There’s no doubt that almonds are a nutritious snack, but can parrots eat them?
The answer is yes, but there are some things you need to know before feeding your feathered friend this healthy snack.
Keep reading to learn more about the benefits of almonds for parrots and how much is safe to give them.
can parrots eat almonds? parrots can eat almonds, yes. There are two types of almonds; sweet ones that we eat and bitter ones which may be toxic to birds if they aren’t careful about what their pet eats!
Are Almonds Toxic to parrots?
There is some grain of truth to the urban legend that almonds are poisonous to animals, which you may have heard.
There are in fact two varieties of almonds that couldn’t be more distinct from one another:
Bitter almonds- These are just the almonds that should be avoided since they have been found to contain small amounts of hydrogen cyanide.
Sweet almonds – These are just the almonds which are most frequently found at retail establishments across the country.
Much like the pits of some fruits, like peaches, apples, and cherries, bitter almonds contain hydrogen cyanide which is a toxin that’s potentially very dangerous.
These almonds contain a much higher amount though, and even eating a couple of them can cause some serious health issues.
This is where the rumor comes from that almonds are toxic to pets. The bitter almond variety is not commonly sold in stores across the U.S. as far as I’m aware though.
Are Almonds Healthy for parrots?
According to Healthline, almonds are basically a bunch of beneficial nutrients, just like the majority of other types of nuts.
The majority of which is wonderful for parrots, only one ounce of almonds gives the following benefits:
- 14 grams of fat
- 6 grams of protein
- 3.5 grams of fiber
- And a wide range of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other good nutritional content.
It should come as no surprise that parrots cannot get all the nutrients they need from nuts alone. They should be obtaining the majority of the calories and nutrients they need from the high-quality commercial feed.
However, almonds and other types of nuts make an excellent snack food choice.
How to Feed Almonds to Your parrots?
In light of what I just stated, it is imperative that you verify that the almonds in your possession are, in fact, sweet and not bitter.
If you have the proper almonds, the basic guideline when feeding any nuts to parrots is to make sure that they are not salted and to cut them up into bite-sized pieces. This rule applies even if you have the right almonds.
Keep in mind that parrots do not possess any teeth. They will chew on things to help break them up, but ultimately everything is swallowed and processed in their gizzards.
Nuts are the perfect item to disperse throughout the area so that your parrots have something to hunt for. Therefore, you may either scatter some of them or put some of them directly into their feeder.
Safe Foods That parrots Can Eat and enjoy
Nectarines are one of the fruits that parrots enjoy eating, even if they have a liking for a broad range of other fruits as well. In conjunction with that, they take great delight in the consumption of grains and vegetables.
The following is a list of common meals that people who keep parrots:
- Seed and Nuts – &1% of the diet
- Dairy and Meat – 5% of the diet
- Vegetables and Fruits – 45% of the diet
- Grain Products – 50% of the diet
Fruits
- Blackberries
- Blueberries
- Apples (remove seeds and stem)
- Clementine oranges
- Guava
- Dates
- Grapefruit
- Plums (remove pit and area around the pit)
- Mangoes
- Pomegranate
- Bananas (remove peel)
- Nectarines (remove pit and area around the pit)
- Oranges
- Kiwis
- Raisins
- strawberries
- Cactus fruit
- Pears (remove seeds)
- Currants
- Passion fruit
- Peaches (remove pit and area around the pit)
- Cranberries
- Lemons
- Pineapple
- Kumquats
- Coconuts
- Grapes (i.e. black, green, red, etc.)
- Figs
- Mandarin oranges
- Honeydew (no rinds)
- raspberries
- Cherimoya
- Cherries (no pits)
- Loquat
- Apricots (remove pit and area around the pit)
- Cantaloupe (no rinds)
Recommended Vegetables
- Endive
- Broccoli flower
- Kohlrabi
- Chard
- Lettuce
- Broccoli
- Parsley
- Cherry pepper
- Corn
- Cabbage
- Ginger root
- Cauliflower
- Jalapeno peppers
- Eggplant (ripe and cooked)
- Beans (cooked) (i.e. adzuki, butter, garbanzo, green, haricot, kidney, mung, navy, pinto, pole, soy, wax, etc.)
- Banana peppers
- Mustard greens
- Bean sprouts
- Celery
- Lentils (cooked)
- Arugula
- Cayenne
- Bamboo shoots
- Cilantro
- Baby corn
- Beets
- Okra
- Collard greens
- Asparagus (cooked)
- Chayote
- Leeks
- Carrots (including tops)
- Chicory
- Peppers (i.e. chili, green, jalapeno, poblano, red, serrano, yellow, etc.)
- Chili peppers
- Bell peppers
- Peas (i.e. green, snow, sugar snap, etc.)
- Comfrey
- Cucumbers
- Kale
- Alfalfa sprouts (you can sprout them yourself)
Recommended Nuts
- Hazelnuts
- Peanuts
- Pecans
- Pistachio nuts
- Brazil nuts (whole only for x-large parrots)
- Filberts
- Cashews
- Pine nuts
- Walnuts
- Macadamia (high in fat)
Recommended Grain
- Oatmeal
- Melba Toast
- Noodles and pasta (i.e. macaroni, ravioli, spaghetti, etc.)
- Pearl barley
- Quinoa
- Pretzels (low- or no-salt
Raw or undercooked beans- They also include lectins that are toxic to you, so use extreme caution.
Sugary treats- They should avoid soda, candy, and other sugary things because they are bad for them.