Should I feed my parrot pellets or seed?

A formulated pellet mix is generally considered a stronger nutritional base than seed alone, since seed lets a bird pick out the fattiest parts and ignore the rest. Many owners feed a combination of pellets, a good seed blend and daily fresh food rather than relying on just one.

What vegetables can parrots eat?

Leafy greens, carrot, broccoli, pepper and sweetcorn are all good regular choices, offered fresh each day. Varying what you offer across the week gives a more rounded diet and keeps mealtimes interesting for the bird.

What foods are toxic to parrots?

Avocado, chocolate, caffeine, onion, garlic and alcohol are all genuinely toxic to parrots and should never be offered. Salty or sugary human food should also be avoided, even where it is not directly toxic, since it offers nothing a parrot's diet needs.

How much fruit can a parrot have?

A small piece a few times a week is plenty for most parrots. Fruit is a good treat in modest amounts, but it carries more sugar than vegetables and should not make up the main part of the diet.

Does every parrot species eat the same diet?

The basics — a quality pellet or seed base plus daily fresh vegetables — apply broadly, but species vary a good deal in size and specific needs. It is worth checking guidance for your particular species and asking an avian vet if you are ever unsure.

What do parrots eat?

Parrots cover a huge range of species and sizes, from small budgies to large macaws, but the basics of a healthy diet are similar across most of them: a good-quality pellet or seed-based mix as the foundation, fresh vegetables and some fruit offered daily, and a short list of genuinely dangerous foods kept well out of reach.

The base of the diet

A formulated pellet mix, designed to be nutritionally complete, is generally considered a stronger foundation than seed alone, since a seed-only diet lets a parrot pick out the fattiest bits and skip the rest, leading to an unbalanced diet over time. Many owners feed a mix of pellets and seed, or a good seed blend alongside daily fresh food, rather than one or the other exclusively.

Fresh food should be offered every day, not as an occasional extra. Leafy greens, carrot, broccoli, pepper and sweetcorn are all good regular additions, and most parrots benefit from a varied mix across the week rather than the same vegetable on repeat, which also helps keep mealtimes interesting for a genuinely intelligent bird.

Fruit, treats and what to avoid

Fruit makes a good treat in modest amounts — apple, banana and berries are commonly offered — but it carries more sugar than vegetables and should not become the main event. A small piece a few times a week is plenty for most parrots.

Some foods are genuinely dangerous and should never be given: avocado, chocolate, caffeine, onion, garlic and alcohol are all toxic to parrots, and salty or sugary human snacks offer nothing a parrot needs. Nuts can be a good occasional treat for larger species but should be given in moderation given how calorie-dense they are.

Water and getting the routine right

Fresh water should be available at all times and changed daily, since parrots can be messy around a water bowl and it fouls quickly. Food bowls are worth checking through the day too, since some parrots will not eat food that has been sat in or fouled.

Because species vary so much in size and specific needs — a budgie and a macaw are not fed identically — it is worth checking guidance for your particular species, and speaking to an avian vet if your parrot's appetite, weight or droppings change, or if you are ever unsure whether something is safe to offer.

What these need

Things we stock that owners commonly reach for here. Nothing on this page depends on you buying one.

Little Friends Trimmed Dried Cuttlefish Bones

Trimmed dried cuttlefish bones for birds, reptiles and small pets, a natural calcium source

£9.99

Treat 'N' Eat Fatball 90g (No Net)

A single 90g high-energy fat ball for wild birds, netless for safe garden feeding

£0.29

Honeyfields Simply Suet Pellets with Insects

High-energy suet pellets with insects, at 490kcal per 100g, in two sizes

From£3.49

Choose options

Little Friends Bird Mineral Blocks

A hanging mineral block with grit, calcium and iodine, for budgies, canaries and finches

£0.99

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Common questions

Should I feed my parrot pellets or seed?: A formulated pellet mix is generally considered a stronger nutritional base than seed alone, since seed lets a bird pick out the fattiest parts and ignore the rest. Many owners feed a combination of pellets, a good seed blend and daily fresh food rather than relying on just one.
What vegetables can parrots eat?: Leafy greens, carrot, broccoli, pepper and sweetcorn are all good regular choices, offered fresh each day. Varying what you offer across the week gives a more rounded diet and keeps mealtimes interesting for the bird.
What foods are toxic to parrots?: Avocado, chocolate, caffeine, onion, garlic and alcohol are all genuinely toxic to parrots and should never be offered. Salty or sugary human food should also be avoided, even where it is not directly toxic, since it offers nothing a parrot's diet needs.
How much fruit can a parrot have?: A small piece a few times a week is plenty for most parrots. Fruit is a good treat in modest amounts, but it carries more sugar than vegetables and should not make up the main part of the diet.
Does every parrot species eat the same diet?: The basics — a quality pellet or seed base plus daily fresh vegetables — apply broadly, but species vary a good deal in size and specific needs. It is worth checking guidance for your particular species and asking an avian vet if you are ever unsure.

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.