can parrots eat almonds? What You Need to Know!

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:

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:

1. Seed and Nuts – &1% of the diet
2. Dairy and Meat – 5% of the diet
3. Vegetables and Fruits – 45% of the diet
4. Grain Products – 50% of the diet

Fruits

1. Blackberries
2. Blueberries
3. Apples (remove seeds and stem)
4. Clementine oranges
5. Guava
6. Dates
7. Grapefruit
8. Plums (remove pit and area around the pit)
9. Mangoes
10. Pomegranate
11. Bananas (remove peel)
12. Nectarines (remove pit and area around the pit)
13. Oranges
14. Kiwis
15. Raisins
16. strawberries
17. Cactus fruit
18. Pears (remove seeds)
19. Currants
20. Passion fruit
21. Peaches (remove pit and area around the pit)
22. Cranberries
23. Lemons
24. Pineapple
25. Kumquats
26. Coconuts
27. Grapes (i.e. black, green, red, etc.)
28. Figs
29. Mandarin oranges
30. Honeydew (no rinds)
31. raspberries
32. Cherimoya
33. Cherries (no pits)
34. Loquat
35. Apricots (remove pit and area around the pit)
36. Cantaloupe (no rinds)

Recommended Vegetables

1. Endive
2. Broccoli flower
3. Kohlrabi
4. Chard
5. Lettuce
6. Broccoli
7. Parsley
8. Cherry pepper
9. Corn
10. Cabbage
11. Ginger root
12. Cauliflower
13. Jalapeno peppers
14. Eggplant (ripe and cooked)
15. Beans (cooked) (i.e. adzuki, butter, garbanzo, green, haricot, kidney, mung, navy, pinto, pole, soy, wax, etc.)
16. Banana peppers
17. Mustard greens
18. Bean sprouts
19. Celery
20. Lentils (cooked)
21. Arugula
22. Cayenne
23. Bamboo shoots
24. Cilantro
25. Baby corn
26. Beets
27. Okra
28. Collard greens
29. Asparagus (cooked)
30. Chayote
31. Leeks
32. Carrots (including tops)
33. Chicory
34. Peppers (i.e. chili, green, jalapeno, poblano, red, serrano, yellow, etc.)
35. Chili peppers
36. Bell peppers
37. Peas (i.e. green, snow, sugar snap, etc.)
38. Comfrey
39. Cucumbers
40. Kale
41. Alfalfa sprouts (you can sprout them yourself)

Recommended Nuts

1. Hazelnuts
2. Peanuts
3. Pecans
4. Pistachio nuts
5. Brazil nuts (whole only for x-large parrots)
6. Filberts
7. Cashews
8. Pine nuts
9. Walnuts
10. Macadamia (high in fat)

Recommended Grain 

1. Oatmeal
2. Melba Toast
3. Noodles and pasta (i.e. macaroni, ravioli, spaghetti, etc.)
4. Pearl barley
5. Quinoa
6. Pretzels (low- or no-salt