Make Your Own Bird Toys

Bird owners, have you priced bird toys at your friendly neighborhood pet store lately? It's a shocker! Of course the toys look colorful and stimulating, but do you really need to spend ten to fifteen dollars on a toy for your bird, when there are so many expenses in your life?

Recently I discovered the fun of making toys for my cockatiel. (The finches have each other and don't seem to pay much attention to toys.) It's inexpensive to fashion things that will amuse your bird, and believe it or not, it's fun for the toymaker too!

You may be able to locate usable items from around your house. If not, a visit to hobby and hardware stores can yield multiple treasures to catch your bird's eye. Dollar stores, thrift stores and yard sales are handy for picking up "spare parts" as well.

Remember to avoid toxins. If it's not safe for you to chew on, you don't want your bird pecking at it either. The truth is, my bird seems to have good instincts. I once brought home a colorful doodad for her that was made in China. She never would go near it and I finally removed it from the cage. Not long after that incident, lead paint warnings on Chinese toys were issued -- I think Corky knew it all along!

Think about what birds do outdoors in the wild. What materials are at their disposal? The bark of trees and plants, of course. My cockatiel once had a swing on which she never did swing, but she "sawed" through the center of it, and it kept her busy for weeks! Thread spools, multibranched twigs, popsicle sticks and wooden clothespins are great fun for birds. You can tie them from a string of cotton rope, or natural or leather twine. There are lots of beads and blocks that are safe for birds as well. Remember, though, the cockatiels will work their way through wood a lot faster than your parakeet will.

I put some colorful marbles in a plastic jar lid at the bottom of Corky cockatiel's cage. She can't pick them up, but she seems to enjoy rolling them around in the jar lid and clinking them together. I brought in a nice twig branch from outside and put the cardboard ring from inside of a toilet paper roll around it. She loves these things!

The fancy toys in your local pet store may be attractive to we humans, but the simple fact is that your birds can be highly amused by simple pleasures. Use your imagination and see what great toys you can think up!