Cockatoos are lovely miniature parrots that can learn how to say a few words and often spend the day imitating noises that they hear. They can be quite entertaining, so it’s only natural to want to say thank you with a treat. Fortunately, there are many high-quality options.
If you have one of these birds and would like to know which foods it will enjoy, keep reading as we showcase several healthy options that your cockatoo will love.
Top 15 Natural Cockatoo Treats
1. Carrots
Washed and finely chopped carrots are great tasty treats for cockatoos. This food packs plenty of healthy vitamins that can boost your bird’s immune system.
2. Leafy Greens
There are several leafy greens that your cockatoo will enjoy, including kale, romaine lettuce, and dandelion greens. These can all provide your pet with plenty of vitamins and minerals. We suggest avoiding too much iceberg lettuce, as it won’t be as healthy, but your bird may enjoy it on occasion. Also, you should keep your cockatoo away from spinach and parsley, but the rest are fair game.
3. Dried Fruits
Dried fruits like raisins, cranberries, and prunes have long shelf lives and will provide your pet with snacks that it will enjoy. You will need to make sure that none of your dried fruits contain sulfur, or you risk health problems like ulcers and anemia. You will also need to limit portion size so your pet doesn’t eat too much sugar.
4. Peaches
If your bird doesn’t like dried fruits, peaches are excellent alternatives because of their high vitamin and moisture content. Most cockatoos peaches and will choose them over other treats.
5. Grapes
Grapes are other fantastic fruit options and are available all year, so they are easy to find. You can feed your bird any color, but make sure you remove the seeds first.
6. Beans
Beans are great treats for your bird because most varieties contain plenty of protein, which provides your pet with energy and the building blocks for strong muscles. However, you will need to make sure that you cook all beans to eliminate hemagglutinin, which can be dangerous to birds like the cockatoo. You also want to make sure the beans are not frozen.
7. Apples
Apples are soft and tasty treats that your cockatoo is sure to love. This fruit is sweet, but not so much that you will need to avoid giving it to them. You’ll need to wash the apple well to remove pesticides and cut it into small pieces that your bird can manage.
8. Bananas
Bananas are soft fruits that are high in potassium and other vitamins and minerals that can help strengthen your pet’s immune system. Your pet can eat all parts of the banana, peel and all!
9. Tomatoes
Tomatoes are great low-calorie fruits that can help your cockatoo stay hydrated. A tomato makes a perfect summertime treat, and most birds love it. The only downside is that there is so much moisture that many birds make a large mess as they eat it.
10. Pears
Pears are great fruit snacks, but they can also be helpful if you need to hydrate your pet. This may be a useful trick if your bird isn’t drinking enough water, as a pear has a high moisture content. Remove the seeds, and cut the pear into small pieces before feeding it to your pet.
11. Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are favorites among cockatoos, and they have plenty of vitamin A, which is an essential nutrient. You can serve them raw or cooked, but most birds seem to prefer them cooked.
12. Mangos
Mangos are popular fruits to give cockatoos because they seem to enjoy them quite a bit. A mango has a high sugar content, so you will only be able to provide it occasionally, and you’ll need to cut it into small pieces to make it easier to eat.
13. Kiwis
Kiwi is a tropical fruit that can help add variety to your bird’s meals, and it makes a great occasional treat. However, there is a lot of sugar that could lead to health problems if you provide it too often.
14. Strawberries
Strawberries have less sugar than kiwi or mangos, yet they can still provide your pet with treats that it enjoys. We recommend cutting a strawberry into small pieces before giving it to your pet.
15. Zucchini
Zucchini is a perfect low-calorie treat that many cockatoos enjoy. It adds variety and some protein to your bird’s diet.
Final Thoughts
You have several natural food options the next time that you want to treat your cockatoo. We recommend starting with the vegetables, like the leafy greens, carrots, and zucchini, before moving on to the sweeter fruits, like strawberries, pears, and bananas, to avoid too much sugar. Cockatoos can be choosy and will likely find a way to let you know what their favorite is.
Featured Image Credit: Squirrel_photos, Pixabay
