1) Chocolates:
Chocolates are toxic to birds. Do not offer them any. Even small amounts can kill them. Veterinarians have confirmed that small traces of chocolates in birds can cause vomiting, diarrhea, seizures and death.
2) Avocado:
Some bird owners claim that their birds have eaten avocado and survived. Some have died. Why chance it? It's not certain if the black part of the avocado, skin or pit is the cause of the poison - but there are many other food items to feed your birds instead of taking a chance with avocados. Avoid them completely.
3) Onions:
Questions have been raised about the danger of feeding birds raw onions. There has been studies to confirm that onions damage red blood cells in certain animals; although not confirmed with birds. Until more research is done, put onions on your "prohibited" list.
4) Fruit Pits & Seeds:
When you feed your birds an apple, discard the seeds. Same with oranges, grapes (seedless will be easier), dates, and any other fruit that contain them. Fruits, in general, contain a lot of sugar and should only be fed in limited amounts. But when you do feed them, make sure you remove the pits & seeds.
5) Milk Products:
Birds are not able to digest more than just little amounts of lactose. Veterinarians have confirmed that birds are lactose intolerant past a certain level, and will have diarrhea when fed foods that are high in lactose content. As such, avoid dairy products that contain high amounts of lactose. Therefore, do not feed milk to birds, nor use milk in your birds' diets/recipes.
(Many people confuse high lactose foods for all dairy products. That is not the case. Eggs have no lactose, and cheese have trace amounts of them, being that cheese is processed food and the manufacturing of it removes the lactose. Cheese and eggs fed in moderation are healthy for birds).
6) Caffeine:
Caffeine is known to be dangerous to birds. This will include caffeinated coffee, teas and sodas. Please don't feed them to your birds.
7) Alcohol:
As obvious as it sounds, please do not feed alcohol to birds.
8) Food with molds and fungi:
This may also be obvious, but sometimes it's not easy to notice. Improperly stored seeds, grains and even peanuts can become contaminated with fungi and molds. Molds and fungi can produce toxic substances. These toxins can remain in the food long after the fungus that produced them have died, and some can remain toxic even after the food has been cooked. Always examine any food you offer your pet birds and make sure that it has no signs of mold.
9) Foods high in fat, salt and sugar:
What do you know.... the same things that humans should avoid! Keep your birds away from these. Canned vegetables are high in salt, so are some snack foods like potato chips and crackers. Some species, like Macaws, do require higher fat intake than other bird species, so check with your veterinarian on the right amounts of fats your bird should consume. For most birds, a pelleted diet and balanced human diets should contain enough fat for their needs.
10) Tobacco:
You don't necessarily feed these, but tobacco is on this list because your birds will unwillingly consume it if you smoke around them. Smoke will painfully kill your birds. Please take this seriously. Do not smoke around your birds, or in the house that your birds live in. Birds' lungs are far smaller than humans and withstand a whole lot less. Birds that are exposed to smoke suffer breathing and respiratory problems, which can lead to behavioral problems, feather plucking, other illness and death. Birds naturally do not exhibit signs of bad health and will suffer for a long time before the symptoms are present. By the time a bird looks ill, the matter is serious and most often non-curable. Avoid tobacco around your birds, completely.
________________________________________________
