Introduction

From budgies to macaws, all companion parrots are extremely intelligent and social animals that thirst for mental stimulation. Lots of interaction and an environment enriched with toys to chew, manipulate and puzzle over really can make a world of difference to the happiness and wellbeing of these wonderful creatures.

Selecting these parrot toys however can be quite a daunting task, especially if it’s your first bird or first of a particular species. What kind of toy would it like? How big should it be? How long should it last? How many should you get?

My advice is to start off slow. Instead of worrying about getting it right the first time, make your first purchase (or toy making adventure) about exploring the possibilities. Just like us, birds don’t always immediately know what they like (or dislike), and their tastes will change over time. Many birds will start off as quite delicate chewers and turn into chomping monsters a year or two down the track, and many will go through fads, absolutely loving a particular kind of material for a while and then losing all interest in it. Toys are an adventure for you and your parrot, let it be one.

This article is split into four sections; safety advice to keep in mind when selecting, what to look for in an interesting parrot toy, introducing the toy to your parrot and doing the real safety analysis and finally what to do if your parrot doesn't like the toy.


Safety advice for selecting parrot toys

Basically your first shopping trip for toys is going to be a lot of guess work. Birds are remarkably clever at getting themselves into trouble and unless you’re keen to make your bird’s life as boring as possible there will always be dangers in your parrot’s life. However there are a few safety ideas to think about while shopping for toys.

Toy Size

Toy size is probably the hardest thing to choose appropriately for your parrot because everybody has a different idea on the subject. But be reassured that most size concerns are about destructibility as opposed to danger issues. A small toy will be instant splinters in a hyacinth’s beak and a budgie might simply stare hopelessly at a large block of wood given to them to chew.

The two main safety issues with getting the right toy size is whether your parrot can get some part of its body stuck in the toy and then panic and hurt itself, or whether small parts can come off easily and pose a threat if they’re swallowed. Assessing these dangers can be very difficult unless you see your bird up close and personal with the toy.

Look for bird size recommendations or information about the dimensions of the toy. Get a tape measure out and measure your bird before you go shopping, ask for advice and search the internet but basically if you still can’t tell, don’t despair. Getting the wrong size is not the end of the world, and not necessarily the end of the toy.

If your bird is still young you may wish to avoid toys with small pieces not secured well as they’re still learning beak agility. However most birds are pretty clued up about what is and isn't food and they’re built to dehull the smallest seeds, so in most cases the danger of them swallowing something they’re not meant to is pretty small. That’s not to say it doesn’t happen, but with some good ol’ fashioned observation you will feel more and more comfortable making these safety decisions as time goes by.

Toy Materials

The main difficulty in assessing the safety of a material is finding out what the material is! Have a look at our Toys and Materials info page to begin your exploration of the materials you might find in parrot toys, and have a browse round the internet as there is lots of information out there regarding things that might harm your bird. Here are some general (but not infallible!) rules to follow in a pinch though:

• Scent, lacquers, glues and paint are best to be avoided unless you have specific knowledge about the type used and its harm potential. Use your nose to help judge.
  
  
• Most plastics are fine, but use your nose again as there can be residues left over from the manufacturing process, and these residues will almost always be harmful. Soft vinyl has been shown to leach dangerous chemicals on contact with saliva or water.
  
  
• Avoid metals unless you are sure of its type and are happy with its safety reputation. Be aware that almost everything labelled as 'galvanised' is zinc-coated, and almost everything without a label is galvanised. Most bird toy manufacturers will go through the effort to let you know what metal they use if it’s a safe one.
  
  
• Avoid materials that you think will break apart messily or could be affected by static. For example, thin filmy plastic can get stuck around the beak or old cushion foam can disintegrate into small fibres full of static, both of which could pose a danger to the breathing or digestive track if your bird cannot remove it from the vicinity of its beak easily.

Toy Construction

When judging the construction always remember how strong a parrot’s beak is, and think about how the toy would be with a few bits cut or chewed by your parrot, would a danger suddenly present itself then? Is its hanging material suitable for the weight of the toy. Don’t just think about it new, think about it half way through its destruction, and decide whether you are willing and observant enough to maintain the toy’s safety till the end.

But what should I look for in a toy?

Get a whole pile of toys of lots of different materials and try to satisfy at least one of each of the aspects described below:

Shape and Texture – The beak and tongue is the parrot’s main tool of exploration and a set of precision instruments. Different types of surfaces, whether smooth, hard, rough or soft, are all of immense interest to a parrot and digging into subtle (or blatant!) nooks and crannies a fantastic sensory highlight.

Colour – Parrots have fantastic eyesight, and whilst flamboyant colour schemes are favoured in parrot toys this doesn’t mean a demure or natural colour scheme is not appreciated by your parrot friend too.

Sound - If the toys rattles or tinkles or dongs, especially upon manipulation by your parrot, ecstatic joy is bound to ripple through your bird’s feathers.

Movement – Toys that invite movement are always good. Birds are active beings and they love an obstacle course. Flapping, swinging, climbing or dangling is all great fun, so try getting a ladder, a hoop, a piece of rope or plastic chain, a bouncy perch or just a really big toy that can be climbed all over.

Manipulation and Challenge – Most birds just delight in the challenge. Give a soft drink bottle cap to your parrot and the first task will always be removing the little plastic insert on the underside of it. String a bunch of small beads on a piece of rope and your parrot will sit for hours with a bead in its beak rotating it round and round on the string with its tongue. Buy a cage with nuts and bolts and your parrot will undo it all from the inside. Most parrot toys allow for manipulation, but finding toys that provide that little extra challenge can be a little more difficult to spot. Look for a toy where not every element is just a foot grab away, bits that are hard to reach or more difficult to grasp with the beak can be terribly tantalising for your bird.

Wrenching, Chewing & Destroying – It is this activity which is the favourite past-time of nearly every parrot, and indeed, the aspect that costs us the most in keeping our parrot happy. But it is an essential parrot behaviour that helps condition the beak and satisfies natural chewing and destructive urges. This behaviour should always be catered to with a few toys that can be destroyed (supplying only indestructible hard plastic toys is simply not fair). Wood, wicker, straw or paper; there’s a whole pile of things out there that a parrot will enjoy ruining. Anything that is safe and can be ripped, shredded, gnawed, crunched or wrenched will be considered great value by your parrot.

Puzzle, Thinking and Interaction – These type of toys come in two varieties, the first being toys your parrot can puzzle over by itself like ones with a food reward where you place a nut at one end and your parrot has to manipulate the toy until it pops out the other. The second lot are toys that require training (and interaction!), things like balls to fetch and place in a basket or hoops to place over a peg. Both these toys require thought and co-ordination and no-doubt create a great sense of self satisfaction when achieved. Just remember to start your bird off with something simple. Just because it’s inherently intelligent does not mean your bird (or you!) knows how to build a transistor without some training!

Presenting the toys and doing your final safety analysis

So no doubt you’re starting to feel a bit overwhelmed about whether the toys you’ve selected are suitable for your bird, but please don’t worry, the real judgement calls come upon introduction of the toy to your feathered companion. When first introducing the toy watch and ask the questions below to yourself:

• How is it being chewed; are any parts being ingested or inhaled?
• Can you see any parts of the toy that your parrot could get a toe, leg or head stuck in?
• What could happen if your bird gets really boisterous with the toy?
• Are there any edges becoming dangerously sharp or pointy?
• Is there any paint or metal coating that is could chip or peel?
• Have any threads become loose or long enough to entangle the bird?
• Are there any parts that could be hazardous if swallowed?
• Does the toy need cleaning?

Basically look for any possibility of suffocation, amputation, entanglement, strangulation or poisoning.

Don’t fret if you’re still not sure after some observation, just remove it and try again on another day, you will be learning from the other toys and may feel more comfortable making a judgement call about a particular toy at a later date.

If it does turn out that one of the toys you purchased is a concern safety wise try removing the offending part (if that’s possible), or simply reserve the toy for supervised play only, where you are around to rescue your bird if it gets into some trouble.

If the toy gets destroyed within a day, then hooray, your bird obviously loved it! You may simply want to try something a little bigger next time so your bird doesn’t break the bank.

My bird isn’t playing with the toy…

Don’t throw it away yet! Maybe your bird just hasn’t noticed it yet. Sometimes, especially if your bird is still pretty new to the toy phenomenon, it may simply not get what it’s all about. Try playing with the toy yourself in front of your bird to pique its interest.

No it’s definitely just this toy it doesn’t like...

Sometimes location can make a heap of difference. Hang the toy somewhere different in the cage or try placing it outside the cage or on the play stand. Some birds love nothing better than to investigate a toy on the ground. Some toys invite lots of flapping and action and your bird may be far more interested in it where there is more space.

Still no interest…

Try reassessing the materials. Maybe it looked like pine but is in fact some other kind of wood that your bird has an aversion to. There are some birds that don’t mind perching on a type of wood, but seem to inherently know that it wouldn’t be very good to chew. If you’re pretty sure that the materials are nothing to be worried about, maybe the toy is just a bit big. Put it away for a few months (or even a year) as later down the line it might just fit your bird’s chewing style much more aptly, or its tastes will change and the next time they see the toy could be the beginning of a grand adventure.

And finally…

Have spare toys available so you can rotate what’s in the cage. Place a particular toy in the cage one week and then put it on the play stand another week. Keep things moving and interesting for your parrot. And remember environmental enrichment is not all about toys. Branches, fresh foliage, especially those that are flowering, fresh fruit and vegetables with their skins still on and plenty of other foraging food and play activities are all ways to keep your parrot mentally and physically stimulated and healthy.