parrot toys: Parrots are very active birds, they need daily exercise and mental challenges that positively stimulate them. In nature, parrots are gregarious animals that have very complex relationships with their fellow creatures. They spend their days communicating, playing, climbing trees, feeding, and making new connections.
In this article from PlanèteAnimal, we will tell you about parrot toys, we will see the characteristics of each parrot toy, and what types exist, and we will even learn how to make each parrot toy homemade, more economical, and more ecological.
The lack of physical activity, new challenges, and the absence of other parrots in their cage, or other animals with which they can communicate can end up causing health problems in our parrots. Symptoms of stress or aggression in parrots are usually not obvious at first because, as prey animals, they are very good at hiding their weaknesses.
If you have one or more parrots in your home, you should know that one of the strategies to reduce their stress, frustration, or boredom is to use parrot toys. In fact, toys are crucial for a parrot’s good health.
Toys for parrot cage
All parrot toys must meet basic requirements to avoid poisoning, injury, or other problems. The same goes for where we house our parrot, it is important to know what the parrot’s cage should look like, what materials it can be made of, where to place it or what to put in it.
When choosing new toys for a parrot, we must take into account:
- The toy must not contain paint or be made of a material toxic to the parrot. You can find out about this at a parrot toy store or any store that sells exotic pet products.
- Toys should not contain extremely small parts that could be swallowed by mistake.
- The material it is made of should not be abrasive or have sharp or pointed edges that could injure the animal.
- When the toy contains fabric or rope, care must be taken to use it correctly, as the fraying can trap the parrot.
- The best materials for parrot toys are natural materials, such as wood, and their derivatives, such as cardboard or paper. In addition, materials such as olive wood are ideal for the proper maintenance of the spout and the nails.
Parrots are specialists in destroying their toys, so keep in mind that these will only last a short time and will have to be constantly replenished. This is not bad behavior, on the contrary, their way of having fun is to bite the toys. In the wild, they also cut twigs or flowers, an activity that is very beneficial to plants in most cases, as it acts as “a natural cut”.
Types of parrot toy
To choose the toy to give our parrot, you must take into account several factors. First of all, you need to think about the size of your parrot, the dimensions of the toy for a large parrot are different from those for a small parrot.
Second, you should consider the size of the cage. If you have to put the toy in there, there should still be enough free space inside, so the parrot doesn’t feel overwhelmed.
Finally, the toys will be different if you have a single parrot or several parrots. If the toy is intended for only one species, you must observe it to avoid conflicts. Once these factors are analyzed, you will choose the type of toy that your parrot will like the most or the one that is most practical for his physical and mental condition.
SOURCE: African Grey Parrot Pet
Parrot Hanging Toys
Birds like to hang above the branches of trees, especially the parrot. Hanging toys, like a swing, make them feel like they’re on a wobbly twig. These toys also strengthen leg muscles. Multiple swings can be placed at different heights to encourage jumping from one to another.
Parrot Climbing Toys
Parrots are climbers, of course, they also fly, but in tropical forests where the vegetation is very dense, it is sometimes easier to climb from one tree to another than to fly to get around. Therefore, toys such as ladders or simply perches placed diagonally to the ground will improve these birds’ ability to climb. Also, parrots climb using their beaks. If these stairs or perches are made of wood, they will also have the function of using and maintaining their claws and beaks.
Interactive toys for parrots
In the wild, parrots spend a good deal of their time foraging, handling, and eating food. This foraging behavior can easily be imitated at home. If the parrot lives in an aviary, or if it constantly leaves its cage, you can put its food on the floor, and it will spend long periods of time searching and eating.
There are toys inside which you can introduce food so that the parrot can have fun taking it out. It doesn’t have to be special food, it’s been shown that a parrot will prefer to get food this way even though it’s the same food it always has available in its feeder. The food dispenser is one of the best parrot toys out there.
Toys to stimulate the physical activity of the parrot (playgrounds)
Although it may seem that it is not because of their physiognomy, parrots can suffer from obesity. This is a very serious problem that can seriously affect the liver and other organs, and even lead to the death of the animal. Whether or not you have a parrot with weight issues, it is important that you continue to exercise.
There are games called “playgrounds” where parrots can perform different activities like hanging, climbing, looking for food, etc. It’s like an all-in-one for parrots, where this parrot toy will boost their physical activity.
SOURCE: African Grey Parrot Pet
Parrot Mirrors
The use of mirrors on parrots is a somewhat controversial issue. As we said, parrots are very social animals, living alone does not ensure the animal’s well-being. It is likely that if we give a mirror to a parrot that lives alone, it will become obsessed with the reflection, it might even stop eating. Mirrors are games suitable for parrots that live in pairs or in groups, large or small. In this way, they can enjoy the mirror, play with it.
Parrot Biting Toys
Parrots need to keep their beaks healthy. To do this, they spend time pecking at various objects. The best are those made of natural materials, such as wood. We can also use cuttlebones or calcium stones, with the added supply of this very beneficial nutrient.
Whether it’s keeping the beak length correct or not, parrots are very destructive, so they’ll love it when you give them pieces of cardboard to get rid of.
How to introduce a parrot toy or accessory
Depending on the relationship you have with your parrot, whether he trusts you or not, introducing a new toy will be more or less straightforward. First of all, you will never introduce a new toy directly into the cage, because the parrot could be very afraid and create animosity towards the toy or even towards us.
It is best to leave the toy next to the cage for a few days. If your parrot trusts you and watches you touch the toy, it will accept it much faster. After that, you can put the toy in the cage, somewhere away from where the parrot usually hangs out, so it doesn’t invade his personal space. Over time, you will learn what your parrot’s favorite toys are.
Bird toys homemade
The sale of parrot toys is on the rise but as we said parrots are very destructive animals so these toys will be short-lived and you may need to invest a lot of money in new toys. That’s no problem because you can make your own toys by following these tips and tricks, for a homemade parrot toy:
- The easiest way is to hang ropes or pieces of fabric with small knots attached to the roof of the cage, the parrot will enjoy undoing these knots. But remember to do this under supervision, as the fabric can fray.
- You can also make a parrot toy with the cardboard leftovers from the paper rolls, make small holes in them, put food in them and seal them at the ends. This ensures hours of fun.
- If you are a do-it-yourselfer, you can build your own parrot playpen. Remember not to use toxic or abrasive materials such as glue.
- Another idea is to regularly change the arrangement of the swings. You can also go to your city park and collect twigs and sticks. If they have different thicknesses and textures, it’s better for the parrot.
African grey parrot toys
SOURCE: African Grey Parrot Pet