Enrichment and Foraging for Birds |
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Enrichment -- whether environmental or behavior -- is a way to provide our companion parrots with new stimulation and things to do. It’s one way to keep them mentally and physically healthy. Opportunities to “forage,” or to look for and access food, is one type of enrichment that helps keep pet birds active, stimulated and engaged.
It is estimated that parrots in the wild spend 50-70% of their day foraging for food. This involves searching for available sources, choosing the most desirable items, and then manipulating the chosen food with their feet and beaks. How does your parrot spend the day?
Getting your bird started with foraging
To get your bird started foraging, try using skewers or placing bowls in different locations. Cover bowls with butcher paper, put treats in paper bags, or hide that special nut in a puzzle toy.
Whole foods can also be used to forage. Fresh produce, when it is free of pesticides and fertilizers, is great for a bird to peel and dissect! Food that is free of growth hormones or antibiotics is also safer for your parrot’s long-term health. Teach your parrot to try new foods in addition to daily staples. Make mealtimes a flock-family occasion and enjoy fun times together.
A great site for enrichment information and ideas is avianenrichment.com.
It is estimated that parrots in the wild spend 50-70% of their day foraging for food. This involves searching for available sources, choosing the most desirable items, and then manipulating the chosen food with their feet and beaks. How does your parrot spend the day?
Getting your bird started with foraging
To get your bird started foraging, try using skewers or placing bowls in different locations. Cover bowls with butcher paper, put treats in paper bags, or hide that special nut in a puzzle toy.
Whole foods can also be used to forage. Fresh produce, when it is free of pesticides and fertilizers, is great for a bird to peel and dissect! Food that is free of growth hormones or antibiotics is also safer for your parrot’s long-term health. Teach your parrot to try new foods in addition to daily staples. Make mealtimes a flock-family occasion and enjoy fun times together.
A great site for enrichment information and ideas is avianenrichment.com.
Plants and natural branches can provide wonderful enrichment for birds. One resource we recommend a lot on what branches or trees are safe or unsafe for parrots is https://mdvaden.com/bird_page.shtml.
The World Parrot Trust also has a wonderful article on plants for parrots that you may download as a PDF at www.parrots.org/pdfs/PlantsforParrots.pdf.
The World Parrot Trust also has a wonderful article on plants for parrots that you may download as a PDF at www.parrots.org/pdfs/PlantsforParrots.pdf.
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Jenny Drummey's 6 pack toy. Quick homemade enrichment. Pack a 6-pack with shreddables, nuts, foot toys, and other fun things to play with. Please use only safe parts!
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Debbie Russell's 2013 Toy-Making class with some ideas for enrichment, foraging and home-made toys.
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February 8, 2025: "What the Heck Is Enrichment?" with Debbie Foster CPBT-KA and CPBC
Does the whole idea of enrichment confuse you? Wondering if you're doing it right, wrong, or doing it at all? Debbie will walk us through various categories of enrichment and provide some outside-the-box activities and ideas to keep our birds busy. The right kind of enrichment can prevent boredom and enhance a bird's quality-of-life. A physically engaged bird is a healthier bird. Teaching our birds various active and enriched behaviors will help them to thrive in our homes. Debbie is a certified behavior consultant and professional bird trainer. IAABC CEUs approved.
Other video resources for enrichment and foraging
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"Captive Foraging," released in 2007, was the first widely available resource on teaching birds to forage in captivity, stressing the importance of foraging. It includes tips that can still be used today. Thankfully, there are also a wider array of foraging toys on the market for birds now. You may also make foraging toys at home.
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This video is a recording of the October 18, 2020 webinar on "Avian Enrichment: Easy DIY Hacks." It was presented by Phoenix Landing and Companion Parrots Re-homed.
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