Toys for Birds

Toys are extremely important for parrots. In the wild, they forage for food, play, chew, and interact with other birds most of their day. You need to provide stimulating things for them to do with their time, or you could have a very neurotic bird on your hands.

Sizing

Be sure to provide toys that are sized appropriately for your bird. A big bird should have big toys and smaller birds should have small toys. Small birds will be overwhelmed with big toys, and a large bird could ingest small parts on toys that are not big enough.

Materials

The materials the toys are made of will vary. Many toys are made of the following materials:

Plastic -- nice because it's somewhat chewable but relatively indestructable

Acrylic -- pretty much indestructable

Wood -- a great material, just make sure it's free from pesticides or other treatments

Leather -- to hold on extra parts

Twine or rope -- to hold on extra parts

Chains -- to attach a quick link to

Store Bought Toys

Most toys sold commercially for birds will be safe. Look for toys that are packaged and avoid toys that are not. Unwrapped toys could become contaminated in the pet shop if there are other animals or birds in the store. Since I don't shop at stores that sell birds, I prefer to buy my toys online. By far the best bird toy site I've found is the Byrd Bell Company. The toys are priced very competitively, some no more than $4 or $5 for medium sized parrots like African greys.

Make Your Own

Bird toys are really easy to make. I'd recommend buying some toy parts and practicing. Some good pet supply stores will sell bird toy parts, but you can also order parts off the internet. I order from Avian Naturals in Massachusetts. Toy parts are often cheaper than buying a whole toy, and you have the ability to customize your toys for your birds.

Puzzle Toys

Puzzle toys are great for parrots, as they are naturally inquisitive. You can find toys that allow you to hide items of food like nuts for them to find, or toys where the bird has to perform some actions in order to get their favorite treat. These toys are wonderful and very stimulating for the parrot. At left is an acrylic puzzle toy from Birds Just Wanna Have Fun, where the bird needs to move the toy to get the nut.

Foot Toys

Some birds love playing with foot toys. These are toys that the bird can pick up with their claws to chew on and play with. I keep some foot toys in a small dish at the bottom of the cage. You just need to make sure these toys don't get soiled with food or droppings. You can find lots of foot toys online or in pet supply stores. I've also used safe baby toys that cannot be opened to expose any loose parts, like small balls or rattle parts. At right is a nice foot toy from Your Parrot Place.

Out of Cage Toys

One of the best toys I've found is a twisted rope perch that hangs from the ceiling. Yes, it's a perch, but I consider it a toy because my Grey gets such enjoyment out of swinging around on it. You'll want a ceiling protector so your bird doesn't chew it up, and you'll want a perch or the cage under it so that the bird can get off if she wants to.

The True Parrot Home Page