Can budgies eat apricots?
Yes, budgies can eat a small piece of fresh apricot flesh as an occasional treat, but the stone must be removed completely first. Like other fruits in the same family — plums, cherries and peaches — apricot stones contain compounds that release cyanide when broken down, and the kernel inside is the part to keep well away from your bird.
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Why the flesh is fine but the stone isn't
Apricot flesh itself is not toxic and offers some vitamins and moisture, and it's a fruit that's commonly given to pet birds in small pieces as an occasional treat. The genuine hazard is the stone, and specifically the kernel inside it.
This is the same family of stone fruits behind the well-known warning about cherry and plum stones in dogs — the seed-toxicity issue is consistent across the group, and applies just as much to a budgie as to any other pet offered the fruit.
How to prepare it safely
Wash the apricot to remove any residue, then cut the flesh away from the stone completely, discarding the stone and any pith directly attached to it, before offering any to your budgie.
Cut the flesh into a piece genuinely small for a budgie's beak and size, and only offer a small amount as an occasional extra rather than a regular feature of the diet. Double-check the piece you're about to offer for any trace of the stone or hard fibrous flesh close to it, since it's easy to miss a fragment on a fruit this small.
How much and how often
Treat apricot as an occasional extra, not a daily food. A budgie's diet should be built mainly around a good quality seed or pellet mix and vegetables, with fruit playing a much smaller supporting role.
The natural sugar in fruit is easy to overdo for a bird this small, so a small piece offered occasionally is a more sensible approach than a regular daily portion. Rotating apricot with other safe fruits, rather than offering the same one repeatedly, also keeps treat time varied without any single fruit becoming a habit.
Signs it hasn't agreed with your budgie
A budgie going off its food, looking fluffed up and lethargic, or showing changed droppings after trying something new is worth watching closely, since these are general signs of a bird not feeling well rather than specific to any one food.
Birds hide illness well and can decline quickly compared with many other pets, so any budgie that seems genuinely unwell, rather than simply curious or cautious about a new taste, should be seen by a vet promptly rather than waited out.
What to feed instead
A good seed or pellet mix should remain the mainstay of a budgie's diet, with bird-safe treat products and the occasional piece of prepared fresh fruit, like apricot, sitting alongside it as extras rather than a substitute.
The products below cover that everyday base and the treats most suited to a budgie, which should make up the majority of what your bird eats. Keeping fresh water available alongside any fruit offered matters just as much as the fruit itself.
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Things we stock that owners commonly reach for here. Nothing on this page depends on you buying one.
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Common questions
- Are apricot stones dangerous to budgies?
- Yes, apricot stones and particularly the kernel inside contain compounds that release cyanide when broken down. The stone should always be removed completely before offering any apricot flesh to a budgie.
- Can budgies eat dried apricots?
- Dried fruit is generally more concentrated in sugar than fresh fruit, so if offering dried apricot at all, a very small piece with no added sugar or preservatives, and no stone, would be the safer choice, but fresh apricot is generally the better option.
- How much fresh fruit can a budgie have?
- A small piece offered occasionally, rather than daily, is sensible for most fruit given to budgies, since the natural sugar content is easy to overdo for a bird this size. Seed, pellets and vegetables should remain the main part of the diet.
- What other fruits are safe for budgies?
- Apple flesh, banana and berries are commonly offered to budgies in small amounts, always with any stones, pips or seeds removed first where relevant. As with apricot, fruit should stay an occasional extra rather than a dietary staple.
Related
Sources
Written against guidance published by UK veterinary and welfare organisations. Always confirm specifics with your own vet.
Written by Matt Garnett, who runs Giddy Pets and is a lifelong pet owner — not a vet. This is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your animal. How we write these guides.