Every species has their own dietary needs

A good diet promotes a healthy bird

A balanced, nutritious diet is one of the most important factors in keeping your bird healthy and happy. Proper nutrition supports a strong immune system, healthy feathers, vibrant colors, good weight, and overall physical and mental well-being.

A healthy diet should consist primarily of high-quality pellets, supplemented with a variety of fresh vegetables, leafy greens, herbs, and limited amounts of fruit. Fresh, clean water should always be available, and foods high in fat, sugar, or salt should be avoided.

Just as important as what your bird eats is how they eat. Offering a variety of foods, rotating ingredients, and encouraging natural foraging behaviors provides valuable mental stimulation and helps prevent boredom.

Every bird is unique, and nutritional needs can vary by species, age, activity level, and health status. Providing a well-balanced diet and consulting an avian veterinarian when needed are essential steps toward ensuring your feathered companion enjoys a long, healthy life.

Recommended Pellet Brands to Research:

These brands are also approved by our avian vets:

Please remember the bag you buy should be specific to your birds species (size of pellets and ingredients)

  • Harrison’s Brand Pellets

  • HOPP (Harrison’s Organic Premium Pellets)

  • Roudybush Pellets

One important point: the "best" pellet is the one your bird actually eats consistently. A theoretically superior pellet that your bird refuses is less useful than a very good pellet they readily consume.

What about seeds?

Seeds can provide valuable nutrients and variety in a bird’s diet; however, the amount offered should be carefully monitored to help prevent excessive weight gain and reduce the risk of nutrition-related health problems over time.

Because dietary needs vary between bird species, we recommend speaking with your avian veterinarian about the type, brand, and appropriate quantity of seed for your individual bird.

Our cockatiels receive ½ tsp of Hagen Staple VME Seed – Budgie Mix. We chose this particular blend because it contains a variety of staple seeds, is vitamin- and mineral-enriched (VME), and does not contain sunflower seeds.

We do keep sunflower seeds on hand as a high-value training treat. While sunflower seeds are not inherently harmful to birds, they are relatively high in fat and can be easy for birds to overconsume. For this reason, we prefer to use them sparingly as treats rather than including them as a regular component of our cockatiels’ everyday seed portion.