The Grey Parrot Diet

Also known as African grey parrots, or Psittacus erithacus, grey parrots are one of the most popular pet parrots in the world. Avianweb.com notes that there may be several subspecies of grey parrots, but they all need the same diet. The large, formidable beak of grey parrots enable them to crush hard foods, but they also need softer foods and a variety of foods for complete nutrition.

  1. Native Diet

    • In the wild, grey parrots live in the rain forests and gain access to a wide variety of fruits, seeds, nuts, tree bark, tree and plant leaves, flowers and many types of protein-rich insects. The Honolulu Zoo notes that wild parrots enjoy oil-palm nuts. In order to keep a pet grey parrot healthy, the wild diet needs to be reproduced as closely as possible, according to avianweb.com.

    Base Diet

    • The main food for a pet African grey should be a high-quality pellet food made specifically for parrots and fortified with vitamins. The main ingredients are vegetables and grains. Pellets can also be stored for much longer than fresh foods. Unlike fresh foods, which need to be removed when they begin to rot, pelleted food can stay out all day and night so the parrot can eat at will.

    Fresh Foods

    • Grey parrots enjoy a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, but all large seeds, pits and cores should be removed from fruits. Safe fruits include apples, pears, plums, mangoes, oranges, kiwi, berries, bananas, grapes, tangerines, cranberries and pineapple. Safe vegetables include dark leafy green vegetables with vitamin C such as dandelion greens, kale, mustard greens or spinach. Other safe vegetables include sweet potatoes, corn, squash, pumpkin and yams. Inspect fruit and vegetables for rot and wash them before giving them to a grey parrot.

    Introducing New Foods

    • New foods, especially fresh foods, should be given in small amounts so that the bird's digestive system can adjust to them. Less than a handful is good for a start. Otherwise, the parrot may gorge and may vomit or get diarrhea. Keep oily, fat-laden seeds, such as sunflower seeds, to a minimum and only them use as an occasional treat. These seeds are rare in the wild, but in captivity grey parrots will feed on them to the point of ignoring all other foods.

    Warning

    • African grey parrots will eat anything they can find, whether it is good for them or not. Foods that are poisonous for grey parrots include house plants, sugary or carbonated drinks like soda, alcoholic beverages, regular table salt, avocados, raw or cooked onions, apple seeds, mushrooms, raw beans, all dairy products and all kinds of chocolate, including baker's chocolate.