fruitandveg

Fruit and Veg should be an important part of your Eclectus diet. Their extra long digestive tract and extra high sensitivity to foods and vitamins compared to other parrot species means you need to be careful with the diets you put them on. The larger the variety of fruit and veg the better. An Eclectus diet is ideally 80% soft foods and 20% everything else. They also require high vitamin A, high vegetable protein and low meat protein. Berries should be given daily. Bright yellows, oranges and red fruit and veg the higher the nutritional value. Veg that is rich in dark green are also high in nutrition. The paler the green, the more water content and less the nutritional value. These are veg like celery and ice burg lettuce. These are fine offered occasionally as a food. Unlike most people believe the watery veg does not cause diarrhoea, it just makes their poop watery because of the content of the water in the veg. The list of safe foods bellow is a guide. You do not have to feed all of these foods all at once. They are just lists you can refer back to when looking for parrot safe foods. If you see something I haven’t added, let me know :)

Cockatiel (Cricket) eating carrot, rocket, bok choy and broccoli

Fruit and Veg mixes should be as different as you can make them for each meal. Eclectus do tend to get bored with eating the same food every day, so large variety is important to keep them interested in eating.

You can also add a variety of nuts (excluding peanuts) and a few seeds to the fruit and veg mixes. Almonds are one of the healthiest nuts for an Eclectus and it also one of the most popular nuts liked however, all nuts should be given in moderation or only as a treat to captive Eclectus. Everything I offer to my birds is raw however I do occasionally cook for them.

Vegetables

Artichoke

Beans (fresh, not dried)

Beetroot and Leaves, more nutritional

Black Cabbage (type of kale)

Bok Choy (any asian green)

Borecole (type of kale)

Capsicums and Seed, all colours (red is the highest in vitamin A, particularly seeds)

Carrots and Carrot Tops (Slightly steam carrots to release beta-carotene. Over steaming or cooking can cause them to lose the beta-carotene. Carrot Tops raw)

Cauliflower and Stem and Leave

Cayenne Chilli

Chard

Chilli and Seed, any (red is the highest in vitamin A)

Choko

Cos Lettuce

Curly Lettuce (any other dark green or red lettuce)

Cucumber (including skin and seed)

Jalepeños

Jerusalem Artichoke (sunchoke)

Kale

Lettuce (all, types except Iceberg)

Okra

Pak Choy

Parsnips

Pumpkin and Seeds (Japanese and butternut are the sweeter ones and most favoured)

Radish and Tops (can be grated to release anti oxidants)

Red Giant Mustard Greens

Red Mignonette Lettuce

Red Mizuna

Rocket (and flowers)

Silver Beet (not to be mistaken for Spinach)

Snow Peas

Sugar Snap Peas

Spaghetti Vegetable (spaghetti squash)

Sweet Potato

Squash (all types)

Swede

Taro

Turnips and Turnip Tops (can be grated to release anti oxidants)

Tuscan Cabbage (type of kale)

Vine Spinach (known as spinach because of the leaf shapes)

Yam (a true yam is not sweet potato)

Zucchini

Super Foods

African Cucumber (horned melon, Kiwana)

Broccoli and Broccolini and Leaves and Stems (broccoli leaves are very high in Vitamin A)

Horned Melon (african cucumber, Kiwana)

Kiwana (horned melon, african cucumber)

Sea Buckthorn Berries

Spinach and Silverbeet are not the same. Silverbeet is very closely related to the beetroot. It is essentially a beetroot without the bottom. It is a relation of the spinach but not as close. Spinach is OK to offer once every 3 to 4 weeks. Regular intake of the veg can inhibit your parrots calcium absorption which will cause health issues. Once every now & then will not hurt your parrot & Spinach does contain a lot of other vital nutrients for your parrot. Silverbeet is very high in dietary fibre, folic acid, vits C & B6. It does contain extremely high amounts of Oxilic Acid so only offer sensible amounts & to avoid high acid intakes you can slightly cook the silverbeet. Oxilic acid is a great deal high than normal acid in acidic food such as citrus which can cause kidney problems if given too much.

There are a few veggies that are of a higher water content or slightly less nutrition however, they still have some good nutrition in them. These foods are perfectly OK to feed your parrot.Those with a much higher water cause runny poop (not diarrhoea) so get those paper towels ready! Some of these foods are often placed on the ‘do not feed’ list of many parrot care givers. These foods are not toxic and are very safe for your parrots to eat. All you need to do is use common sense with these offering these foods.

Iceberg Lettuce - this lettuce type contains the most water content and least nutritional content. It is not toxic and can be offered to your bird in moderation.

All lettuce types are safe for your parrot. Generally the darker green the lettuce and red lettuce types have a higher nutritional content than lighter lettuces such as iceberg. There is so much confusion regarding lettuces and their value. There is absolutely no harm in offering your bird lettuce. It is up to you to offer sensible portions so it does not become a filler for your bird.

Iceberg Lettuce Nutrition Facts!
Iceberg lettuce has this nutrition in it. It does not have a lot of it, but it is not entirely lacking in nutrition as many people believe.
Fiber , Vitamin A , Vitamin C , Calcium , Iron , Protein , Potassium, iron, calcium, magnesium , phosphorous, folate, Vitamins K

Celery - contains some good nutritional content, high water content. Can be offered in moderation. Don’t throw the leaves out! These can contain a lot more nutritional content than the stalks. Celery has a bad reputation for being ‘no no’ because the the stringy bits get stuck and kill your birds. This isn’t true. The stringy bits in celery digest and break up much like any other vegetable and there is no for your birds, nor is there any evidence of this happening.

Sodium - WARNING! celery does have a very high sodium (salt) content which is the reason it should be only offered in moderation

Celery Nutrition Facts!
Vitamin K, Vitamin C, Potassium, Folate, Dietary Fiber, Molybdenum, Manganese, Vitamin B6, Calcium, Vitamin B1, Magnesium, Vitamin A, Phosphorous, Vitamin B2, Iron

Corn - can be both good and bad. Corn is very high in some nutrition but over indulging in It has been known to cause allergies and other problems in some Eclectus so offer in moderation. Some have reported corn as being a suitable to heavy moulters though I am not sure why.

Corn Nutrition Facts!
Protein, Dietary Fibre, Folates, Niacin, Riboflavin, Thiamin, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Potassium, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Zinc, Carotene-ß

Potato - a lot of people seem to offer this to their birds because their birds like it. Raw it is extremely high in starch and should never be offered this way. Cooked it is still very unhealthy and does not have nutritional content. It contains very high amounts of calories and carbohydrates. Birds tend to over indulge in this food and eat very little else. While this food is not toxic, it is a food your bird can do without.

It is important to scrub your fruit and veg weather it’s local, organic or not. Fruit and veg always has to be washed to get rid of any harmful bacteria, dirt, chemicals, waxes that is on. Buy organic and local when ever you can but it isn’t always possible to do.

A good scrub with a soft bristle brush under water is not always enough to clean your fruit and veggies. You can try Safeguard Fruit and Veggie Wash. It is a local product (western Australia) so is only available locally. Some other states may have them but it is not available over seas. Fruit and Veg Wash is organic and the main ingredients are aloe vera, citrus, olive leaf extract. It removes all wax and residues, chemicals that you can’t remove from washing in water. You can also make a spray out this.

Another great cleaner is Vinegar. Simply soaking your fruit and veg in your kitchen sink, full of water and 1 cup of vinegar for 10 minutes will get your fruit and veggies very clean.

Little Bob

hmmmm decisions, decisions. What to eat first.

SOME FOODS TO AVOID
Alcohol, high amounts of apple seeds, artificial sweeteners, avocado, blue cheese, carbonated drinks, cream cheese, chives, caffeine, chocolate, dairy, fat/oil, honey, junk food, Leeks, mouldy grains, leeks, salt, sugar, non human grade peanuts, peanut butter, potato, onion, spring onion, rhubarb leaves (stems are safe), tin/jar food, tomato leaves & stems (fruit is safe)

Washing Fruit and Vegetables

Palms and palm nuts, fruit berries are usually loved by the Eclectus and a great way to get a more natural food source into them.

Fruit and Veg Nutrition

Frozen and Dried Food

Safe and Toxic Plants

Fruit and Veggies

Fruit

Asian Raisin (japanese raisin, hovenia)

Achacha (seeds removed)

Allspice Fruit

Bananas

Bellfruit (java apple, rose apple)

Berries (any in season)

Brazil Cherry (Grumichama)

Brazil Grape (jaboticaba)

Bush Lemon (Bush Food)

Carambola (star fruit)

Cherries

Coconut

Cottoneaster Berries

Crabapple Berries

Custard Apple (sugar apple) (seeds toxic, in Brazil the seeds are made into an insecticide)

Dragon Fruit (pitaya)

Dua gan (Korean Melon) and seeds

Durian

Dates

Desert Lime (Bush Food)

Feijoa Fruit

Figs (Although they're eaten by wild Eclectus, our captive Eclectus are not as active and fit as a wild Eclectus)

Finger Lime (Bush Food)

Guava and Seed

Goji Berry

Grumichama (Brazil Cherry)

Hawthorn Berries

Honeydew Melon

Hovenia (japanese raisin, asian raisin)

Jaboticaba (brazillian grape)

Japanese Raisin (asian raisin, hovenia)

Jackfruit

Java Apple (bellfruit, rose apple)

Kiwi Fruit

Kiwi Berry

Korean Melon (Dua Gan) and seeds

Kumquat

Lychee

Loquat

Mango

Mangosteen

Momblin Fruit

Marrow

Mulberry

Nectarines

Nashi Pear and Seed

Nondu Plum

Passion Fruit

Paw Paw (Asimina)

Papaya and Seeds

Pears and Seeds (all colours and varieties)

Persimmons

Piel De Sapo Melon

Pineapple

Pitaya (yellow dragon fruit)

Plums, Apricot, Peaches (when in season and pips removed)

Pomegranates

Quandong (Bush Food)

Quince

Rambuton

Raspberry

Rockmelon and Seeds

Rose Apple (java apple, bellfruit)

Salak (snake fruit)

Santol

Sapote Fruit

Soursop

Snake Fruit (salak)

Star Fruit (carambola)

Strawberries

Sugar Apple (custard apple)

Tamarind

Tamarillo

Watermelon and Seeds

Wild Peach (Bush Food)

Youngberry

Beneficial but only in small amounts

Apple (sparingly, seeds removed)

Citrus Fruits and Seeds (all citrus. Seeds high in antioxidants )

Corn (has been said to aid in heavy moults)

Finger Lime (citrus caviar)

Grapes, skins and Seeds

Pomelo (citrus)

Spinach (not to be mistaken for Silverbeet)

Tomato (leaves and branches are toxic)

Pines / Palms / Tree Nuts / Plant / Fruit

Acerola Cherry (barbados cherry, wild crepemyrtle )

Acai Palm nuts (acia berries)

Areca Palm

Alexandra Palm Seeds

Barbados Cherry (acerola, wild crepemyrtle)

Bamboo Palm

Butterfly Palm

Bunya Pine Nuts

Date Palm

Dwarf Date

Foxtail Palm (good for health and feathers)

Golden Cane

Palm Hearts

Peach Palm fruit

Pejibaye Palm

Pandanus (screw pine)

Rose Hips

Lilly Pilly Fruit

McArthur Palm Seeds

Queen Plam

Screw Pine (pandanus)

Umbrella Tree Fruit/Flowers (tree is toxic)

Wild crepemyrtle (barbados cherry, acerola)

Not Toxic but not necessarily nutrient beneficial

**Asparagus (see notes)

Brussel Sprouts

Celery and Leaves (High in Sodium)

Cabbage

Eggplant Fruit (on many toxic plant lists however the skinned fruit itself is safe. The toxic parts are the leaf, branches and the skin)

Iceberg Lettuce (high water content)

Peanut Butter Fruit (higher content of sugar than dried figs)

You might see something being written down in the lists more than once, some are written a few times. the reason I have done this is because there are some foods that have different names, depending on where you live so I write them down under all their names.

Although some foods we refer to as vegetables are technically called a fruit, I have kept them as a vegetable so it doesn’t confuse some people.

Bellow is my lists of safe and non safe foods. This list is suitable for all parrot species.

**Asparagus. There has always been a lot of confusion about Asparagus being safe or toxic. It seems no one really knows and all added information is either hearsay or speculation rather than proven.

Asparagus has been known to cause stomach aches in humans if high amounts are consumed.

According to one avian veterinarian, there is no scientific documentation written that proves Asparagus is toxic or even bad to parrots.

Like all foods, don’t over do it with giving them Asparagus as that is most likely to be the cause of any problems with it. EVERYTHING IN MODERATION, this goes for all foods fed to parrots.

It is up to you do decide to feed Asparagus or not, but Asparagus is a food that is so far away from the natural parrot food eaten that it is rarely considered and possibly the reason why there is so much conflict about feeding it. It doesn’t matter if you don’t feed it. It won’t hurt your bird if you do feed it every now & then.