How to Make Foraging Toys for Birds

In the wild, birds spend a large percentage of their time finding and gathering food, or foraging. However, for birds kept as pets, such as parrots, food is very easily accessible. Homemade foraging toys for your birds, which mimic the actions they undertake in the wild, are ideal for mentally stimulating your companions. According to the Veterinary Medicine department of California University's Davis campus, birds are very intelligent animals and foraging for food in different areas of their cages is highly enriching.

Things You'll Need

  • Empty toilet paper tube
  • Hole punch
  • Tape
  • Ribbon
  • Bird treats, seeds or pellets
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Flatten an empty toilet paper tube. An easy way to do this is to press it against a hard surface.

    • 2

      Punch a hole in one end of the empty toilet paper tube. This hole should go through both sides of the cardboard tube.

    • 3

      Fold the bottom of the flattened toilet paper tube up approximately 1/2 inch. Tape the bottom closed securely, so that no bird seeds, pellets or treats can slip out.

    • 4

      Fill the cardboard tube with bird seeds and pellets. Choose your bird's favorite treat, such as popcorn, and add some of that into the toy as well. Only use food and treats that are suitable for birds.

    • 5

      Thread a length of ribbon through the hole you punched in the top of the tube in Step 1. If desired, tape the top closed as well to make the toy more challenging for your bird.

    • 6

      Hang this homemade foraging toy in your bird's cage for him to play with.