Why do birds need toys?
In the wild, most birds forage for food for hours at a time, and when they are not resting, they are playing. These activities occupy huge amounts of the bird’s day.
In captivity, birds have food served to them with no effort or work, so the rest of their captive day can be extremely boring. A bored bird has a higher risk of developing behavioral problems, such as feather destructive behavior, biting, and constant squawking.
Birds are highly intelligent animals, and toys are important to their mental health, as well as their mental and physical agility. Toys encourage exercise and provide good wear for the beak and toenails.
Birds use toys for holding, hanging, exploring, and chewing. A good collection of toys will provide hours of entertainment and exercise for your inquisitive bird.
Birds need an ever-changing variety of interesting, motivating, and destructible toys. Toys can be rotated in and out of the cage once a week so your bird does not get bored with them. It is important to find toys or items that your bird likes to play with, and to not crowd a cage with too many toys. Start with 3 to 5 toys per bird.
What types of toys are ideal for birds?
Puzzles or foraging toys challenge the bird to figure out a problem, such as how to open it or how to get food out. You may initially have to show your bird how these toys work. It may take your bird hours to get a favorite nut or seed out of a puzzle or foraging toy. Cockatoos are notorious for figuring out foraging and puzzle toys quickly.
Stainless steel, natural non-toxic wood, rope, and acrylic make great materials for toys. Indestructible toys are boring for birds, as they go against their nature — birds love to destroy things. Appropriate chewable objects include untreated wood blocks, cardboard boxes, branches, pinecones, rawhide, natural fiber rope, cloth, and soft pine.
What types of toys are unsafe for birds?
Safety should be your top concern. Most bird toy manufacturers are vigilant about safety. Birds can injure themselves on even the safest toy. The most common problem is getting one or more toes caught in a toy. If spaces are too big, your bird’s head can get caught. If spaces are too small, toes will get caught. Examine each toy carefully to ensure it is safe for your specific bird.
- Remove any rope toys or perches that your bird begins to unravel or shred, because loose strings can become tangled around toes or legs and cause serious damage.
- Metals that are soldered (contain lead) or galvanized (zinc-coated) are toxic to birds if they ingest parts of the metal (e.g., chains, hooks, connectors, and other hardware).
- Avoid toys that are easily dismantled, such as balsa wood and small chain-link items, as well as toys with metal clips, bell clappers, and lead weights.
- Tighten C-clamps securely, as some birds can unscrew the clamp, which may then become stuck on or through the beak.
What if my bird doesn’t like a new toy?
Give the new toy a chance. Many birds are afraid of novelty items at first. It may take weeks or months for a timid bird to approach a new toy. Introduce the toy slowly. If your bird is afraid of new things, place the new toy beside the cage for several days, then hang it on the outside of the cage for several more days. Play with the toy yourself and show the bird how fun it is.
If your bird still avoids the toy, wait several weeks and then try one more time. It is wise to experiment with different types of toys to find out what your bird likes. Once you find a toy they like, you and your bird can both have fun.
