make up most of your bird's diet, because they're high in fat and not very nutritious.
Also always have fresh, clean water available. Some birds dip food in their water bowls and get their water dirty, so using a water bottle can help keep water clean. If you do use a water bottle, be sure to check that the bottle works, and change the water daily. Each day, be sure to wash food and water bowls in hot, soapy water and dry them thoroughly. If your bird doesn’t eat well, have it checked by a veterinarian to make sure it isn’t sick.
Some birds, like lorikeets, eat nectar in the wild, so they need special nectar food. Be sure to change nectar often, because it can spoil quickly. Also include fruits like apples, papaya, or grapes in their diet. However, many birds that eat nectar are sensitive to iron in their diets, so don't feed them pellets that contain a lot of iron or citrus fruits (such as oranges or grapefruit) that can cause iron to build up in their bodies.
