Give that bird a job!
Pepper, spokesbird and foraging toy tester
Did you know that in the wild, parrots spend 70 percent of their time searching for, gathering, and working for their food? In our homes, as companion parrots, their food is presented to them in a bowl, leaving the whole day for them to find other things to do to occupy their time. Most of us parrot owners give our parrots toys, and some parrots play with them; some don’t. Since most pet parrots are not the result of thousands of years of domestication, like pet dogs and cats, but are instead only one or two generations removed from the wild, they still retain the strong instinct to forage for their food.
Ollie, spokesbird, foraging toy tester, and quality control manager
Many pet parrots have behavior problems such as feather plucking/barbering and screaming – and a lot of times, this results from boredom. Many parrot experts and avian veterinarians agree that occupying your parrot’s time is a good way to ensure a mentally and physically healthy parrot, and may help with the behavior issues, too. And even if your parrot seems happy already, he could be even happier if he kept busy by working for his food. Some studies have shown that parrots will choose food they have to work for, even if there is food available in the bowl! Some researchers call this “contrafreeloading”, and this is well observed in parrots. This is definitely true for my two Eclectus parrots.
Wouldn’t it be great if you knew, when you went out to work, that your parrot is happily at work too, doing the type of job that he was born to do?
You can definitely improve your parrot’s enjoyment of life by giving him opportunities to forage. There are many wonderful foraging toys and products on the market, and my birds love many of them. But let’s face it – they are VERY expensive – especially for parrots who like variety.
That’s why I created this website. Since I got my Eclectus parrots, I have devised many home-made foraging toys that my birds love. This website will contain the instructions to make many cheap or free foraging toys that you can make yourself, very easily, with NO skill or complicated tools, and that your parrots will love, too!
Join me in helping to keep those beaks busy with productive, positive activities!
Get some ideas!
This is me, Michele, with my 2 eclectus parrots, Ollie and Pepper
Looking for a bird vet in the Philly/South Jersey Area? Foraging for Parrots recommends Dr. Dazen at Animal And Bird Healthcare Center and Hospital in Cherry Hill. Dr. Dazen is one of the few Avian Board Certified vets in the whole country, making him a true “avian vet”