Parrots are very active animals, they need to exercise every day and face mental challenges that stimulate them in a positive way. In nature, parrots are gregarious animals with very complex relationships with their counterparts. They spend the day communicating, playing, climbing trees, eating and creating new bonds.
In this peritoAnimal article we will talk about parrot toys, explaining what they should be, what types there are, and even learning to make parrot toys, because the resources to buy them are not always available.
- Lack of physical activity or new challenges.
- As well as the absence of more parrots or other animals with which to socialize.
- Can cause health problems for our parrot.
- The symptoms of stress or discomfort in parrots are usually not evident at first.
- Since they are prey.
- They know perfectly well how to hide their weaknesses.
If you have one or more parrots at home, know that one of the strategies to reduce your stress, frustration, or boredom is to use toys. In fact, toys are essential for the good health of a parrot.
All parrot toys must be based on basic premises to avoid poisoning, injury or other problems. The same goes for the place where the parrot lives: it is important to know what a parrot’s cage should look like, what materials it can be made of, where to place it or what to put inside.
When choosing new toys for a parrot, we should keep in mind that
Parrots are experts in the destruction of toys, so keep in mind that they will last very little and will have to be constantly renewed. This is not the wrong behavior, on the contrary, your way of having fun is to peck at toys. In nature they also cut branches or flowers, a very beneficial activity for plants in most cases, as it acts as a life size.
When choosing the toys we want to offer our parrots, it is necessary to take into account several factors. First, think about the size of the parrot, because the proportions of the toy for a large parrot are different from those of a small parrot.
Second, consider the size of the cage. If you want to place the toy inside, there must be enough free space for the parrot not to feel suffocated.
Finally, the choice of toys should be different if you have one or more parrots. If the toy is individual, its use should be observed to avoid conflicts. Once these factors are analyzed, choose the type of toy parrot your pet prefers or that is most convenient for their physical and mental condition.
Birds like to hang on tree branches. Hanging toys, like swings, give the feeling of being on an unstable branch. These toys also strengthen your leg muscles. You can place several swings at different heights to encourage your parrot to jump from one to the other.
Parrots are climbers. Of course, they are also flying animals, but in tropical forests where vegetation is very thick, sometimes it is easier to climb from one tree to another than to fly. Therefore, toys such as stairs or simply innkeepers placed diagonally in front of the ground will promote the ability to climb these birds. In addition, parrots climb with the help of their beaks. If the stairs or hangers are made of wood, they will also perform the function of carrying and maintaining the claws and beak.
In the wild, parrots spend much of their time searching, handling and eating food. This supply behavior can be easily mimicked at home. If the parrot lives in an aviary or leaves the cage assiduously, you can deposit its food on the ground and therefore spend a lot of time watching and eating.
There are toys into which we can introduce food so that the parrot has fun taking it out. It does not have to be a special food, it is proven that a parrot prefers to obtain food in this way even if it is not the same food that is always available in its feeder.
Although this does not resemble their appearance, parrots can be obese. This is a very serious problem that can severely affect the liver and other organs and can lead to death. However, whether or not you have a parrot with weight problems, it’s important to still exercise.
There are toys called “playgrounds” where the parrot can perform various activities such as climbing, hanging, searching for food, etc. It’s like an all-in-one parrot.
The use of mirrors in parrots is a controversial topic. As we said, parrots are very social animals and therefore, living alone does not guarantee the welfare of the animal. It is likely that by giving a mirror to a parrot that lives alone, it becomes obsessed with the reflection and can even stop eating. Mirrors are suitable toys for parrots that live in pairs or in groups, large or small. This way you can enjoy the mirror.
Parrots must keep their beaks healthy. To do this, they spend time pecking at several objects. The best are made of natural materials, such as wood. We can also use cuttlefish bones or calcium stones, with the extra supplement of this very advantageous nutrient.
Whether it’s to maintain the correct peak length or not, parrots are very destructive, so they like cardboard pieces to be able to undo them.
Depending on your relationship with your parrot, trust yourself or not, presenting a new toy will be more or less easy. First of all, never put a new toy directly into the cage, as the parrot might panic and create animosity against the toy or even against the keeper.
It is best to leave the toy for a few days near the cage. If the parrot trusts you and watches you touch the toy, it will accept the new object much faster. After this time, you will be able to insert the toy into the cage, in a place away from the usual location of the parrot so as not to invade your personal space. Over time, you’ll learn what your parrot’s favorite toys are.
The sale of parrot toys is on the rise but, as we have already said, parrots are very destructive animals, so toys will last a short time and you may have to invest a lot of money in new ones. This is not a problem, as you can make your own toys with the following tips and tricks:
Now he knows the importance of toys for parrots and the ease of building his own toys.
Here’s a video about home toys for parrots from a parrot’s Daily channel:
If you would like to read similar articles about The Best Parrot Toys, we recommend that you visit our Games & Entertainment section.