Avoid Flying Blind: What Your Bird's Diet Should Look Like

Most captive pet birds should be eating a pelleted diet with minimal seed. Your bird should be offered fresh food (vegetables and small portions fruit) 3-5 times weekly. This is a proper diet outline for most macaws, quakers, ringnecks, cockatiels, cockatoos, and conures. 

Why should I choose a pelleted diet for my bird?

In simple terms, a pellet diet is the most balanced meal option. Pellets help prevent avian obesity, fatty liver disease and promote better digestion. Feeding a pellet diet can help eliminate selective eating and ensure your feathered friend receives all the proper nutrients they need. A high quality pellet diet will provide more nutrients than seed alone. Seed should be offered as an enriching treat and can be used for training! 

A birds daily diet should be 60% pellets, 20-30% fresh foods, and only 10-20% seed and unsalted nuts. 

What should the fresh food portion of my bird's diet look like?

The most common fresh food diets for birds are referred to as chop. Chop usually consists of mostly fresh vegetables and minimal fruit. Typically, most birds should not have more than a quarter sized portion of fruit 2-3 times weekly, less if the bird is smaller. You will want to choose nutrient dense vegetables when making chop, such as but not limited to: kale, broccoli, pepper, carrots, squash, zucchini and green beans. Dark leafy greens and root vegetables are best. 

Fun fact: Birds do not have the taste buds to sense spices! Many people use hot peppers such as jalapenos in their bird's chop.

Written by Emily Crowley, 4/11/2026