Bird Care

ALL ABOUT TOYS

All birds need toys. Toys play a vital role in not only the mental development of the bird, but they provide for emotional development as well. Toys relieve boredom as well as frustration.

 In the wild birds are usually seeing foraging, flying as they look for food or they may be interacting with the flock. But in a captive situation there is usually not much to occupy them. Toys will help with this problem.

 Toys come in a wide variety and range in size from small to very large. Parrotlets, budgies, linnies and Bourke's need small toys while birds like cockatoos and macaws may need large toys.

 There are thousands of toy types to choose from. Some of them are very simple in design while others very complex. There are toys that have colorful beads or chunks of wood, and other are like bungee cords.

 Which toy is right for your bird? This isn’t as easy to answer as you might think. Each bird is an individual and they like different toys. For example, my macaw, Tiny loves rope type of toys, especially ones that he could pull strands out of. My friend’s macaw on the other hand enjoys toys that have plenty of wood blocks that he could chew. Yet another friend of mine who owns a macaw told me that her bird loves acrylic toys, especially those that are puzzle-like in nature.

 Parrots see in colors which is one of the reasons that they enjoy colorful toys. To keep their interest toys should be rotated and new ones added. But how many toys should a bird have? There really isn’t any set number, but I suggest at least 3-4 as a very minimum. Can a bird have too any toys? Yes they could. If your bird has to weave in and out to get around in his cage or you can’t find him because of the jungle of toys, then it would probably be a safe bet to say he has too many toys.

 Remember that different toys serve different purposes. Birds that chew need toys they can destroy. These are usually made of wood. Birds that tend to feather pluck need toys they can pluck or preen instead. These are usually made of rope. Those birds that are acrobatic love bungee cord type of toys, or swings and ladders. Smaller birds love colorful beads and bells on toys. Birds that play on their backs love the foot held toys. There are even toys that have almonds or other nuts inside of them and the bird has to either chew them to get the treat or even figure out how to get the treat out of the puzzle like toy.

 My Amazon, Charlie’s favorite toy is his coconut on a chain with a bell. At night every time he goes to sleep, he pulls this toy over to him, he cuddles close to it before finally falling asleep.

 When you are shopping for a toy for your bird make sure that the toy is well designed and won’t fall apart the minute the bird starts to play with it. Check toys for rough spots because these could injure your bird. If you are buying a rope toy check to see if there are any frayed strands of rope that your bird could become entangled in. Leather toys also need to be checked to make sure no mold or mildew is on them. Once you buy these toys for your bird you will need to check them often.

 Rope toys will fray over time. It is vital to check these and cut off any of the frayed strands because not only can the bird become entangled in them, but it is not unusual for them to wrap tightly around a toe, wing, foot, or even tongue.

 My caique, Rascal loves rope toys as well as bungee type of toys. I always checked these toys, and checked them often, removing any little frayed ends. Unfortunately when I was in Chicago for my mother’s funereal my kids and husband didn’t check as thoroughly as I do. After being gone for ten days I came home exhausted after the long flight. I was home no longer than 15 minutes when I heard Rascal screaming in panic. I ran into the room to see him tangled up in his rope toy. He was so entangled that it took 20 minutes for me to carefully remove these strands. Checking his feet, I saw one of his little toes so tightly wrapped that it was cutting off the circulation. Luckily I was able to remove this little piece but it took awhile. Poor little Rascal. In his initial struggle he dislocated his toe. I had to take him into the vet the next day. I was lucky that he was fine, but his poor little toe forever will have this funny little mark on it.

Rascal’s story is unfortunately very common. Rope toys are wonderful. Birds that are feather pluckers may stop pulling their own feathers out when given rope toys. Birds that are prone to feather plucking may not even start because of rope toys. But they need to be checked and they need to be checked often. Remove any frayed ends and they will be safe for your bird.

Because certain bacteria can be harmful to your bird, rope toys can also be put in the washing machine and washed. I use a mild detergent, hot water and a put it in for a second rinse. I do not add fabric softener and I never add anything with Fabreeze on it because this is toxic to birds.

Leather toys can also present some harzards. Leather toys are tough and will last for a long time, which is a plus when you have a bird that likes to chew. However there are some negatives as well. Birds can also become wrapped in them and injure themselves. Leather toys are hard to clean and because of this they can become a breeding ground for harmful bacteria. 

 Acrylic toys are wonderful. They are durable, they can be washed, they are colorful and many are puzzle like in nature so they stimulate the parrots’ intellect. They have moving parts, some are filled with nuts or pieces of wood, or they may make interesting noises.