I’ve had my parrot for years but still I’m always looking for new foods I can add into his diet for some variety and more importantly – to try find him the best nutrition I possibly can. The better quality of diet your parrot has the healthier, happier and longer their life will be.
One fruit I love but had never give to my parrot was kiwi, he loves similar tasting fruits but I could never go and feed it to him without knowing if it was toxic or not, so I researched and put my findings into this article for others who were in a similar position. Let’s not waste any more time.
Can parrots eat kiwi? Yes parrots can eat kiwi they are non-toxic and a completely safe to feed them. Not only is kiwi safe for parrots but it’s also extremely nutrient dense and it’s encouraged you feed it to your parrot. Kiwi contains an abundance of things that will improve your parrots quality of life like fiber, vitamin C, calcium, vitamin E, vitamin K and potassium.
In this article we are going to explain the benefits, can parrots eat the skin and some other things you should know before feeding kiwi to your bird.
Kiwi Benefits For Parrots
We know kiwi is good for our Parrots, but just how good? Let’s take a closer look at the nutritional content.
One medium-sized kiwi (75g)
| Calories | 42 |
| Fiber | 2.1g |
| Sugars | 6.7g |
| Protein | 0.8g |
| Fat | 0.4g |
| Carbs | 10.1g |
Beta Carotene
Kiwi contains beta carotene, a substance the body converts into vitamin A. This is known for it’s benefits it has on the eyes and skin.
Other notable benefits beta carotene has :
- Helps with cell growth
- The maintenance of organs to keep them healthy
- Anti-cancer properties
- Improved brain function
You can find beta carotene in orange/yellow fruits and vegetables like carrots, squash, tomatoes, cantaloupe and green leafy vegetables such as broccoli and spinach.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is important for the upkeep of your parrots immune system, without enough of it they would struggle to fight off bacteria and become ill quite often. It’s also an antioxidant that works to protect the cells in your parrots body from the damage done by free radicals – unstable atoms that can cause diseases like cancer.
Vitamin C also has an impressive list of other health benefits :
- Better cardiovascular health due to it aiding with cleaning plaque from blood vessels
- Ability to reduce blood pressure
- Washes heavy metals from your parrots system
- It’s an anti inflammatory
- Blood sugar regulation
Like many other nutrients vitamin C won’t work by itself it needs other vitamins and nutrients to make it work efficiently. This is why your parrot needs a well balanced healthy diet.
Guava, strawberries, bell peppers, papayas, oranges and peas will also provide your parrot with some vitamin C.
Vitamin E
Similar to vitamin A, vitamin E also works as an antioxidant to reduce oxidative stress done by free radicals.
Vitamin E is also good for the skin and can help with osteoarthritis.
Foods than include a healthy source of vitamin E are :
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Mango
- Red Pepper
Vitamin K
Kiwi contains vitamin K too, needed for your parrot to be able heal any wounds they get. If your parrot gets a cut that’s bad enough to bleed vitamin K is what heals the cut and stop it from bleeding. Vitamin K is also known for it’s ability to strengthen bones, without it your parrot would be more likely to break or fracture a bone
Foods high in vitamin K similar to kiwi :
- Lettuce
- Kale
- Spinach
- Broccoli
- Edamame
Most, if not all leafy green vegetables will contain vitamin K.
Potassium
Did you know potassium is found in 98% of the body’s cells? Potassium is important for your parrots muscles and helps with contractions.
Potassium also helps with :
- Better cardiovascular health
- Helps regulate fluid balance
- Reduces blood pressure
- Works to keep the nervous system functioning
If you want some safe sources of potassium similar to kiwi then beets, sweet potato, bananas, peas, kale and spinach are all options.
Calcium
Calcium is something parrots are often found to be deficient in so it’s good to ensure yours is getting enough in their diet. Did you know a parrots eggshell is made up of 97% calcium? This should tell you how important calcium is for the health of their eggs.
That’s just one function calcium has in parrots, here’s a list :
- Proper functioning of enzymes
- Blood clotting
- Fat metabolism
- The building and maintenance of muscle
- Helps the nervous system
To make sure your parrot doesn’t become deficient in calcium feed them foods like kiwi along with edamame, squash and leafy greens all contain calcium.
How You Should Feed Kiwi To Your Parrot
There a few ways to feed your parrot kiwi. The first option is simple and is best if you haven’t got any time to cut and serve the kiwi.
Just give the kiwi to your parrot as it is, they will be able to pick through the skin with their strong beaks to get to the flesh inside. They actually enjoy it and the mental stimulation from earning the fruit inside is good for them.
Your other option is to slice the kiwi into bite-sized pieces and feed them to your bird. This option is best if you have a smaller sized parrot as a whole kiwi may present a choking hazard.
What Other Foods Can Your Parrot Eat?
You know kiwis are 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!
Kiwi For Parrots – Final Thoughts
I hope by the end of this article you’re aware kiwi is a safe and very nutrient dense fruit that you can add into your parrots diet. For larger parrots you can give it to them whole as they enjoy plucking away at it, if you have a smaller bird then slicing it into smaller pieces is recommended to prevent choking.
Remember kiwi shouldn’t be a staple in your parrots diet as it’s a fruit and they should only make up around 15-30% of your parrots nutrition.