Parrot Toys
I find that it can be a bit of a challenge finding good toys for my parrotlets and sierras so I thought that I'd use this page to provide a few recommendations and to give some advice on toy making.
When buying or making toys, make sure that you assess them for safety. Avoid any metal that's not stainless steel, watch out for little bits that might break and make sure that there's nowhere that could trap a wing, leg or neck. Avoid fabrics and cotton rope. Check toys daily to ensure that they have not become dangerous.
Acrylic/plastic toys
These are some of the easiest toys to find in tiny parrot size because they're often aimed at budgies and cockatiels. Toys that have bells on are normally a hit with parrotlets. Check how this sort of toy attaches to the cage, you might need to swap a simple clip for a safer quick link.
Chewable toys
Parrots of every size love to chew things. I find that the Hagen Living World Natures Treasure All natural bird toy range has some great, safe toys for little parrots. Pets at Home has started to stock some chewable toys suitable for parrotlets such as the Quiko toy in the photo.
I find that it can be a bit of a challenge finding good toys for my parrotlets and sierras so I thought that I'd use this page to provide a few recommendations and to give some advice on toy making.
When buying or making toys, make sure that you assess them for safety. Avoid any metal that's not stainless steel, watch out for little bits that might break and make sure that there's nowhere that could trap a wing, leg or neck. Avoid fabrics and cotton rope. Check toys daily to ensure that they have not become dangerous.
Acrylic/plastic toys
These are some of the easiest toys to find in tiny parrot size because they're often aimed at budgies and cockatiels. Toys that have bells on are normally a hit with parrotlets. Check how this sort of toy attaches to the cage, you might need to swap a simple clip for a safer quick link.
Chewable toys
Parrots of every size love to chew things. I find that the Hagen Living World Natures Treasure All natural bird toy range has some great, safe toys for little parrots. Pets at Home has started to stock some chewable toys suitable for parrotlets such as the Quiko toy in the photo.
Foraging toys
Foraging toys are a great way of keeping little minds and beaks busy when we're away. I sometimes make foraging toys by folding some card (with no printing on it, no glue and no tape) into a little box and filling it with scraps of paper and treats. I use a piece of vegetable tanned leather to hand the box up. You can also make a very simple foraging toy by putting millet spray in some unbleached printer paper and twisting the ends together.
Toy making
I often make toys for my parrots. It's a great money saver and home-made toys are often safer than shop bought. Once home-made toys start getting a bit tatty, you can revamp them to be just like new toys. Here are some of the toy making parts that I use:
- Vegetable tanned leather strips
- Acrylic beads
- Beads from a baby teething toy (they have to be non-toxic to be child-safe)
- Cardboard
- Unbleached printer paper
- Cuttlefish bones
- Unreated pine, drilled and sawn to size
- Drinking straws
- Seashells, well washed and boiled to remove salt.
- Natural wood, cut and drilled.
- Quick links
- Vine or willow rings (available from Northern parrots and Parrot essentials)
Here are a few examples of my home-made parrotlet toys. They don't look all that fancy but the birds enjoy them!
Natural wood and leaves
Something as simple as a twig can supply hours of entertainment for a parrot. Some species where the leaves are safe for parrots as well as the wood are apple, pear, hawthorn. The berries of hawthorn are also safe for parrots and full of vitamins. Make sure that any wood you choose has no bird dropping on it and wash it. You can use 10% bleach solution and then rinse well with water to clean branches.
Something as simple as a twig can supply hours of entertainment for a parrot. Some species where the leaves are safe for parrots as well as the wood are apple, pear, hawthorn. The berries of hawthorn are also safe for parrots and full of vitamins. Make sure that any wood you choose has no bird dropping on it and wash it. You can use 10% bleach solution and then rinse well with water to clean branches.