Most pet bird owners know that they should provide their birds with foraging opportunities.  However, the importance of foraging is often undermined and foraging is limited to a few toys within the cage.  Unwanted behaviors and even health problems can be reduced by increasing foraging opportunities.  Birds have fun foraging and it makes life more joyful and interesting for them.  Most pet birds need more exercise and foraging increases the motivation to move and exercise which can promote better health.  The mind and the body are engaged in interesting and healthy activities, thereby decreasing behaviors such as excessive screaming, feather picking and asking for too much direct attention.

In the world parrots spend many hours every day foraging.  They locate food and then pick through it trying to find exactly what they want.  If food is available in abundance, food may only be partly consumed and then discarded or simply discarded.  this behavior serves an important function for both the flock and the environment.  By discarding some food, the area is seeded so that more food is available in the future.  Many foods that are obtainable to wild parrots can take great effort to eat.  The foods may be difficult to pull from stems and they can have a thick tough husk to remove.  The shells of many of the nuts that parrots eat in the wild are some of the toughest nuts in the world.  When nuts are partially eaten by adults and then discarded, they become accessible to juveniles.  Young parrots must develop the strength in their jaws to remove the husks and crack the very hard nuts.  As they mature and practice on food discarded by adults the juveniles develop both the muscles and the skills to crack the nuts unaided.

Enrich your birds' life by having them forage for treats, fresh fruits & veggies, rather than having it presented to them in a bowl.  To keep foraging from becoming routine, give your birds several foraging toys and rotate them to different locations daily.  There are many creative ways to make foraging more interesting for your parrots.  Include some homemade foraging toys, such as plastic jars stuffed with fresh foods.
by Kashmir Csaky



(Some helpful food foraging tips Lafebers Nutri Berries & Avi-Cakes.  Oven Fresh bird bites & cookies, are just a few healthy items.)
Chirping Friends staff.
Dec 2013