Non-toxic for birds list and things that are toxic for birds. Non-toxic for birds list of safe wood for birds, trees, household items and plants not safe for birds. Safe and Toxic fruits and veggies for parrots.
These lists are from www.mdvaden.com and other sources. Please check with your avian vet if in doubt.
Remember that any chemicals that are sprayed on trees are toxic and may kill your bird.
Tree Limbs non-toxic for birds:
ACACIA APPLE -(Pesticide residue likely reasonfor periodic issues) AILANTHUS - Tree of Heaven ALDER - white alder -(See Dr. Vaden's site) Alder / Buckthorn) ALMOND ARALIA - Fatsia japonica ASH - Fraxinus ASPEN - Populus BAMBOO BARBERRY- Berberis BIRCH - see paragraph BEECH - Fagus BOIS D'ARC - horse apple tree BOTTLE BRUSH BUTTERFLY BUSH CAMELLIA CITRUS -(lime, kumquat, grapefruit, orange, lemon) CORK - (not wood from cork oak, but cork) CORN PLANTS COTTONWOOD - Populus CRABAPPLE - Malus CRAPE MYRTLE - (not the same as myrtle) DATE DOGWOOD - Cornus DOUGLAS FIR - Pseudotsuga DRACAENA ELM - Ulmus ESCALLONIA EUCALYPTUS FIG FIR - genus Abies GINKGO GRAPE VINES GRAPE PALM GUAVA HACKBERRY HAWTHORN - Crataegus HIBISCUS HICKORY IRONWOOD - apparently toxic leaves JADE PLANT KALANCHOE KUMQUAT LARCH - Larix LILAC - Syringa MADRONA / MADRONE - Arbutus MAGNOLIA MAPLE - Acer - see Dr. Vaden's site MANZANITA - Arctostaphylos MESQUITE - remove sharp parts MIMOSA MOCK ORANGE - Phladelphus MOUNTAIN ASH - Sorbus MULBERRY - Morus NANDINA -common name is heavenly bamboo NECTARINE NORFOLK ISLAND PINE - Araucaria NUT TREES - exclude chestnut and oak ORANGE - several sources lean toward safe OREGON GRAPE - Mahonia PALM PAPAYA PEACH PEAR PECAN PINE - Pinus: see Dr. Vaden's site PHOTINIA PLUM POPLAR - Populus PUSSY WILLOW - Salix RAPHIOLEPSIS - Indian Hawthorn RIBBONWOOD ROSE - Rosa RUBBER PLANT - - Ficus elastica - see Dr. Vaden's site RUSSIAN OLIVE SASSAFRAS SILK TREE SPIRAEA SPRUCE - Picea STAGHORN SUMAC -(Rhus - not Toxicodendron - (see Dr. Vaden's site) STRAWBERRY TREE -(Arbutus like Madrone) SWEET GUM - Liquidambar SYCAMORE THURLOW TREE FERN VIBURNUM VINE MAPLE - Acer WEEPING WILLOW - Salix (GOAT, PUSSY & WEEPING) WIEGELA YUCCA
Toxic Wood for BirdsALDER - red alder -see Alder / Alder Buckthorn paragraph at Dr. Vaden's site ANDROMEDA - (Pieris / Lily of the Valley shrub) APRICOT ARROWHEAD VINE AUSTRALIAN FLAME TREE AUSTRALIAN UMBRELLA TREE AVACADO AZALEA - Related to Rhododendron BANEBERRY - Actaea BEANS - (castor, horse, fava, broad, glory, scarlet runner) BLACK LOCUST - Robinia BOX ELDER BOXWOOD - Buxus BUCKTHORN - (Cascara / Alder Buckthorn - see chapter at Dr. Vaden's site) BRACKEN FERN BURDOCK CACAO CAMEL BUSH - Trichodesma CANARY BIRD BUSH - Crotalaria CANNABIS CASTOR BEAN CEDAR - Thuja, Chamaecyparis, Cupressus CHALICE - trumpet vine CHERRY (see Dr. Vaden's site) CHINA BERRY TREE - Melia / Texas umbrella tree CHINESE MAGNOLIA - uncertain for safety CHINESE POPCORN (TALLOW) CHINESE SNAKE TREE - Laquer plant: -- sap contact is bad too COMMON SAGE CORIANDER - Cilantro DATURA DAPHNE - it's the berries DATURA STRAMONIUM - Brugmansia: - - angel's trumpet DIEFFENBACHIA ELDERBERRY EUONYMUS - Includes burning bush and more EUPHORBIA FELT PLANT - Kalancho baharensis FLAME TREE FIRETHORN - Pyracantha FLAME TREE - Brachychiton / Sterculia FOXGLOVE GOLDEN CHAIN TREE - Laburnum GROUND CHERRY CROWN OF THORNS HEATHS HEMLOCK - Tsuga HOLLY - Ilex HONEY LOCUST - Gleditsia HORSE CHESTNUT - Aesculus HUCKLEBERRY - leaves bad: - - both evergreen or deciduous HYDRANGEA JASMINE JUNIPER - Juniperus KALMIA: also called Mountain Laurel KENTUCKY COFFEE TREE LANTANA - red sage LAUREL - Prunus LEUCOTHOE LUPINE MANGO -(fruit okay: not wood or leaves) MEXICAN BREADFRUIT MOCK ORANGE -(fruit, see note in safe list) MONSTERA MOUNTAIN LAUREL MYRTLE - is a broadleaf evergreen: Is not the same as crape myrtle NUTMEG OAK - Quercus - all parts / tannins MISTLETOE OLEANDER ORANGE - several sources lean toward safe PEAR - some sources lean toward safe PENCILTREE PITCH PINE PRARIE OAK - safety uncertain PRIVET RAIN TREE RED MAPLE - see Maple paragraph at Dr. Vaden's site RED SAGE - Lantana REDWOOD - - - Sequiadendron, Metasequoia, Sequoia RHODODENDRON RHUBARB SAND BOX TREE - - - sap has been used to poison fish SOLANUM - Jerusalem cherry or pepino SOPHORA - - - includes Japanese pagoda tree & Mescal SUMAC - - - not all sumacs are toxic: (see Dr. Vaden's site) TOBACCO TANSY TOMATO - stems, vines, and leaves UMBRELLA TREE WEEPING FIG -(Benjamin Fig or Ficus benjamina - see Dr. Vaden's site) WHITE CEDAR - China WITCH HAZEL - Hamamelis WISTERIA YEW - Taxus Non-Toxic FoliageFoliage non-toxic for birds: ACACIA ALOE AFRICAN VIOLET BABY'S TEARS BAMBOO BEGONIA BOSTON FERN BOUGAINVILLEA CHICKWEED CHRISTMAS CACTUS CISSUS (KANGAROO VINE) COLEUS CORN PLANT CRABAPPLE DANDELION DOGWOOD DONKEY TAIL DRACAENA VARIETIES FERNS: (BIRD'S NEST, BOSTON, MAIDENHAIR) FIGS: (CREEPING, RUBBER, FIDDLE LEAF, LAUREL LEAF) GARDENIA GRAPE IVY HEN AND CHICKENS IMPATIENS JADE PLANT KALANCHOE MAGNOLIA MARIGOLDS MONKEY PLANT MOTHER-IN-LAW (Are we sure?) NASTURTIUM NATAL PLUM NORFOLK ISLAND PINE ORCHIDS PALMS: (ARECA, DATE, FAN, LADY, PARLOUR, HOWEIA, KENTIA, PHOWNIX, SAGO) PEPPEROMIA PETUNIA PITTOSPORUM PRAYER PLANT PURPLE PASSION ROSE RUBBER PLANT SCHEFFLERA SENSITIVE PLANT SNAKE PLANT SPIDER PLANT SWEDISH IVY THISTLE VELVET NETTLE WANDERING JEW WAX PLANT WHITE CLOVER YUCCA ZEBRA PLANT ZINNIA
Toxic PlantsPlants toxic for birds: ARUM LILY AMARYLLIS ARALIA ARROWHEAD VINE AUTUMN CROCUS AUSTRALIAN FLAMETREE AUSTRALIAN UMBRELLA TREE AVOCADO AZALEA BANEBERRY BEANS: (CASTOR, HORSE, FAVA, BROAD, GLORY, SCARLET RUNNER, MESCAL, NAVY, PREGATORY BABY'S BREATH BIRD OF PARADISE BISHOP'S WEED BLACK LAUREL BLACK LOCUST BLEEDING HEART OR DUTCHMAN'S BREECHES BLOODROOT BLUEBONNET BLUEGREEN ALGAE BOXWOOD BRACKEN FERN BUCKTHORN BULB FLOWERS:(AMARYLLIS, DAFFODIL, NARCISSUS, HYACINTH & IRIS) BURDOCK BUTTERCUP CACAO CAMEL BUSH CASTOR BEAN CALADIUM CANA LILY CARDINAL FLOWER CHALICE (TRUMPET VINE) CHERRY TREE CHINA BERRY TREE CHRISTMAS CANDLE CLEMATIS (VIRGINIA BOWER) CLIVIA COCKLEBUR COFFEE (SENNA) COFFEE BEAN (RATTLEBUSH, RATTLE BOX & COFFEEWEED) CORAL PLANT CORIANDER CORNCOCKLE COYOTILLO COWSLIP CUTLEAF PHILODENDRON DAFFODIL DAPHNE DATURA STRAMONIUM (ANGEL'S TRUMPET) DEATH CAMUS DELPHINIUM DEVIL'S IVY DIEFFENBACHIA (DUMB CANE) EGGPLANT leaves ELDERBERRY ELEPHANT EAR (TARO) ENGLISH IVY ERGOT EUCALYPTUS (DRIED, DYED OR TREATED IN FLORAL ARRANGEMENTS) EUONYMUS (SPINDLE TREE) EUPHORBIA CACTUS FALSE HELLEBORE FLAME TREE FELT PLANT (MATERNITY, AIR & PANDA PLANTS) FIG (WEEPING) FIRE THORN FLAMINGO FLOWER FOUR O'CLOCK FOXGLOVE GYPSOPHILA PANICULATA - Sap of plant GLOTTIDIUM GOLDEN CHAIN GRASS: (JOHNSON, SORGHUM, SUDAN & BROOM CORN) GROUND CHERRY HEATHS: (KALMIA, LEUCOTHO, PEIRES, RHODODENDRON, MTN. LAUREL, BLACK LAUREL, ANDROMEDA & AZALEA) HELIOTROPE HEMLOCK: (POISON & WATER) HENBANE HOLLY HONEYSUCKLE HORSE CHESTNUT HORSE TAIL HOYA HYACINTH HYDRANGEA IRIS IVY: (ENGLISH & OTHERS) JACK-IN-THE-PULPIT JASMINE (JESSAMINE) JERUSALEM CHERRY JIMSONWEED JUNIPER KY. COFFEE TREE LANTANA (RED SAGE) LARKSPUR LILY OF THE VALLEY LILY, ARUM LOBELIA LOCOWEED (MILK VETCH) LOCUSTS, BLACK/HONEY LORDS & LADIES (CUCKOOPINT) LUPINE MALANGA MARIJUANA (HEMP) MAYAPPLE(MANDRAKE) MEXICAN BREADFRUIT MEXICAN POPPY MILKWEED, COTTON BUSH MISTLETOE MOCK ORANGE MONKSHOOD MOONSEED MORNING GLORY MTN. LAUREL MUSHROOMS, AMANITA MYRTLE NARCISSUS NETTLES NIGHTSHADES: (DEADLY, BLACK, GARDEN, WOODY, BITTERSWEET, EGGPLANT leaves, TOMATO -stems, vines, and leaves,JERUSALEM CHERRY) OAK OLEANDER OXALIS PARSLEY PEACE LILY PERIWINKLE PHILODENDRONS: (SPLIT LEAF, SWISS CHEESE, HEART-LEAF) PIGWEED POINCIANA POINSETTIA POISON IVY POISON HEMLOCK POISON OAK: (WESTERN & EASTERN) POKEWEED POTATO SHOOTS POTHOS PRIVET PYRACANTHA RAIN TREE RANUNCULUS, BUTTERCUP RAPE RATTLEBOX, CROTALARIA RED MAPLE RED SAGE (LANTANA) RHUBARB LEAVES RHODODENDRONS ROSARY PEA SEEDS SAND BOX TREE SKUNK CABBAGE SORREL (DOCK) SNOW DROP SPURGES: (PENCIL TREE, SNOW-ON-MTN, CANDELABRA, CROWN OF THORNS) STAR OF BETHLEHEM SWEET PEA SWISS CHEESE PLANT (MONSTERA) TANSY RAGWORT TOBACCO UMBRELLA PLANT VETCH: HAIRY/COMMON VIRGINIA CREEPER WATTLE WEEPING FIG WHITE CEDAR, CHINA BERRY WISTERIA YEWS YELLOW JASMINE
Safe Fruits and Vegetables for Birds Safe Fruits: Apple Apricot Banana Blackberry Blackcurrant Blood orange Blueberry Cantaloupe melon Cherry Cranberry Dried dates Figs (fresh) Gooseberries Grape Guava Honeydew melon Kiwifruit Lychee (Litchi) Mandarin Mango Melon Nectarine Orange Papaya Peach Pear Pineapple Plum Pomegranate Quince Raspberry Red Currants Strawberry Tangerine Yellow Plum Make sure that all apple, orange and other seeds are removed before letting your birds eat the fresh foods. And make sure you wash all fruits and vegetable thoroughly. It's always best to go organic for your parrots to stay away from pesticides. Healthy and Safe Vegetables for Birds Artichoke Beans, cooked only Bell Peppers Broccoli Brussels sprouts Carrot Cauliflower Celery stalks Chinese Cabbage Corn (milky & soft) Cucumber Eggplant (fruit only) Endive Fennel Green Beans Hot Peppers Kale Lettuce Parsley Peas Potato (cooked) Pumpkin (and seeds) Radish Red Beet (fresh) Radicchio Romain Lettuce Spinach Sprouts Sweet Potato Turnips Watercress Yams Zucchini
Again, make sure vegetables are washed and preferably organic. The chemicals they feed the plants will harm you and your birds.
TOXIC OR UNHEALTHY BIRD FOODS
Avoid anything high is salt, sugar, and fat content. Alcohol Apple seeds Apricot pits Asparagus Avocado (entire plant and fruit) Beans - Kidney, Lima Beans, any dried Butter Caffeine Carbonated beverages Cherry pits Chocolate Cigarette tobacco Dried fruits (containing sulfides or sulphates) Egg Plant Gatorade Milk/cream in large quantities Nectarine pits Olives Onions (raw or cooked) Peach pits Pear pips Plum pits Raw Peanuts Rhubarb Tobacco Tomato (entire plant, a little fruit okay) Houseplants (most are toxic, not all)
Chocolate poisoning first affects a bird's digestive system, causing vomiting and diarrhea. As the condition progresses, the bird's central nervous system is affected, first causing seizures and eventually death.
2) Apple Seeds
Believe it or not, apples - along with other members of the rose family including cherries, peaches, apricots, and pears - contain trace amounts of Cyanide within their seeds. While the fruit of the apple is fine for your bird, be aware that in addition to the poisonous seeds, there may be pesticides present on the fruit's skin. Be sure to thoroughly cleanse and core any apple pieces that you share with your bird to avoid exposure to these toxins.
3) Avocado
The skin and pit of this popular fruit had been known to cause cardiac distress and eventual heart failure in pet bird species. Although there is some debate to the degree of toxicity of avocados, it is generally advised to adopt a "better safe than sorry" attitude toward them and keep guacamole and other avocado products as far away from pet birds as possible.
4) Onions
While the use of limited amounts of onion or garlic powders as flavorings is generally regarded as acceptable, excessive consumption of onions causes vomiting, diarrhea, and a host of other digestive problems. It has been found that prolonged exposure can lead to a blood condition called hemolytic anemia, which is followed by respiratory distress and eventual death.
Hemolytic anemia (HEE-moh-lit-ick uh-NEE-me-uh) is a condition in which red blood cells are destroyed and removed from the bloodstream before their normal lifespan is up.
5) Alcohol Although responsible bird owners would never dream of offering their pet an alcoholic drink, there have been instances in which free roaming birds have attained alcohol poisoning through helping themselves to unattended cocktails. Alcohol depresses the organ systems of birds and can be fatal. Make sure that your bird stays safe by securing him in his cage whenever alcohol is served in your home.
6) Mushrooms
Mushrooms are a type of fungus, and have been known to cause digestive upset in companion birds. Caps and stems of some varieties can induce liver failure.
7) Tomato Leaves
Tomatoes, like potatoes and other nightshades, have a tasty fruit that is fine when used as a treat for your bird. The stems, vines, and leaves, however, are highly toxic to your pet. Make sure that any time you offer your bird a tomato treat it has been properly cleaned and sliced, with the green parts removed, so that your bird will avoid exposure to any toxins.
8) Salt
While all living beings need regulated amounts of sodium in their systems, too much salt can lead to a host of health problems in birds, including excessive thirst, dehydration, kidney dysfunction, and death. Be sure to keep watch over the amount of salty foods your bird consumes.
9) Caffeine
Caffeinated beverages such as soda, coffee, and tea are popular among people - but allowing your bird to indulge in these drinks can be extremely hazardous. Caffeine causes cardiac malfunction in birds, and is associated with increased heartbeat, arrhythmia, hyper activity, and cardiac arrest. Share a healthy drink of pure fruit or vegetable juice with your bird instead - this will satisfy both your bird's taste buds and nutritional requirements.
10) Dried Beans
Cooked beans are a favorite treat of many birds, but raw, dry bean mixes can be extremely harmful to your pet. Uncooked beans contain a poison called hemaglutin which is very toxic to birds. To avoid exposure, make sure to thoroughly cook any beans that you choose to share with your bird.
Other Foods To AvoidFatty foods High fat in the diet leads to obesity and may result in lipomas (fatty tumors), lipemia (fat in the blood), and hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver disease). Any greasy, oily or otherwise fatty food should be avoided. Commonly overfed fatty foods include nuts, French fries, crackers, marbled meat, peanut butter, butter, fried chicken, fried anything etc. Sugar foods Obviously, frosting is high in sugar and an undesirable foodstuff. Similarly, soda pop, candy and these types of foods are not recommended.
Dairy Birds lack the digestive enzymes needed to break down milk sugar and milk proteins. Uncultured milk products such as milk, cream and butter should not be fed but yogurt, cheeses and dried milk can be supplemented in the diet in moderation (they are also high in fat).
Lettuce A typical filler food, lettuce is low in everything except water. It is not recommended as a food supplement since it offers little, if anything, for the bird. If leafy foods are desired by your bird, try feeding spinach, collard greens, tops of bok choy, carrot tops or kale.
Avocado Although higher in fat than other veggies and used in other countries to condition birds for breeding, avocado has been shown to be toxic in some birds and its feeding is no longer recommended, as mentioned above in the Toxic Foods list.
