The Feeding and Nutrition of a Senegal Parrot

I have a 6 yr old Senegal parrot that I hand fed. I have learned quite a bit over the years about parrot nutrition and care. My Senegal is named Sunni and he has a vocabulary of about 6 words. He can imitate many noises such as, the microwave, smoke alarm, running water and telephone. He has a sweet little personality and has bonded very well with me. I am able to handle him anytime, day or night, and he has only bitten me once when he was a few months old. He will let others handle him, but has bitten on quite a few occasions.

The most important thing in raising a parrot is their nutrition. Most people are led to believe that a diet of just seeds is adequate for these birds, but it is not. In the wild Senegal's will eat fruits, vegetables and nuts. I feed a variety of foods to keep him healthy. His main diet consists of commercially made parrot pellets. I supplement this with fresh fruits and vegetables. Avacados and chocolate are POISONOUS to parrots and should never be fed. Sunni's favorites foods are grapes and apples. It is very interesting watching a parrot eat a grape. Sunni "unzips" it with his beak, sucks out the inside, and drops the skin. This also keeps him pretty busy. Parrots like to "forage" for their food so it is recommended that you put bowls in various positions in the cage.

Noodles and grains are also good for parrots. I do give him meat every once in a while and he eats that heartily! I feed corn bread, wheat bread, whole wheat or white noodles, and white or brown rice. An easy way to get a parrot to eat some veggies is to puree them in a blender and use the liquid with a little water to make a batch of cornbread according to the box directions. I cut these in little "bars" and freeze half for easy thawing.

Seeds and nuts are an important part of a parrots diet, but should be given in moderation as treats since they are high in fat. They love sunflower seeds! I also give some spray millet as a treat. Birds are drawn to colorful foods and also like things in different shapes and sizes, so experiment!! You can cut up carrots into sticks or squares. Some birds will only eat cooked or steamed veggies and some like them fresh. I like to stick some broccoli in his cage bars and make it look like a tree. Sunni has a blast picking through it! I have also purchased some treat dispensers for birds where they have to work a treat through a maze before they can eat it. It is very important for parrots to stay busy and not get bored as they tend to develop bad habits such as feather picking.

A well rounded, diverse diet is the best thing for a Senegal parrot. Making new and fun foods for them is something that should be done and is actually enjoyable.