Food-Finding Parrot Toy Examples

The parrot toys you see below are examples of how you can use the natural parrot toys that we provide to our clients as Food Finding Toys or foraging toys.

Here’s what I want you to notice in the pictures below:

1) Look how I’ve wedged pellets into the first two toys shown; be prepared to squint as they’re kind of hidden.

2) The third toy I’m showing is an example of what the second toy looks like after my African Grey Parrot has tried to tear the food out of it… while it was new.

And the great thing about these toys is that the more destroyed they are, the MORE hiding places you can find to hide food (pellets)… and if you look closely you will see that I’ve been able to hide the food even deeper and more cleverly in the torn up toy.

It’s this process of encouraging your parrot to scavenge through the toy, digging at it and pulling it apart to get at the food that really gets your bird actively using his brain and body in creative ways to get at the task, too!

To purchase the toys I am showing here and others like them, please visit our parrot toy page.

Dave Womach has been performing professionally with birds since the age of 13. He has produced shows for cruise ships, theme parks, fairs, dinner theaters and has been featured internationally on television.

72 comments

maggie alvarado

I have a quaker parrot and try and find something that he likes as treats. Everyday I give him pineapple or papaya, oranges, apples, celery, tomatoes, lettuce, spinach, eggs, rice mango etc. I have tried everything and nothing seems to interest him. I have also offered pumpkin seeds, dried fruit, cereal etc. What do they like as treats. He likes sunflower seeds but they are not supposed to be good for them in large quantities. Help please..I want him to be happy.

maggie alvarado
Tamara

Thanks Chet these are really nice ways of teaching my bird to work to get his food but how do i know when hes hungry so i can do it?

Tamara
Tamara

Hi Chet, I have a story to tell you and a question. Ok ive had 2 parrottlets for about 3 and a half months and everything was fine untill we took them out once and it was hard to put them back and they had a hard time getting back in.( we dont usually take them out because their wings arent cut and we have a high ceiling) A few days after that one of them fell asleep early and the other just pulled a big part of his feathers from his head and every time we think its growing back a little, he keeps pulling his feathers out! What should we do? Now the one who had his feathers got out of his head seems healthy but were not sure. Should we seperate the cages? Should we take him to the vet? Please help me! —Tamara

Tamara
Isaac

Hey Chet. I have a parakeet who doesn’t like the toy I got him. The toy is 3 little swirly balls and i got him those things that trim there beak and still doesn’t touch it. Why is that? did i get him the wrong toys?

Isaac
DANI3LL3 PICK3RING (13YRS)

Hi, i have a Sulphur-Crested cockatoo and he had many toys in his cage and he destroys anything but he would not go near any of the products i had brought from above it scared him that he nearly had a heart attack and he became very aggresive towards my family members and friends that he loves therefore i i would not recommend birds to get cotton toys.

DANI3LL3 PICK3RING (13YRS)
John r

Typo: here not hear good looking thing though

John r
Joanne Salomone

I just inherited My African Grey he belonged to was my sisters bird who passed away in december and he is still so stressed he freaks out everytime I try to put anything new in his cage and I have tried so hard so he will quit plucking also he doesn’t like pellets but peanuts and nuts now he loves them and I am allergic to them. those toys look great but I would have to wait awhile before I could think of trying them I just recently received your training kit and hopefully that will help

Joanne Salomone
noor

I have 2 minature parrots,,,one is a male and the other is female….the male is very aggressive with the female…biting her feathers and niping at her toes when she is eating , the male of mine always seems to do everything first before her..any suggestion on how to stop this behavior…she has lost many feathers because of him

noor
Emma

My bird is happy but its bites and i ddont know that to Do PLEASE help me some one ??

Emma
SARAPADGETT

THANKS FOR THE INF yOU ARE GREAT ALL YOUR SUGGESTIONS ARE PERFECT. I SEND YOU A CHECK THE OTHER DAY FOR A TRAINING TAPE FOR $49.95. TO TRY FOR 30 DAYS WILL SEE HOW IT GOES. THANKS AGAIN sarapadgett@bellsouth.net

SARAPADGETT
lesley

thank you so much for all the little e mails you send me like this, I find it so helpful and interesting, again many thanks

lesley
Brad Elendil

This is a great idea. This is a technique used in zoos to keep animals engaged in their habitats.

Brad Elendil
Justin

I fully agree. My cockatiel loves to shred up anything he can and the more he destroys it, the more fun he seems to have with them lol.

Justin
Venes and Rodger

Hi Chet, My name is Venes. To date e have 2 Blue Quakers(Loki&Sygin) bothe turned a year in Oct. , 1 Female Goffins named Zena, turned a1 this past mont and 1 Greenwinged macaw {Hela} just 8 months and a Harleqin macaw {Lissa} just turned 6 monyhs and today we were given an Ocean parrolet tha is not in to good of shape that was leftin a cage in a dark romm only fed and water, no cage cleaning and had plucked its self almost bald. It doesent seem to be a year yet and has already buttered up to me. We got stared with these guys after my husband came back from his 4rth tour in Irac with {PTSD} and {TBI} which is emotional trauma and brain injury. He had brain surgery 1 year ago, discharged after 15 years of the army in severe depression. So I bought him Loki a 4 wk old Blue Quaker last year. I put the baby in its box in my husbands lap and said feed it and love and walked off. He couldn’t resists that little baby bird and ended up resarching and learning. Now the two of them are inseparaqble. My hsband is now back in college with a 4.0 and on the Deans list. This has all lead to the birds we now have. I truely injoy your emails and will be purchaseing your products around the first week of January for myself and my best freind as she cannot afford them. I gave her a baby girl blue quaker with $800 worth of cage,toys and products. I read the notice about the toys, and the tragedy about the teflon. When we first got Loki I purchased a book called Cookbook for parrots and it mentioned teflon among other harmful things to birds. We emediately got rid of all teflon and other non freindly bird products. This is why I enjoy your site so much, there is so much info. that bird lovers need but just not easily found. We will be moving to Oregon this summer, my husband is studying wildlife medicine, and I am studying to be pacifically involved in Aviary medicine.I wanted to thank you for all you do here and we will be referring others. This is an awsome place to come to for not just information and mere tips. I feel ths site has offered extream and much needed, and I mean life saving lessons for bird owners. You can veiw our babies at mosier@nsuok.edu on Facebook.Thank you so much, Venes, Rodger,Loki, Sygin, Zena, Hela, Lissa, and the little paroolet we havent named just yet.

Venes and Rodger
deborah

im sorry i didn’t tell you what kind of parrot he is a yellow nape i dont want anymore food that i ordered from you iv’e done everything for him to eat it he is that goffy its just a waste of time and money my daughter said he is bypolar are they?? i dont want to sell him i had hope things well get better and i hope it does im not a quiter………… but when he see’s her he will spread is beautiful colourful tail and fluff so beautiful and acts just like ray charles in is dance only thing missing is a pair of sunglasses..lol he can be a doll i love frankie he picks up words so easy i just dont understand him at all!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ty mrs yount

deborah
Lyn

Thank you guys, most informative information I will check out the online info and I can and will visit the pet shop at Kellyville which I know quite well. Lyn

Lyn
deborah

i get so mad and hurt with frankie iv’e hadhim in trainning 16 wks now im stilling ready th book looking at your tapes he is in some ways doing better with me not th way i want him…. when my 26 yr old daughter comes in from work at 6pm i get so hurt he will do eveything she tells him to do and will even follower her walking beside her… i dont understand he wont bite her at all!!!!!!!!!! he will alow her to pet her at any time he gets so excited when she even drs up in the drive way as if he already knows ts he…. i have a very tender heart with ppl animals ex. this guy knows where to hurt me the most my heart he will not stop bitting me day i get him out i have to set and talk with him for 30 min or more to earn that trust he wants one time he got my he charged me and got my foot and im telling you he would not let go he has strenth i feel like an eagel and im telling you he wouldn’t let go he help on for dear life with my foot im not scared of him im a pretty tough cookie i have a farm but this has been the worse ive ever been threw and nothing is working he is evil with me i love him i show him no fear at his best time is when i feed him ive cried and prayed for him but like i said he will do more when my daughter comes in what do i do sell him am i wasting my time with frankie?

deborah
Andrea

Hey, I was given a business card from my mother w/a free sample of a shreddable toy for my green parrotlet DEWEY, Its called SHREDDERS natural woven palm leaf bird toy. I put sunflower seeds into it and Dewey just loved it. They say that they are manufacturers of Fine Earth-Friendly Bird Toys. The prices seem good to me, but I,m not sure if the toys are like the ones Chet has mentioned in the past. So maybe somebody could check out the web site and let me know if I should start spreading the word about this place or not. Thank you go to( Planet Pleasures.com) any feedback would be appreciated.

Andrea
Barbara Boone

I am “babysitting” for a sun conjour. She is terrified when you put any toy into her cage. I am afraid to leave it in the cage for sefveral days at a time as she just hangs unto the side of her cage and trembles. Any ideas? Thanks. Barb

Barbara Boone
Donna

Hi Chet, I adopted a 10 yr old yl nape that was actually sold me as a breeder and I feel as though I adopted him because he turned out to be the best pet. not nippy at all and very loving to me. The problem is he won’t eat any pellets at all. I have tried crushing them and putting them on his fresh food and that doesn’t work. I am so afraid to leave him for a day because he really depends on me for his food. He eats breakfast and dinner with us. what ever we eat he eats plus he gets fresh fruit and veggies and beans in the morning and afternoon.. He also will not play with any toys, I have them hanging everywhere and he won’t touch them. I have had him for about a month and have only seem him once try to chew on his perch can you please help me thanks alot Donna

Donna
Jamieleigh

Yep, we use a lot of Planet Pleasure’s toys in the Bird Tricks toy line, among other naturally made and safe toys.

Jamieleigh
Heather

My cockatiel is very comfortable on his cage. He gets stressed if I move him 3 feet to be on the coffeetable. He also refuses to step ever unless there is millet available for a treat. He’s never been forced and he has only received yummy treats when he does comply. Advice?

Heather
Ness

Heather, Have you tried lowering the height of his cage? Birds generally feel safer (and higher in the pecking order) when they are up higher. Maybe a mobile stand/perch might encourage him to come & play away from his cage’s roof?

Ness
Renee

Chet, I think this is a great foraging exercise. I have spent a lot of $ purchasing foraging toys and most of my parrots have very little interest in them. Perhaps I should do something to show them a few times how to get to their treat. I’m sure you have seen the plastic-like foraging toys that I am talking about. You can see through them but the bird has to learn how to get to the treat that it sees. I have actually purchased some of the toys you are showing and the birds like the natural toys and like to shred them but I think hiding treats in them would be great fun for my birds. They make little bird pinatas that have bird treats in them also. I was actually going to make some of those pinatas with toilet paper and paper towel rolls and newspaper or crepe paper and trying some pepper strips, carrots or apple slices. I am home all day with my fids so I am able to keep a close watch and the food wouldn’t be left for too long causing possible bacterial growth. Renee

Renee
CJ Jones

Hi! I have a Quaker, named “Peppermint” (Peppermint Candy is his favorite thing!) after he removes the wrapper and chews on it for a while, he puts it in his water and makes “TEA”. Everything else goes in his water to make “SOUP!” He is a happy Bird who loves to sing “Old McDonald,” “Jingle Bells,” and “Jesus loves me.” (Often he sings Jesus loves Jingle bells, Eee III EEEE III OH!) He does not like conventional Bird foods. (What Mama is having will be just fine for me, Thanks") I raise a garden, so my Birds get a variety of organically grown fresh vegetables. I also give them baked potato, cooked beans, and rice. I pick seed pods from various types of grass from my yard, and grow Giant Sunflowers, and Alfalfa. (I raise Cockatiels, with 3 adult pairs, Three Babies, and an older Female Lutino with a crippled foot. (Her first flight ended disasterously on the top of my Friend’s Senagal’s cage.) There is a cup of conventional bird seed in each cage. (That keeps people who visit from thinking my birds are not being fed!) I’ve tried many varieties of pellets for my birds, but they use them for Ammo to throw at the Dog and Kittens!) I guess mine are spoiled! This morning, I fixed skewers with Yellow and Zuchinni Squash, Turnip, Carrots Cantelope, Apple, and Cherry tomatoes, and hung them in each cage. Later, they got leaves from several types of Lettus, Cabbage, kale, spinach, and turnip greens . Before “Birdie bedtime”, we had air popped popcorn. My Youngest baby (Lutino) Cockatiel will be a month old, Sunday, He made his first flight, today! (Rather precocious, I think!) He is hand fed with a diet of commercial Baby Formula, mashed potato, rice, eggs, steamed carrots, and suitable soft foods from my plate.) and he is still being fed by his parents, too. THey were also my "Hand Fed Babies, so they think I am supposed to help feed their babies!) Mine seem to be healthy, and Happy, so I’ll not worry too much about what they eat! CJJ

CJ Jones

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