Getting vegetables into your bird's diet is one thing. Getting them to actually eat them can be a completely different story.
Fresh vegetables are a great way to add more variety, colour, texture and interest to your bird's food. They can be chopped into a fresh mix, grated, clipped to the cage, threaded onto a skewer or handed over in a big chunk for your bird to pull apart and investigate.
And if your bird takes one look at a piece of broccoli and decides you've clearly lost the plot, don't give up just yet. Sometimes changing how you offer a vegetable can make all the difference.
In this guide, we'll run through vegetables you can offer, the ones we'd leave off the menu, how to prepare them, and a few ideas for birds that aren't quite convinced vegetables are food yet.
Just looking for the list? Jump straight to Safe Vegetables for Birds A to Z or Foods and Vegetables to Avoid.
Why Vegetables Are Important for Birds
Fresh vegetables add variety, different textures and a range of nutrients to your bird's diet. They're also a great way to make food more interesting. Leaves, florets, chunks, cobs and other shapes give birds something to hold, shred, pick through and investigate instead of everything arriving chopped up in a bowl.
How to Prepare Vegetables for Your Bird
Give everything a good wash. Wash fresh vegetables thoroughly before offering them to your bird.
Try different shapes and sizes. Chopped isn't always better. Try grated vegetables, small pieces, chunky pieces or even larger sections your bird can hold, shred and pull apart. Sometimes changing how you offer a vegetable is all it takes to get some interest.
Raw or cooked can both work. Many vegetables can be offered raw, while others need to be cooked first. If you do cook them, keep them plain with no salt, butter, oil or seasoning.
Turn vegetables into something to do. They don't always have to arrive in a bowl. Clip leafy greens to the cage, thread suitable vegetables onto a Fruit and Veggie Skewer or add them to a foraging activity. It gives your bird a chance to chew, pull apart and investigate their food.
Don't leave fresh food sitting around all day. Remove uneaten fresh vegetables after a couple of hours, especially in warmer weather.
When Your Bird Refuses Vegetables
Put a bowl of broccoli in front of some birds and they'll dive straight in. Others will look at it like you've completely lost your mind.
If your bird isn't interested at first, don't give up on vegetables altogether. Birds can take time to investigate unfamiliar foods, and sometimes simply changing how you offer them can make all the difference.
A few things worth trying:
- Offer the same vegetable in different ways. Try it grated, chopped, in larger chunks, clipped to the cage or threaded onto a Fruit and Veggie Skewer.
- Mix a small amount through foods your bird already knows and enjoys.
- Try eating some in front of them. Some birds become much more interested when they see you eating it too.
- Keep offering different vegetables without forcing it. What gets completely ignored one week might suddenly become interesting later.
Try Soaked or Sprouted Seed
For birds that are very set on dry seed, soaked or sprouted seed can be a useful stepping stone towards introducing more fresh foods.
It starts with something they already recognise, but introduces a different texture and way of eating it. Once your bird is happily eating soaked or sprouted seed, you can try adding small amounts of finely chopped vegetables through the mix.
Our guide to soaking seed and guide to sprouting seed explain how to prepare both properly and what to watch for along the way.
Freeze Dried Vegetables: An Easy Option to Have on Hand
Fresh vegetables are great, but they aren't always convenient. Sometimes you run out, you're travelling, your bird is staying with someone else, or you simply don't have time to prepare fresh chop every day.
Freeze dried vegetables are handy to keep in the cupboard for those times. They're lightweight, shelf stable and easy to portion, with plenty of colour, flavour and crunch for your bird to investigate.
They're also really useful for foraging. Fresh vegetables aren't practical in every toy or foraging setup, especially if they're going to sit there for a while, whereas freeze dried pieces can be tucked into foraging toys, hidden through shreddables or added to activity trays without the same mess.
Some birds also prefer the crunchy texture over softer fresh vegetables. You can offer freeze dried vegetables as they are, rehydrate them with a little warm water, or mix them through foods your bird already enjoys.
If you're looking for a ready-made option, Raw for Birds Freeze Dried Seasonal Chop combines seasonal vegetables and fruit without the daily chopping. Offer it dry, rehydrate it, mix it through your bird's usual food or use it in foraging toys.
There's more to it than most packets let on, from how freeze drying actually works to how to store it properly in an Australian summer. Our complete guide to freeze-dried food for birds covers the lot.
Safe Vegetables for Birds: A to Z
Artichoke
Artichoke can be offered raw or lightly steamed. Remove the tough outer leaves and fibrous centre first, then offer the softer pieces for your bird to pull apart and investigate.
Beetroot, Including the Leaves
Both the Beetroot itself and the leafy tops can be offered to birds. Serve it raw, grated, chopped or lightly cooked.
One thing worth knowing: Beetroot can temporarily turn droppings red or pink. It can look alarming if you aren't expecting it, but this can be completely normal after eating Beetroot.
Bok Choy
Bok Choy can be offered raw, chopped into the bowl or left in larger leafy pieces for your bird to shred and pull apart. You can also clip a whole leaf to the cage bars to turn it into a simple bit of food enrichment.
Broccoli, Including the Leaves
Broccoli florets, stems and leaves can all be offered to birds. Serve it raw or lightly steamed. The florets are especially good for birds that love pulling things apart, with plenty of little pieces to pick, shred and investigate.
Capsicum, Including the Seeds
Capsicum can be offered raw, with the seeds and pith included. Slice it into strips or rings, chop it through fresh food, or offer larger pieces for your bird to hold and pull apart.
Carrot, Including the Tops
Both the Carrot and leafy tops can be offered. Try it grated, chopped into small pieces, cut into sticks or offered in larger chunks depending on what your bird prefers. Baby Carrots can also be threaded onto a Fruit and Veggie Skewer for a bit of extra foraging.
Cauliflower, Including the Leaves
The florets and leaves can both be offered raw or lightly steamed. Like Broccoli, Cauliflower has plenty of texture for birds that enjoy shredding and pulling their food apart.
Celery
Celery can be offered raw, but the long stringy fibres can be awkward, particularly for smaller birds. Chop it across the stalk into manageable pieces rather than leaving long strings attached.
Chilli, Including the Seeds
Chillies can be offered fresh or dried, with the seeds included. Try them whole, sliced or chopped through your bird's fresh food. Some birds absolutely love getting stuck into a Chilli, seeds and all.
Choko
Choko can be offered raw or cooked. Peel it, remove the seed and serve it chopped, sliced or in larger pieces for your bird to investigate and pull apart.
Corn
Fresh Corn is an easy one to have a bit of fun with. Offer the kernels on their own or give your bird a section of Corn on the cob to pick apart. Because Corn is quite starchy, it's best offered as part of a varied mix rather than taking over the whole bowl.
Cucumber
Cucumber can be offered raw with the skin on after a good wash. Slice it into rounds, chop it through fresh food or offer larger pieces. It has a high water content, so it's more about adding variety, texture and crunch than packing the bowl with nutrients.
Endive
Endive can be offered raw, chopped through fresh food or left in larger leafy pieces for shredding. You can also clip whole leaves to the cage bars for something a little more interesting than dropping everything into a bowl.
Fennel
The bulb, stalks and leafy fronds can all be offered raw. Slice or chop the bulb, or leave some of the fronds attached for your bird to pick through and investigate.
Ginger Root
Ginger can be offered fresh or dried in small amounts. Finely grate or chop a little through fresh food if you want to add another flavour and texture to the mix.
Kale
Kale can be offered raw, chopped through fresh food or left as a whole leaf for shredding. You can also weave or clip the leaves around the cage to make greens a little more interesting.
Okra
Okra can be offered raw or cooked, whole or sliced. Its unusual shape and texture also gives curious birds plenty to pull apart and investigate.
Parsnip
Parsnip can be offered raw or cooked. Peel it first, then grate, chop or cut it into pieces to suit your bird. Like other starchier vegetables, it's best included as part of a varied mix.
Snow Peas and Sugar Snap Peas
Pod and all! Snow Peas and Sugar Snap Peas can be offered whole or chopped up to suit your bird. The pods also give them something to pull apart and investigate, making them an easy vegetable to add a little extra texture and variety to the bowl.
Pumpkin, Including the Seeds
Pumpkin flesh and seeds can both be offered to birds. Serve the flesh raw or lightly steamed, and offer the seeds fresh and unsalted. A wedge of Pumpkin can also make a great foraging activity for larger birds and aviaries, with plenty to pick, chew and pull apart.
Radicchio
Radicchio can be offered raw, chopped through fresh food or left in larger leafy pieces. It has a slightly bitter taste, so don't be surprised if your bird needs a few introductions before deciding what they think of it.
Radish, Including the Leaves
Both the Radish and leafy tops can be offered raw. Slice or grate the root, chop the leaves through fresh food, or offer the whole thing and let your bird investigate it for themselves.
Rocket
Rocket can be offered raw and is easy to mix through fresh food or offer as whole leaves. Its peppery flavour also adds something a little different to the usual leafy greens.
Silverbeet
Silverbeet can be offered raw or lightly steamed. Chop it through fresh food, offer larger leafy pieces or clip a leaf to the cage for shredding. Because Silverbeet contains oxalates, it's best rotated with a variety of other leafy greens rather than being the only green offered regularly.
Squash
Squash can be offered raw or cooked. Cut it into manageable pieces or lightly steam harder varieties to soften them up. Keep anything cooked plain, without salt, butter or seasoning.
Sweet Potato
Sweet Potato is best served cooked. Steam or bake it until soft, allow it to cool and offer it plain. Try it mashed, chopped into pieces or mixed through other fresh foods.
Turnip, Including the Leaves
Both the Turnip and leafy tops can be offered. Serve them raw, chopped through fresh food or lightly cooked.
Watercress
Watercress can be offered raw and is easy to mix through fresh food or offer as whole leafy pieces for your bird to pick through.
Zucchini
Zucchini can be offered raw or lightly cooked, with the skin left on after a good wash. Slice it into rounds, chop it through fresh food or offer larger pieces for your bird to pull apart.
What About Herbs?
Fresh herbs are another easy way to add different flavours, smells and textures to your bird's fresh food. Parsley, Coriander, Dill, Basil, Oregano, Thyme and Marjoram can all be included.
We've covered herbs in much more detail in our guide to bird safe herbs and spices.
Foods and Vegetables to Avoid
There are plenty of vegetables to choose from, so when something is questionable or unsuitable, we'd rather leave it off the menu.
- Avocado: Never offer Avocado to birds.
- Onion, Leek, Shallot and Spring Onion: Leave the Allium family out of your bird's food, whether raw or cooked.
- Garlic: We recommend leaving Garlic out as well.
- Tomato: We recommend leaving Tomato off your bird's menu. The leaves, stems and green parts of the plant are the main concern, and because advice around ripe Tomato can vary, we'd rather stick with the many other vegetables we're happy to recommend.
- Rhubarb: Rhubarb leaves are dangerous to birds, so we'd leave Rhubarb off the menu altogether.
- Dried Borlotti Beans: Don't offer dried Borlotti Beans straight from the packet. They need to be properly prepared, such as by sprouting or thoroughly cooking, before being offered.
- Wild or unidentified mushrooms: There are toxic varieties, so if you don't know exactly what it is, don't offer it.
- Heavily seasoned vegetables or table food: Keep vegetables plain. Skip added salt, butter, sauces and seasonings.
For a bigger reference covering fruit, vegetables, nuts, grains and other foods, see our complete list of 200 safe and toxic foods for pet birds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can birds eat Tomatoes?
We recommend avoiding Tomato. While the green parts of the plant are the biggest concern, advice around ripe Tomato can vary, so we'd rather keep it off the menu and stick with the many other vegetables we're happy to recommend.
Can birds eat Avocado?
No. Avocado can be dangerous to birds and shouldn't be offered in any form.
Can birds eat Onion or Garlic?
We recommend leaving both out. Onion and Garlic belong to the Allium family and aren't foods we'd recommend offering to birds.
Can birds eat Lettuce?
Yes, but not all Lettuce brings much to the bowl. Iceberg Lettuce is mostly water and doesn't offer much nutritionally, so we'd reach for leafy greens such as Bok Choy, Endive or Kale instead.
Can birds eat frozen vegetables?
Yes. Plain frozen vegetables can be a handy option. Thaw them before offering and check the ingredients for added salt, sauces, butter or seasoning.
How much vegetable should my bird eat?
There isn't one percentage that works for every bird. The right diet varies depending on species, age, lifestyle, health and what else your bird eats.
Fresh vegetables can be a great part of a varied diet, but they shouldn't simply replace everything else in the bowl. If you're unsure about the right balance for your particular bird, especially for species with specialised dietary requirements, speak with an avian veterinarian.
Are freeze dried vegetables as good as fresh?
They're not exactly the same nutritionally, so we wouldn't use freeze dried vegetables as a complete replacement for fresh food.
Where freeze dried really shines is convenience and variety. It's easy to keep on hand, great for travelling and particularly useful in foraging toys and activities where putting fresh vegetables isn't practical.
If you're looking for an easy option to keep in the cupboard, Raw for Birds Freeze Dried Seasonal Chop can be offered dry, rehydrated, mixed through other foods or tucked into foraging toys for your bird to find.
Our guide to freeze-dried food for birds goes into nutrients, storage and foraging in more detail.
