Enrichment Ideas

Alfie (moluccan cockatoo) is foraging for some treats instead of screaming. Getting your bird to work for it’s treats and food is an excellent way to decrease screaming. Foraging doesn’t have to be difficult. All I did was take whole tree nuts, put them in paper medicine cups, put them in a clean egg carton, put some shredded paper on top that were just old bills, and BAM quiet for 30 minutes, and easy to clean up!

If you have an overly hormonal bird, this may not be the best option though for a foraging activity. Hiding the food in hanging toys or foot toys in foraging cups/buckets or baffle cages is just as successful of an activity, and can be more challenging.

Using acrylic foraging puzzle toys allows for much more time quietly foraging because there are often more steps involved with the puzzles to get a small treat. It mentally stimulates these natural problem solvers. Some have the bird use external tools in order to get the treat.

Every bird can forage. My mostly blind bird JoJo can forage. Munchkin with his beak disabilities can forage. Rukkas (red lored amazon) being over the age of 50 and very disabled can still forage! Even all the conures and small birds can forage! Foraging is not just for the big birds, but for all avian species. It’s something that can be taught to all birds!

To learn more about enrichment and get ideas, check out the Enrichment and Foraging online class here. We also sell handmade parrot enrichment here.