Cantaloupe is an excellent summer snack. It’s cool and refreshing to keep you from overheating all while providing excellent nutritional benefits. The cantaloupe is a juicy, orange summer fruit that’s related to the watermelon and honeydew melon. It also belongs to the same plant family as cucumbers, pumpkins, squashes, and gourds.
As a curious parrot parent I’m always looking for different foods I can introduce into my parrots diet that can provide him benefits he’s not currently getting from foods that I’m regularly feeding him at the minute. One of these foods I was curious about was cantaloupe as I’d feed him watermelon and he loves it so I decided to look into cantaloupe.
So can parrots eat cantaloupe? The answer is yes parrots can eat cantaloupe, infact it’s not only safe for them to eat but it’s encouraged. Cantaloupe is an excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin C, and potassium among other things. The benefits of cantaloupe make it a fantastic addition to your parrots diet and if your not already feeding it as a snack to your bird then you should consider it.
However like some fruits cantaloupe contains a lot of natural sugars so like most things in life you need to limit the amount you feed your parrot – moderation is important.
In this article I’m going to cover the benefits of cantaloupe, any risks and other important things you should know about feeding it to your parrot.
Cantaloupe Benefits For Parrots
We know cantaloupe is good for our parrots, but just how good is it? Let’s take a closer look at the nutritional content.
One cup of raw cantaloupe balls contains :
| Calories | 60 |
| Protein | 1.5g |
| Carbs | 14.4g |
| Fat | 0.3g |
| Fiber | 1.6g |
| Sugars | 14g |
Vitamin A
Vitamin A produces something called keratin. In parrots this enables them to have those vibrant yellow, red and green feathers that we love so much about them, without enough vitamin A they wouldn’t have them.
Along with playing a crucial role in your parrots feathers vitamin A is also important for the health of multiple organs like the heart, kidneys and reproductive system. Vitamin A is also crucial for a healthy immune system in birds.
The symptoms of vitamin A deficiency in parrots are :
- Sneezing and nasal discharge
- Periorbital swelling
- Conjunctivitis
- Poor feather quality and feather picking
- Anorexia
Parrots on an all seed diet are much more likely to be deficient in vitamin A.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C plays a large role within Parrots it has many benefits like boosting immune system, lowering blood pressure, keeps the cardiovascular system in check by cleaning plaque from your birds blood vessels and keeping cholesterol from oxidizing and many other things.
However the problem? Parrots utilize a lot of vitamin C just from being alive so it’s important to feed them foods rich in vitamin C like cantaloupe to counter this.
Other foods that provide an excellent source of vitamin C for your Parrot are :
- Peppers
- Kale, broccoli, cauliflower, and brussel sprouts
- Strawberries, mango, pineapple and kiwis
Potassium
Potassium is a mineral useful for processing glucose and metabolizing proteins. It also controls and regulates your parrots heart health therefore in turn watermelon can actually make your parrot live longer! Potassium can also improve bone health along with helping with muscles and nerves.
If your parrot is deficient in potassium it may show symptoms as : convulsions, poor egg quality, weakness in the muscles and possibly may even be life threatening.
How You Should Feed Cantaloupe To Your Parrot
Parrots shouldn’t eat the rind of the cantaloupe, this is the hard part that us humans would hold the cantaloupe by to eat the rest of the goodness, every other part of the cantaloupe is safe for your parrot to eat including the seeds, as they are full of nutrition.
The rind may contain some pesticides used to to kill or repel certain forms of planet or animal life that are considered to be pests.
Are There Any Risks To Feeding Your Parrot Cantaloupe?
Thankfully there are no immediate toxins found in cantaloupe that are going to put your parrot in life threatening danger. However cantaloupe is high in natural sugars so you want to avoid feeding it to them along with other fruits too regularly. Moderation is key.
What Other Foods Can Your Parrot Eat?
You know cantaloupe is safe for your Parrot to eat but if you’re like me then your always looking for new foods to improve your Parrots diet to create some variety and and include vital things that aren’t already in your birds diet.
So what other foods can your Parrot eat?
- Fruit & Vegetables
Foods like asparagus, broccoli, carrots, peppers, bananas, blueberries and pineapples are all fine and encouraged for your Parrot to eat.
- Nuts
Things like almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, pistachios and walnuts can be fed to your parrot. Just be wary of the fat content in some of them so they may need to be treated as a snack for your Parrot. We don’t want them getting fat!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Parrots Eat Cantaloupe Seeds?
Yes parrots can eat cantaloupe seeds, infact this is where most of the nutrients and vitamins are found.
Can African Grey Parrots Eat Cantaloupe?
Yes African Grey Parrots can eat cantaloupe. It contains some calcium that African Grey’s are known to be deficient in, so feeding them cantaloupe will only benefit them, along with the various other vitamins and minerals that cantaloupe provides.
Cantaloupe For Parrots – Final Thoughts
Similar to watermelon, cantaloupe is an tasty summer food for your parrot to snack on, your bird will hydrate themselves and get the benefits of all the nutrients all at once.
However cantaloupe is high in natural sugars so you need to limit it and only feed it to your parrot in moderation.
I hope your little feathered friend enjoys his new snack!