Cockatiels are a common household bird all around the world, although they are from Australia. They tend to be easy to take care of and make friendly pets for people of all ages. Their diet was something of a mystery since there are so many foods on the market.
So, can cockatiels eat grapes? Yes, these cockatoo relatives can eat a variety of fruits and vegetables including grapes. Some birds do best if the grapes are cut in half to make it easier for them to eat. They can eat grapes that are seedless or with seeds, making this an easy snack for you to get.
Cockatiels can eat a variety of fruits and vegetables and most really like grapes. However, you can´t just feed them grapes all day. Continue to read to learn how to feed grapes properly and other things you simply must know when it comes to bird diet.
The Best Way To Feed Your Cockatiel Grapes
Grapes should only be fed to your cockatiel in small amounts, as they are full of a sugar known as fructose. They can provide an easy source of energy for your cockatiel and most love these juicy snacks.
Grapes should be fed in moderation because, like with other foods that are high in sugar, they can lead to your bird becoming obese. In addition, excessive sugar can give them an upset stomach and cause runny stool.
Instead of feeding only grapes, feed a mix of different fruits and vegetables to provide your cockatiel with balanced nutrition. The vegetables will provide roughage that helps keep their gut working properly, while they get most of the energy from fruits such as grapes and apples.
When feeding fruits such as grapes or even vegetables, you want to make sure the fruit is carefully washed before giving it to your bird.
This helps not just rinse dirt off of them but helps get rid of any chemical residues such as pesticides that might be on your fruit, which could be toxic to your cockatiel.
Some commercial fruits do contain high levels of pesticides, so they should be avoided unless you grow them yourself or purchase organic ones.
Cockatiels can enjoy more than just grapes. Most will eat a variety of fruits, and, like grapes, some of these can include seeds.
Try feeding your bird berries, such as blackberries or raspberries. You can also try feeding them lychee fruit and pomegranates, both of which have seeds that are safe for your cockatiel to eat.
You Should Also Mix In Some Veggies When Feeding Grapes
Like fruits, there are a variety of vegetables that can be fed to your cockatiel safely. In fact, veggies provide many essential nutrients, as well as roughage, and they tend to be lower in sugar than fruits, so they provide a good counterbalance to the grapes you’re giving your cockatiel.
Many greens are safe for your cockatiel to eat, such as romaine lettuce and arugula. Iceberg lettuce isn’t harmful, but it lacks nutritional value and should be avoided.
Kale and collard greens are dense in certain nutrients that are important for the health of your bird, including Vitamins C, A and potassium.
They can be served cooked or raw to your cockatiel.
You should feed a mixture of vegetables to your cockatiel to help prevent vitamin deficiencies. Some bird owners have to avoid giving their cockatiel grapes, not because they are toxic, but because the bird wants to eat only grapes.
You can help minimize your bird from picking only the grapes out by mixing the fruits and veggies together. Cut the foods up into beak-sized pieces and mix them up. If your cockatiel hasn’t had a piece of grape before, be prepared for them to be wary.
You might need to offer them the grape by hand to encourage them to try it.
One caution with certain vegetables is that they can be stringy and obstruct your bird’s gut. This isn’t something you have to worry about with most fruit, especially squishy fruit such as grapes.
Take care to cut the foods you’re providing into small, manageable pieces for your bird to eat.
You could make a delicious meal for your cockatiel by providing them a mixture containing greens, squash, grapes, and apples. There are lots of recipes online to help guide you in making a feast for your feathered friend.
For example, squash makes a very healthy food source, with every part edible, including the seeds. In fact, these seeds are nutrient-dense and contain minerals vital to your bird’s health like selenium.
Foods to Offer Your Cockatiel
- Apples without seeds
- Grapes with or without seeds
- Berries (Blueberries, for example, can be healthy, but shouldn’t be fed too often. You can read more on that in this article.)
- Cauliflower (Cauliflower is so healthy for Cockatiels! We explain why in this article – Read it here!)
- Kale
- Carrots
- Squash
- Nuts
While fruits and vegetables tend to be a mainstay of your cockatiel’s diet, the same is not true for nuts. You need to worry about grapes having too much sugar, but nuts tend to be too fatty for cockatiels to safely eat, especially in more than small amounts.
The excess fats can predispose them to develop fat around their internal organs and have even been linked to fatty tumors called lipomas.
If a cockatiel is fed nuts with its fruits and vegetables, you should be careful with peanuts. These can carry a mold called aspergillus, which can lead to the respiratory infection aspergillosis, which can be deadly.
In addition, peanuts contain aflatoxins, which can poison your bird over time. If you want to feed your Cockatiel peanuts, we explain how to feed them properly in this article.
You can also feed your Cockatiel meat from time to time. We know that this sounds crazy, but meat is pretty good for most parrots and parakeets. Read our article on parrots and meat here!
Besides that, you can also feed your Cockatiels mealworms from time to time. Most pet birds love them! We have created an article on budgies and mealworms – but the same goes for the Cockatiel! Read it here!
If you want to know more about treats you can give your Cockatiel, have a look at our article on that here! We show you 15 awesome and inexpensive treats for your Cockatiel!
Toxic Foods
As you’ve read, there are lots of foods that are safe for your cockatiel to eat and plenty of things that pose a hazard to him or her.
Avocados are highly toxic to birds, especially to smaller birds like cockatiels and parakeets. This food contains a toxin that is fungicidal and can act as a toxin to the bird’s heart.
Respiratory distress followed by death often occurs when this food is ingested.
Chocolate might seem like a no-brainer, but it’s definitely something to keep away from your cockatiel. Darker chocolates tend to be more toxic than milk chocolates, as they have higher levels of caffeine and theobromine.
These components cause problems when ingested such as hyperactivity, seizures, and even potentially death.
Overall, avoid foods that are high in salts, fats, and sugars for your cockatiel as they can lead your bird to develop health issues. In addition, you should avoid artificial sugars and foods with them in it, which includes xylitol. This is sometimes found in candies and baked goods.
It is unknown what feeding these will do to birds, but they can cause low blood sugar, liver damage, and death in dogs.
Foods to Avoid With Your Cockatiel:
- Avocados
- Rhubarb
- Onions and garlic
- Chocolate
- Artificial sweeteners
Related Questions
How do I get my cockatiel to eat fruits and vegetables? If your bird only eats seeds rather than fresh foods, try mixing the foods in small amounts with seeds. This can encourage your cockatiel to get used to the fresh foods, and it will often encourage them to eat the fresh fruits and vegetable as they eat the seeds.
Can my cockatiel have peanut butter? Peanut butter is something that can be unsafe to give your cockatiel, although in small amounts it is not likely to hurt them. Too much can give your bird too much fat and sugar, which they don’t need. Peanuts can contain aflatoxins and molds that can be toxic.Â
Can Cockatiels eat grape stems? Instead of eating grapes, some cockatiels like to play with the grape stems and chew on them all day. There is no need to worry about that as the stems are safe for cockatiels to eat. Still, they should be washed thoroughly before given to the cockatiel.
