African Grey Parrots: Feeding

Why is my bird’s diet important?

Like all other animals, birds need a proper balance of carbohydrates, proteins, fat, vitamins, minerals, and water. Different species have different nutritional needs. Poor nutrition is a common cause of health problems in pet birds. Discuss your bird’s diet with a veterinarian experienced in bird care.

African grey parrots are more prone to calcium deficiency when fed a predominantly seed-based diet than other large parrots (psittacines). African grey parrots are also vulnerable to vitamin A deficiency and obesity. 

Birds may choose their favorite foods rather than eat a balanced diet. It is important to offer your bird a well-balanced diet and make sure they eat the recommended amounts of each food.

What do African grey parrots eat in the wild?

In the wild, African grey parrots eat a variety of seeds, nuts, fruits, berries, and vegetation. They especially treasure the fruits of the African oil palm, a tree native to their environment.

What should I feed my African grey parrot?

Feeding a well-balanced diet and making sure your parrot consumes the proper proportions of foods offered will help prevent nutritional problems.

Pelleted diets

Commercially available pelleted diets have been developed to meet most of a bird’s nutritional needs. Different formulations are available for different life stages and for the management of certain diseases. There are many good brands of pelleted foods in the marketplace. To suit the preferences of different birds, pellets come in different flavors, colors, shapes, and sizes.

Pellets should form the basis of your bird’s diet. The remainder of the diet should include fresh fruits, vegetables, and a small amount of seed, if any. Ask your veterinarian about the appropriate proportions for your bird. Hand-raised babies should be weaned onto an appropriate pelleted diet so they become accustomed to a balanced diet at an early age.

Seeds and nuts

Although wild African grey parrots have access to seeds all year round, the types of seeds they feed on change throughout the year as different plants come into season. The commercial seed mixes offered to many captive parrots tend to be high in fat and deficient in many nutrients. If these mixes are fed as the only source of food, African grey parrots could become ill and ultimately die prematurely. 

Birds will often pick through a large bowl of commercial seed mix and selectively eat one or two favorite types of seeds, limiting their nutrient intake even further. They often choose peanuts and sunflower seeds, which are particularly high in fat and deficient in calcium, vitamin A, and other nutrients. Their selective appetite can further predispose them to malnutrition.

Seeds should only be a small part of a balanced diet and should never be the entire diet. Tree nuts, such as almonds, walnuts, or Brazil nuts, should be offered only in amounts recommended by your veterinarian.

Fruits and vegetables

Offer a variety of vegetables, legumes, and greens, along with a limited amount of fruit (10% or less of the diet), as fruits contain a high amount of water and sugar. See the suggested food list at the end of this handout.

• Pale vegetables with a high water content, such as iceberg lettuce and celery, offer very little nutritional value. 
• Avocado is potentially toxic and should never be fed to birds.
• Orange, red, and yellow vegetables, such as squash, peppers, carrots, and sweet potatoes, provide nutrients that support vitamin A intake. Vitamin A is essential to a bird’s immune system, kidneys, skin, and feathers. 

Fruits and vegetables must be washed thoroughly before feeding. Cut them into pieces appropriate to the size of your bird, and offer them in a separate dish. It is not necessary to take the skin off. 

If your bird develops a preference for one food, reduce the amount or temporarily stop offering it to encourage them to eat other foods. Offer a small piece of a variety of food items daily. It may take several exposures to a new food before your bird accepts it. Remove uneaten fruits and vegetables within a couple of hours, especially in warm conditions, to prevent spoilage.

How do I change my bird to a pelleted diet?

Changing from seeds to pellets can take weeks to months. Some birds do not recognize pellets as food at first. Never switch a bird’s diet “cold-turkey.” Make the change gradually, with guidance from your veterinarian. They will help you slowly increase the proportion of pellets in the diet. Keep pellets constantly available in the main food bowl during this transition.

Do not remove familiar food until you are sure your bird is eating enough of the new diet. Weigh your bird daily during the transition, using a digital scale that measures in grams, to be sure your bird is maintaining its weight. Contact your veterinarian if your bird eats less or loses weight.

What water does my bird need?

Fresh, clean water must always be available. Depending on the quality of your tap water, you may consider using bottled water. Clean food and water dishes daily with hot, soapy water, and rinse them thoroughly before reuse.

Can I offer other foods?

Some foods your family eats may be offered in very small amounts, provided they are suitable for your bird. Follow the feeding guidelines and restrictions in this handout. 

• Some birds occasionally enjoy a small amount of lean cooked meat, fish, egg, or cheese. 
• As birds are lactose intolerant, they should be offered dairy products only occasionally and in very small amounts. 
• Avoid high-fat foods, such as French fries, pizza, and fatty meats.
• Avoid very salty food, such as chips and pretzels. 
• Do not offer chocolate, caffeinated products, or alcoholic beverages. 
• Do not offer foods that are fried, canned, or cooked with butter or oil.

Will my bird’s nutritional needs change throughout its life?

Birds that are very young, stressed, injured, laying eggs, or raising young may have special nutritional requirements. There are specially formulated pelleted foods available for these birds. Consult your veterinarian about these situations.

Does my bird need supplements?

Your veterinarian can help you assess your bird’s diet and particular needs. Birds eating an appropriate amount of nutritionally complete pellets, along with the recommended fresh foods, generally do not need supplements. Egg-laying birds may need calcium supplementation, as advised by their veterinarian.

Birds that are not yet eating pelleted diets may need supplements until their nutrition can be improved. These supplements should not be offered in water, as many of them can degrade or promote bacteria or yeast growth in the water dish or bottle. 

Supplements may be offered on moist food as directed by your veterinarian. However, your bird must eat the food containing the supplement to receive it. Placing these powders on seeds or dried foods is of little value because they may fall off or be discarded with the seed hull.

Give supplements only as recommended by your veterinarian. Once your bird is eating a nutritionally complete diet, ask your veterinarian whether supplements are still needed.

Does my bird need gravel or grit?

Grit and gravel should not be offered to African grey parrots. African grey parrots do not need gravel or grit because they remove the seed’s outer hull before ingesting the kernel. Grit helps birds such as pigeons and doves, which consume whole seeds, to grind food in the gizzard (part of the stomach). Some birds offered grit eat too much and develop potentially life-threatening intestinal blockages. Grit is often found glued on sandpaper perches. Birds may pick grit off these perches, as well, so sandpaper perches should be avoided.

What should I remember about feeding my bird?

Keep these points in mind when feeding your African grey parrot:

• Monitor the amount of food eaten every day by each bird.
• Make pelleted food the basis of the diet, using the proportions recommended by your veterinarian.
• Offer a variety of fresh vegetables and a limited amount of fruit every day.
• Change diets gradually and monitor food intake and weight during the transition.
• Offer fresh water every day.
• Clean food and water dishes daily with hot, soapy water, and rinse them thoroughly before reuse.
• Continue offering suitable new foods; your bird may need several opportunities to accept them.

Some suggested food items to offer include: apricot, asparagus, banana, beet, blueberry, bok choy, broccoli, brown rice, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cantaloupe, carrot, carrot tops, chickpeas, coconut, cooked beans, corn, cucumber, dandelion leaves, dates, endive, fig, grapefruit, grapes, kale, kiwi, lentils, mango, melons, nectarines, orange, papaya, parsnip, peach, peas, peppers, pineapple, plum, pomegranate, potato, pumpkin, rapini, raspberry, romaine lettuce, soy, spinach, sprouted seeds, squash, strawberry, sweet potato, and tomato.